This Day in History: 1945-05-08
Harwich erupted in spontaneous celebrations and the streets were decked in flags When the news of the end of hostilities in Europe reached the town.
VE Day. Starting quietly, unobtrusively and without any official lead, the celebrations grew to a great crescendo in the evening of Tuesday, May 8, 1945, with fun and games resounding in the historic streets.
Street teas were the order of the day, organised in a matter of hours, as food was spared from the meagre household rations that had seen the town through the dark days of war.
The occasion was started if in happy style with a parade of all the children, many wearing fancy dress costumes and paper hats and carrying noisy instruments.
Shops stayed open, tin-can bands appeared on street corners and stream of people rejoiced and gave thanks inside the town’s churches.
Hundreds of people danced into the evening until the black-out remained residents that Harwich was still officially at least holding the front line.
