How Uncle Reg missed out on VE Day celebrations in York

TODAY, we will recognise the sacrifices given by millions upon millions 80 years ago in the fight against tyranny in Europe.

On May 8 in Europe we celebrate VE day 'victory in Europe' - because of the Moscow time differences the Russians celebrate the end of the war on May 9 'victory day '.

Think that's complicated, wait until VJ day ' victory over Japan day '. Celebrated on August 15, the day the Japanese surrender, but Celebrated by the USA on September 2 the day the surrender was signed on the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay known as V-J day ' victory over Japan OR V-P day 'victory in the Pacific day'.

My Uncle Reg was stationed on HMS Anson, an English battleship of King George v-class and part of task force 37 attached to the US 3rd fleet.

I remember asking him how he celebrated the end of the Second World War. He he said that by the time the ship had returned from the Pacific to England on July 29, 1946 and he finally arrived back at York railway station to be met only by his mother and father, all the banners and celebrations had been long forgotten. That was the end of Reg's war.

D M Deamer,

Penleys Grove Street,

Monkgate,

York

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Memories and perks of billeting service personnel

As VE is in the air, one little discussed aspect is the billeting of service personnel with families in private civilian homes during the Second World War. It happened to us.

I don’t know how the scheme worked. What I do remember is that for quite a time in the Second World War we had a succession of members of the military living with us in our house. In effect they lived with their host families. There must have been reciprocal benefits to the householder.

We had three in succession at our house. The first I can’t remember but my parents divulged that she was a member of the WAAF and in ‘civvy street’ was a professional dancer.

Then after her came a young ATS woman in khaki who hailed from Hawick in the Borders. My family kept in touch with her after the war. She was godmother to my elder sister.

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Finally we had a male military lodger. He was an RAF airman based in the York area but hailing from the south. He used to entertain me by drawing ships at which he seemed most adept.

It was only in retrospect that I realised that when I asked him to draw a vessel, it was always the same one, a galleon copied from the Senior Service cigarette logo. Never was a destroyer, liner, trawler, submarine, battleship etc drawn! The pencil unerringly sketched out the ‘good ship Senior Service’ every time!

One perk I recollect from having Forces members based with us was that we could shop and use our coupons at the NAAFI in the nearby Imphal Barracks. I assume we had a pass or card, or received a discount as a concession for accommodating our service guests.

Do any other readers have similar memories of this ‘phenomenon’?

Derek Reed,

Middlethorpe Drive,

York

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Wokeism and war

IT should come as no surprise a poll shows young people would resist being called to serve their country in case of war.

Today, our proud history of defending freedom is belittled by wokeism which dominates the way our past is portrayed in schools and universities.

Peter Rickaby,

West Park,

Selby