80th anniversary of VE Day in the New Forest
PUBLISHED ON: 7 MAY 2025Thursday 8 May marks the 80th anniversary of VE Day – or Victory in Europe Day – and is a time to remember the dedication and sacrifice of those who fought bravely during the Second World War.
It is a time to celebrate and string up red, white, and blue bunting just as millions did 80 years ago at the news that in 1945 Germany had surrendered to Allied forces, bringing an end to more than five years of war in Europe. It is also a time to reflect on the human cost of war.
The New Forest National Park Authority shared an insightful podcast to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day discussing the role the Forest played in WWII and the impact and legacy it left.
The podcast was made possible thanks to National Park archaeologists Gareth Owen and Lawrence Shaw, alongside historian Stephen Fisher and includes first-hand accounts from those who were in the area 80 years ago.
Visible outlines on the ground and physical remnants of structures – from airfields to bomb test ranges and D-Day embarkation harbours – have left a tangible connection to the past throughout the National Park marking the strategic location it held on the south coast
National Park Archaeologist, Gareth Owen said: ‘Here in the New Forest, we had one of the largest land-based ranges for ordinance dropped from RAF aircraft, which is Ashley Walk.
‘We also had some secret testing establishments, but really, I think the biggest impact on the Forest was actually the preparations and the build-up to D-Day.
‘The bringing of the troops together, the equipment, supplies and getting it all ready and the guys healthy, fit, and ready to go.’
Click here to read about the New Forest’s connection to D-Day.
Gareth added: ‘A lot of the oral histories we collected talked about getting used to all the wartime activity in the New Forest.
‘It was a fairly quiet location in the countryside, and then suddenly, to have hundreds of thousands of troops and equipment here, the roads were jam-packed and had to be widened.
‘And then suddenly, after everybody had got used to all this noise, people woke up one morning and it was quiet. And that was D Day.
‘We are celebrating VE Day – Victory in Europe – but lots of people were unable to celebrate victory in Europe and a number of people actually went off to carry on fighting.’
Listen to the New Forest Remembers podcast here.
The podcast contains accounts from seven people who remembered that day on 8 May 1945 and were recorded in 2014, so sadly, many of them are no longer with us.
The audio clips were recorded as part of a Heritage Lottery-funded project called New Forest Remembers, which researched and recorded the archaeology, history, and personal memories of the Forest during the Second World War. We hear memories from Brian Brown, Evelyn Ramseyer, Brian Gittoes, Ron Ricketts, Barbara Brown, Edith Daniels, and Rose Daniels.
Digital archives are available through New Forest Knowledge in conjunction with the New Forest Heritage Centre and funded through Heritage Lottery funding. The New Forest Knowledge website can be found here: https://nfknowledge.org/
The following two photographs from VE Day in 1945 are courtesy of St Barbe Museum and Art Gallery in Lymington.
More memories of VE Day from New Forest Remembers:
- ‘It finished up with a lot of drunk servicemen, letting off thunder flashes and rockets and then, they’d light a bonfire, say by the Angel Hotel in Lymington, and then the fire brigade would come and put it out.’ Brian Gittoes, Lymington
- ‘Well, it was my first dance. I had several dances with different people, feeling very grown up, as I was only 13. It was all nice music, like Glen Miller type music that I liked.’ Doreen Biles, Ringwood
- ‘All the way through the high street they assembled all these tables and chairs and we all had jelly, blancmange and all that. Where the women got the food from I shall never know, and a lot of people never knew, but they managed it somehow and we had a really good time.’ Keith Gerard, Milford on Sea
- ‘We had a huge bonfire on the village green at Milford and that was, you know, a tremendous occasion because it was such a relief.’ Maureen Losmark, Milford on Sea
- ‘From our offices, which were fairly high up, you could see right over the docks to the liners, and the original Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth took it in turns coming in as troop ships. VE Day was declared and I remember either the Mary or Elizabeth sounding out their horns and all the ships hooting for absolute joy that it was all over.’ Margaret Seeley, Southampton
- ‘They had the victory party for VE Day in Frogham. They had the usual cakes and fancy dress and all that nonsense. There was so much celebration going on and all that nonsense that you tried to forget that you still had to go back before VJ Day came.’ Ron Ricketts, Frogam
- ‘Anybody who had any homemade wine and got hold of any alcohol, they had a good session. The pubs were drunk dry. No doubt about that. It was a hell of a relief, there’s no doubt about it.’ Walter Elsworth, Beaulieu
Did you know the role New Forest charcoal played in the World Wars? Watch below.
Note: The burning at Pondhead Conservation Trust is managed by experts in a controlled environment at a community woodland site. Fires are banned on the open Forest and use of such can lead to a fine of up to £1,000. Read more here: New powers help to encourage responsible visits to the New Forest – New Forest National Park Authority
