VE Day: Honouring the warriors
This past weekend a very important historical date sneaked by with very little (if any fanfare). Traditionally, May 8 is the day when VE Day (Victory in Europe Day) is celebrated. On this date in 1945 the Allied Army officially accepted Nazi Germany's surrender and victory in Europe was achieved.
One of the reasons no celebrations or parades were held locally is the lack of a local MOTHS (Members of the Tin Hats) shell hole. Veterans of any of South Africa’s wars (who live in the Tzaneen area) are welcome to contact Alan Odendaal at 0836602472 or to send him a mail at alan@xpress.co.za for more information.
Upon hearing of the Allied Army’s defeat of Germany on 8 May 1945, celebrations erupted throughout the world. From Moscow to Los Angeles, people celebrated.
In the United Kingdom, more than one million people celebrated in the streets to mark the end of the European part of the war.
In London, crowds massed in Trafalgar Square and up the Mall to Buckingham Palace, where King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, accompanied by Prime Minister Winston Churchill, appeared on the balcony of the palace before the cheering crowds. Princess Elizabeth (the future Queen Elizabeth II) and her sister Princess Margaret were allowed to wander incognito among the crowds and take part in the celebrations.
South Africa’s participation in the war was no easy matter and a hard political battle was fought between the pro-British, Jan Smuts and the pro-Germany, JBM Hertzog, with Smuts winning the battle and South Africa entering the war against Germany.
Today, 71 years later, we still honour the fallen and their comrades in arms who fought to rid the world of the Nazi scourge.
