In the marking
of seventy years since VE day there is a lot of material derived from the
propaganda at the time of joyous fun, unfettered celebration and the rest. This is not at all how I recall it.
Firstly, there
was still Japan fighting and with the bitter and vicious war in the East still
apparently with a long time to go. It might be years before it ended and we had
family in the services out there.
Secondly, my mother had lost two brothers in the past eighteen months
and VE day was a time for sad reflection on what it had cost her family.
For my parents
and grandparents generations there had been ten years of war in the past forty
and other upheavals as well. There was
little optimism and a lot of fear of what might emerge from the chaos in the
years to come. There were still family out there in the services and if the
experience of the First War applied might not be out for some time because of
troubles in The Empire.
They were also
dog tired, working weeks of up to 70 hours for years with few breaks or real
holidays. Travel was very expensive and
trains slow, badly crowded and unpredictable.
For ordinary life everything was a struggle. In bitter winters there were fuel shortages
and nothing could taken for granted.
We were grateful
that we had finished with the sirens and a few other things. We were not grateful that the long hours,
shortages and that many uncertainties might go on forever and that even basics
cost so much and were so difficult to find. There was no credit and the cash
had to be there for the rent man and the shillings for the meters.
It was not
until August and the formal ending of the war against Japan at the beginning of
September that we knew it was finished.
My father, who was not religious, thanked God for the atom bombs and
wished a few others could have been used and much earlier. Even then we were aware that life had changed
and that the coming years were going to be far from easy.
There may have
been celebrations but the hangovers lasted until the 1950's.
Thank you. A timely reminder for the large proportion of the population who nowadays know little history. Father and Uncles were able to leave the Navy & Army after serving before and throughout the War, but a close relative was still in the hell of a Jap prison camp, and another year was a very long time. Would recommend anyone to listen to a replay of Radio 4s The Reunion, first broadcast 9 - 9.45 lst May. A close study of former Japanese history prior to the war would also be illuminating to many.
ReplyDelete"Firstly, there was still Japan fighting and with the bitter and vicious war in the East still apparently with a long time to go."
ReplyDeleteToo true. My wife's father was one of them. No celebrations until he came home.
As someone born in the aftermath - a baby boomer - I have step by step come to realize that my memories of "normal life" - what I grew up with, in the States - were not of "normal life" - there IS no "normal life." We get too soon old, too late smart.
ReplyDeleteVJ day was when 'peace broke out' and we all enjoyed austerity ie rationing , utility clothes and furniture and the like - if you could get it.
ReplyDeleteAnd joy of joys - a socialist government.