VE Day: We Were There

World War Two veterans tell their remarkable stories for future generations.

Red Arrows, royals, veterans and tea: VE Day at 80 in pictures

Commemorations opened with a military procession and flypast watched by WW2 veterans, royals and huge crowds, and ended with tea parties around the country.
  • London

We Were There

VE Day celebrations

Veterans' stories

Answering the call from Empire

Women at war

The Royal Air Force

Read more stories

    1. A black and white image of an older man, wearing a checked shirt and gilet, imposed onto a white and red striped background.

      • An elderly man wearing glasses and a cardigan looks past the camera smiling

        • UK
        A Red Arrows plane flying over London, from the view of another Red Arrows jet

        • Jane Darlison, wearing a blue jumper and chain necklace, looking off-camera with a window to a garden behind her

          • An elderly woman wearing a flowery top looks at the camera

          • A black-and-white photograph from 1945 showing a group of cheering young women in overall type gowns standing in a line holding a garland and waving British flags

          • Mabel sits on a chair wearing a blue jumper, a beige patterned scarf, and a black gilet. She has short grey hair and glasses.

          • A black and white image of Bill Tutte on a first class stamp. He is wearing a shirt and a blazer, and machinery used in Bletchley Park is behind him. It says 'William Tutte, Codebreaking the Lorenz cipher machine at Bletchley Park' on the bottom left of the stamp.

            • UK
            King Charles in the garden of Buckingham Palace

          • A stamp which features a black and white picture of Dame Vera Lynn.

          • Staffordshire Lord Lieutenant Ian Dudson wearing ceremonial uniform with medla and a black cap with a red band around its rim, is stood in front of a museum display cabinet and a a purple banner for the King's Award for Voluntary Service.

          • Six stamps show black and white photographs from VE Day 1945. You can see women working the land, people celebrating and Winston Churchill and the Royal Family waving at the crowds in London.

          • A bronze-coloured sound mirror situated at Dover's Marina Curve.

            • An elderly mans looks to the right of screen. He wears a open shirt underneath a jumper.

              • A elderly man wears a black jacket, white shirt and black tie

                • An elderly man wears glasses, a black jacket and a black tie

                  • An elderly man wears a dark suit jacket and a black and white striped tie

                    • An elderly man with a moustache sits in a chair wearing a fleece gilet

                      • An elderly man wearing a checked shirt and short-sleeve cardigan looks into the camera

                        • An elderly man in a black suit looks into the camera

                          • A man with a goatee looks off to the left of screen. He wears a white checked shirt, a striped tie and a black jacket.

                            • John Morris in black and white against a stylised background with a red bar

                              • An elderly man wearing glasses and a fleece looks off to the right of screen

                                • An elderly man wears glasses and a checked shirt