Winston Churchill was the man of the hour on VE Day. In the Soviet Union, too, VE Day was on 9 May due to the different time zones. New Zealanders therefore had to go to work on 8 May and wait until the following day to celebrate. The country’s leadership wanted to delay the national holiday until peace in Europe had been announced by Winston Churchill. Due to the time difference, VE Day in New Zealand was officially held on 9 May. London’s St Paul’s Cathedral held ten consecutive services giving thanks for peace, each one attended by thousands of people. Communities came together to share the moment. Various events were organised to mark the occasion, including parades, thanksgiving services and street parties. Some restaurants had special ‘victory’ menus, too. There were even commemorative items hastily produced in time for the celebrations, including ‘VE Day’ mugs.
In the morning, Churchill had gained assurances from the Ministry of Food that there were enough beer supplies in the capital and the Board of Trade announced that people could purchase red, white and blue bunting without using ration coupons. Dönitz’s plan was partially successful and millions of German soldiers surrendered to Allied forces, thereby escaping Soviet capture.Ī national holiday was declared in Britain for. At Berlin on 8 May, therefore, a further document was signed – this time by German Field Marshal William Keitel. Soviet leader Josef Stalin wanted his own ceremony. The document of surrender was signed on behalf of Germany by General Alfred Jodl and came into effect the following day. On 7 May, at his headquarters in Reims, France, Supreme Allied Commander General Eisenhower accepted the unconditional surrender of all German forces.
There, Montgomery accepted the unconditional surrender of German forces in the Netherlands, northwest Germany and Denmark. During his brief spell as Germany’s president, Dönitz negotiated an end to the war with the Allies – whilst seeking to save as many Germans as possible from falling into Soviet hands.Ī German delegation arrived at the headquarters of British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery at Lüneburg Heath, east of Hamburg, on 4 May. His named successor was Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz. With Berlin surrounded, Adolf Hitler committed suicide on 30 April 1945.
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