8th May 2020 is the 75th anniversary of VE Day, the end of the Second World War in Europe and to mark this occasion the Chaldon Village Council asked Liz Bonsall to write a piece about Chaldon in 1945, with its celebrations and the decisions on war memorials, for the newsletter, Chaldon Matters. The piece is reproduced here. Further information compiled by Liz Bonsall is on the page Chaldon in World War 2; where you will find the Chaldon Village Roll of Honour and extracts from Chaldon Association minutes of meetings 1938-1953 referring to wartime and memorial plans.
Chaldon in 1945
VE (Victory in Europe) Day was the name given to 8th May 1945 when the Allies celebrated the defeat of Nazi Germany formally recognising the end of the Second World War in Europe. It meant an end to nearly six years of a war that had lost the lives of millions. The war against Japan did not end until August 1945.
The news of Germany’s surrender was not surprising. It had been anticipated for some time and people were on standby to start celebrating. The news came on the evening of 7th May and a national holiday was immediately declared for the following day.
In Chaldon local celebrations were fairly low key. Canon Crawford had written a Victory note in the Church News to tell parishioners how Thanksgiving would be offered. He said “On the day itself the Children will have a Service when the School is dismissed: and for the older folk there will be special Services at 11am and 8pm when all will, we hope, want to come and our Church should be full.”
On 19th April 1945 the Chaldon Association had called a Public Meeting which was ‘crowded to capacity’ and gave evidence of “an earnest desire for a local memorial to mark our grateful appreciation of those who have risked and accomplished so much for us, and whom we look forward to welcome home.”
On the 6th June 1945 a Victory party was held for the children of Chaldon. It was held in a field in Chaldon Common Road and the children were entertained to tea of fancy cakes, jellies, blancmanges and ice-cream. Over a hundred children attended and enjoyed a firework display in the evening.
Ideas for memorials were discussed and argued over by a War Memorial Committee and culminated in the stained glass window at the Church, dedicated 16th November 1947, a memorial clock on the north face of the Village Hall unveiled 29th January 1949, a Book of Remembrance dedicated at the Church later that year and two brass plaques commemorating the fallen fixed inside the Village Hall.
On 23rd January 1946 Chaldon WI attended a Victory Party in the Guards Depot Methodist Church Hall where games and competitions were interspersed with dancing and fancy dress.
In June 1946 Victory Celebrations in Chaldon were marked by a Fete on the field next to the Village Hall. The weather on the day was dreadful and “it rained all day”. However, the children continued with their races and the evening concerts were well attended. Chaldon Village Fete continues to this day.
If you would like to know more about Chaldon in WW2 see the page, Chaldon in World War 2 here.
If you have any stories or photographs to share please contact Liz at lizbonsall@aol.com.