Beverley Civic Society - The VE Day Memoires



VE Day Memories	The Second World War touched the lives of people of all ages, all races, all social classes. Mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, and sweethearts were killed, were wounded, and many of those who survived were forever changed. Not everyone had the same experience, but all were affected, one way or another. As those Beverlonians who lived through war leave us, it is important that their experiences are not forgotten. We owe it to future generations the preservation of as much as possible of the human evidence of wartime - the triumphs and the tragedies, the boredoms and the excitements. Now 60 years on the town of Beverley will be celebrating the anniversary of VE Day on the 8th May. As part of the commemorations, the Civic Society is organising the collection of your memories of the war and of that day. You might have been a child celebrating at school or you might have been in the services stationed in a foreign field. (You might even be too young - but have you got an older relative who remembers the day?) We would be grateful to receive your recollections. You might even like to send us a photograph of yourself from around that time: by email to memories@beverleycivic.co.uk or complete this form on our VE Day Memories page
The Memories: select a page from below to read the accounts.
	Memories Page 1 Catherine Patience Christopher N Hobson Joyce Try Harry Thompson Albert James Bill Guest Herbert Thompson Michael Walker	Memories Page 2 Mrs Martin Stuart Carr Len Winter Mrs Merial J Dunn Norman & Jean Long Donald Robson Ken Thorley A 'Country Woman'
	Memories Page 3 Allan Curtis Iris Newbould nee Faulkner Jim Hugill Judy Gray Maureen Chapman Mr Lyon Mrs Kathleen Jarvis Muriel Berzins	Memories Page 4 Roland Mitchell Jill Jones Miss W Mr P Calvert Pauline Storr nee Turner Rod Mackey Wendy R.M.Usher-Bacon Dorothy Taylor Malcolm Burnett H Ross
	Memories Page 5 Hilda Reed nee Sparrow Keith Moody Mr A Hobson Berna Moody	Memories Page 6 Edgar Bielby George Cooper Harry Flynn Mr C.M. McCallie
Other contributions:
	This is a copy of a letter sent to all the troops about to take part in the D-Day landings in Normandy on 6th June 1944. The letter is from the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, General Eisenhower. The letter is today what we would call a 'Pep talk'. Many soldiers under Eisenhower were going into battle for the first time. 'Ike' needed to tell them that it was for a good cause, that they had powerful support and that the German war machine wasn't as great as perhaps they may have feared. Click on the image to get a larger picture.
	This a copy of a letter sent to all school pupils in 1946. It is from the King, George VI, and thanks the pupils for sharing in the dangers of the war. Click on the image to get a larger picture.