大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War website by Julia Shuvalova for GMR Actiondesk on behalf of Joyce Hilton and has been added with her permission. The author is fully aware of the terms and conditions of the site.

CHAPTER 6 - War's End

War in Europe was finally over. Union Jacks fluttered from every house, people were very patriotic in those days, and most people owned a flag. We had street parties and our men folk returned home. Victory in the Far East took a little longer. I went to Piccadilly with a friend and joined the thousands of people in the square, deliriously happy that it was all over. There was to be a long road ahead, however, rebuilding our cities, the economy, families. Things had changed forever.

Life was still hard as rationing continued and in some cases got worse. If you were lucky enough to get your hands on a banana in 1945 it was an event to celebrate! On the 2nd November 1945 a Salford shop sign read: "No sweets, no chocolate, no cigarettes, no fireworks - no nothing!" Bread, which hadn't been rationed during the worst days of the war, was rationed between July 1946 and July 1948. Most things were rationed until 1951 and meat until 1954, a whole 9 years after the war ended. Sporting events started to return to normal although Manchester United had to fight long and hard to get a re-building grant from the war damage commission. 70,000 fans signed petitions pleading for money to re-build.

After the war we were lucky enough to have our first holiday for 6 years when we visited Jersey, staying with Mum's cousin Fred. Aunty Mary's son was a senator and we visited his home in Longeville Road. It was a beautiful house. No wonder his haughty wife looked down her nose when she visited our Salford 'slum'. Aunty Mary's Grandson, a priest, Father Bertie, had been less fortunate - he had been a P.O.W. in Dachau Concentration camp although he did at least survive it. It goes without saying that Dachau was a little tougher than Dad's P.O.W. camp at Cluntoe in Northern Ireland. Father Bertie became the priest at Gorey Church, Jersey, but died quite young due to his treatment at Dachau. We met him - he was a lovely man.

Looking back it seems that Britain was never more united than during those war years. Hitler never demoralised us, in part thanks to Churchill, a wonderful leader, and a King and Queen who stayed in London and shared the suffering when they could have been in Balmoral or elsewhere. Wonderful entertainers, like Vera Lynn, Gracie Fields and Anne Shelton, Glen Miller and many others all played their part in keeping people sane and happy.


It had been a terrible interlude in many ways but one during which we had certainly felt very alive, living for the moment. The war had strengthened us and remoulded our values, helping to make the British character what it is today.



The End


12th November 1995
Joyce Hilton nee Peters

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