Eighty years ago tomorrow (May 8), German troops surrendered to the Allied forces, marking the end to World War II. Six years of fighting, millions of lives lost, and entire cities levelled to the ground were finally in the past. Naturally, this was cause for celebration.
VE Day, short for Victory in Europe Day, is being celebrated across the country with a variety of events, parades, and installations this week, including the 30,000 ceramic poppies which have been placed outside of the Tower of London. You can see a complete list of the London landmarks that were lit up to mark the occasion yesterday (May 6) here.
It’s easy for us to think of WWII as a dark moment from a distant past you learn about at school, but it was less than a lifetime ago. In fact, your grandparents were probably alive during it. Looking at photographs from the period can really put into perspective just how recent it was, and Historic England has just revealed a rare collection of photographs from Pinewood Studios which bring attention to the ‘pioneering’ work done by women filmmakers during WWII.
Pinewood Studios was where the Government kept its film units during the war. According to Historic England, it was here that ‘time-critical newsreels and coverage of key events in the war were created, including the D-Day landings’. The Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) worked at the studio, providing vital support to wartime photography and filmmaking. One particular woman, Knicky (pronounced Nicky) Chapman, features heavily in this collection.
Photographs revealed by Historic England
You can find the full collection online at Historic England here.
Here are our picks for the 7 best movies to watch for VE Day.
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