VE Day 2020

Barkway residents share their VE Day memories

VE Day on 8th May 1945 marked the end of World War II in Europe and was celebrated across the country. Here is a collection of personal recollections from Barkway residents.

Home Guard Certificate

Home Guard Certificate
The Home Guard (initially Local Defence Volunteers or LDV) was an armed citizen militia supporting the British Army during the Second World War who played a vital role as Britain’s last line of...

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Barkway RAF mast

Barkway RAF mast
At the outbreak of war the RAF had a communications mast erected. This was constructed in wood. There was in fact little activity here during the war. It was intended that there would be ack-ack here,...

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Chris Greening, 1944

Chris Greening, 1944
VE Day Memories As with most families with a parent away in the Forces, our war had been pretty nomadic, with spells in Sussex, California, Florida (my father had been helping train the US air force i...

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Graham Penning, 1944

Graham Penning, 1944
I spent the war years in Newport, Isle of Wight where my father was the borough engineer for the duration. VE day I certainly recall with the excitement of crowds of people watching a grand parade of...

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BARKWAY HOME GUARD, 1942

BARKWAY HOME GUARD, 1942
BACK ROW: Charlie Scripps, Sid Brown, Jim Gray, Fred Brown, Arthur Bysouth, Jamie Bonfield, Chris Byatt, John Welsh, Arch Bentley, Alf Chapman, George Bentley SECOND FROM BACK: John Dodkin, Arthur Man...

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Anne McCormick, 1941

Anne McCormick, 1941
VE Day Memories Aunt Margaret with Veronica, Friend and Anne McCormick in front of air raid shelter, Castleford Yorkshire. I remember parts of the day vividly because it was so exciting but so strange...

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