LONDON — Although too young to have participated in World War II, John Goldsmith vividly recalls the hardships faced during those times, including rationing, blackouts, and the devastation brought by bombing raids in East London. He also fondly remembers the euphoric celebrations that erupted when peace was finally declared in Europe.
On May 8, 1945, the city was alive with joy as church bells rang and bonfires illuminated the night sky. Streets were filled with people, and conga lines wound through Piccadilly Circus as citizens celebrated the glorious victory over Nazi Germany. For young Goldsmith, then just 14, it was more than a festive occasion; it marked the end of the monotonous reality imposed by wartime constraints.
“It was such a change,” Goldsmith, now 94, recalled. “Suddenly, there was freedom! We were doing things that had once been frowned upon,” he said with a chuckle, describing the joyous scenes of people atop buses in a state of exhilaration.
Victory in Europe Day provided a much-needed sense of relief for London, a city deeply scarred by the ravages of air raids and rocket attacks that took the lives of around 30,000 civilians. It was also a moment to anticipate the homecoming of loved ones who had been serving abroad since 1939, and to hope for a return to normalcy.
While the D-Day landings marked a turning point in the reclamation of Europe, V-E Day was a celebration for the public and everyone who had made sacrifices for the common good. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill encapsulated the national mood perfectly with his address at 3 p.m. on May 8.
“My dear friends, this is your hour,” Churchill proclaimed. “This is not a victory of a party or of any class. It is a victory for the great British nation as a whole.”
Goldsmith is keen for these sentiments not to be forgotten as the World War II generation slowly passes on. Now a retired architect and amateur artist, he frequently shares stories of his childhood days in East London’s Bow neighborhood. Encouraged by his wife, Margaret, he recently began illustrating these memories to give others a glimpse of what life was like during those trying times.
He pointed out, “The soldiers, the airmen, the sailors can’t operate without people supporting them. If we don’t contribute, the armored elements will crumble. So, it’s essential that V-E Day should be seen as the people’s day.”
As the end of the fighting in Europe neared, anticipation grew in London. The formal declaration of peace was like releasing the cork from a bottle of champagne in a city that had endured the conflict’s shadow for six long years.
Nowhere was this relief felt more acutely than in the East End, which bore the brunt of bombardment in Nazi Germany’s Blitz. Homes, schools, and businesses were left in ruins as countless bombs rained down on the River Thames’s docks and warehouses. Queen Elizabeth reportedly remarked, following the September 13, 1940, bombing of Buckingham Palace, that she was relieved because “it makes me feel I can look the East End in the face.”
Goldsmith’s artwork captures visceral memories from the Blitz’s inception, portraying Nazi bombers darkening the skies as blazing fires bathed the night in fiery red. He also depicted a cricket match abruptly halted by an overhead “doodlebug” and a post-explosion apparition of a rent collector walking through dust following a devastating V-2 rocket strike.
The final V-2 rocket to impact London demolished an apartment block scarcely two miles from his home on March 27, 1945. Even now, Goldsmith feels tears brim at the memory of hearing the Nazis had surrendered.
While playing a soccer game with friends on the street — a tennis ball serving as their makeshift soccer ball due to wartime shortages — he heard a child run out from a nearby dairy, exclaiming, “It’s over!”
“These are emotional memories,” Goldsmith admits, pausing. “That’s when you realized you didn’t have to worry anymore.”
Though the end had been foreseen, many hesitated to fully believe it until the announcement was made official. During an era when television was absent, cinema newsreels kept Londoners informed of the Allied progress toward Berlin. From a young age, Goldsmith, only 8 when the war began, followed the troops’ advances through newspaper clippings and headlines. By early 1945, he knew the fall of the Third Reich was imminent.
When the formal announcement of victory arrived, an indescribable wave of happiness swept over the nation, lasting for several joyous days.
Goldsmith remembers climbing the steps of St. John’s Church in Bethnal Green to get a better view as King George VI and Queen Elizabeth traveled through East London amid the jubilant citizens.
Community gatherings sprang up spontaneously, with bonfires and street parties marking the occasion. Despite ongoing food shortages, people shared what little they had.
“Living room tables were set up outside and joined with neighbors’ furniture, covered with makeshift cloths,” Goldsmith recalled. “And, somehow, food appeared, with kids gorging on various cakes.”
Yet, amid the celebrations, there lingered a sobering realization that V-E Day was not the war’s end.
“There was a sudden awareness,” Goldsmith noted. “There was still the situation with Japan in the Far East. And then, people buckled down for what lay ahead.”