KBGS Old Boys' Forum

A place to discuss Keighley Boys' Grammar School. 


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Re: V.E. Day 1945

Chris Firth
My dad was on HMS INDEFATIGABLE in the Pacific Ocean at the time. I guess they celebrated VE day but VJ was still some way off.


Chris. Here is another wee bit from my Family History. I was in the Sea Cadets and heading for a weeks course at HMS Osprey when I saw the HMS Indefatigable. Just a couple of years ago we moved house and our neighbour at the front is a delightful old Yorkshireman from Scarborough, aged about 90. He told me that he flew Corsairs off HMS Illustrious in the war.


The next day we caught a train to take us across the south coast from Portsmouth to Weymouth in Dorset. There we caught a bus to Portland Bill and we had to walk the rest of the way to HMS Osprey, a submarine land base where we were to undergo a general seamanship training course. I remember us walking up a pathway above a cliff and looking down at the bay where we saw a magnificent sight. There were several warships at anchor including the aircraft carriers Illustrious, Indefatigable and I think the Indomitable. This was a once in a lifetime experience. Cheers.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1947-51

Current location (optional) Orewa, NZ

Re: V.E. Day 1945

Mike, On May 8th 1945(VE Day), I was 10 years old and in another month's time I would be 11 and ready to go to KBGS in a few months time, We had our bonfire "ont'oller" as Terry described and, as all bonfires had been banned during the war years, this was something new for a lot of young lads like myself. Great fun, lots of noise with people taking the opportunity of getting rid of all sorts of old furniture, mattresses, etc
Some 3 months later(August 15th), we were celebrating VJ Day and another load of prog had to be found and more old mattresses got rid of. Great fun once again. In another 3 months November the 5th was upon us and Guy Fawkes Night had returned with further demands on prog ensuing. Fireworks were more readily available(rip-raps, bangers and Catherine wheels to the fore). So, in that particular year we had 3 bonfire nights, that's if my memory serves me right. Does anyone else remember this euphoric period? David

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1945-50

Current location (optional) Keighley

Re: V.E. Day 1945

I wasn't alive then, but in the days when we were so poor we had to eat gravel, why were folk burning furniture and mattresses?

Re: V.E. Day 1945

I was an 18 year old student at King's College London at the time, living in lodgings at Balham. One of the other lodgers heard the BBC news that the war was over and came to tell my room-mate and me that the following day May 8 would be a public holiday to be known as VE-Day.

We decided to spend VE-Day in central London. We walked the 5 or 6 miles each way because I suspect that public transport was suspended for the day. We were a couple of relatively quiet sober young men, and all we did was to join the crowds outside Buckingham Palace and wait for the King and Queen and Winston Churchill to appear on the balcony. We definitely didn't join in the dancing and I doubt whether we joined in the cheering. We eventually walked back via Piccadilly Circus to Balham. As far as I can remember there were no street parties in the area where we were lodging and we saw no bonfires.

VJ Day was different. I was in Bexleyheath, Kent doing vacation work and was invited to a street party where I was lodging at the time. I think people must have had longer to organise events on that occasion.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1937-1944

Current location (optional) Huntingdon