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This story was submitted to the People's War site by Wendy Jewitt of Wakefield Libraries and Information Services on behalf of Jean Simpson and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.
On September 8th Hitler unleashed an even more terrible weapon of destruction - the V.2. Travelling faster than sound there was no warning - just a sonic boom followed by an even more devastating explosion. Unlike the V.1. this could be targeted at a specific location.
The population was exhausted. Every night the platforms of underground stations became dormitories for weary Londoners seeking sanctuary.These scenes were dramatically captured by Henry Moore in some of his drawings.
We started to take our mattresses down to the little hall - as every old soldier knows, at that time mattresses were in three parts - known as biscuits.
However we eventually got fed up with this nightly, tiresome chore and fatalistically returned to our beds.
The Allied advance after "D" Day was not as rapid as hoped - there was a fierce German counter offensive in the Ardennes, then came the heroic but tragic attempt to sieze the Rhine bridges at Arnem.
However the V.2.s stopped when the Allies captured Holland and Belgium and the Nazis lost their launching sites.
At last the tide was turning and in May 1945 the war was over. Surrender was accepted at Luneberg Heath and thankfully and joyously a public holiday for one day was declared.
Two of us volunteered to be on duty that day and walking across London to our office we were politely approached by two American soldiers. Would we allow them to take a picture of us as a record of this memorable day? Of course! We were immensely flattered. We never saw them again but were surprised and pleased to receive copies of these snaps. The accompanying picture shows one of our new friends holding a copy of the American forces newspaper.
Victory after six horrific years of slaughter, devastation and suffering was briefly summed up in two words - "Germany quits".

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