VE Day 75 – 8 May 2020
The photos, images, video and text information collated on this web page have materialised in recent days from emails to the Cowper & Newton Museum and to the Olney & District Historical Society, and posts to Facebook (Olney in The Past Group in particular). Thank you all for your contributions and assistance.
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VE Day Party in the High Street
Olney residents in the High Street enjoying the day. The two shops in the background of the photo are Numbers 110 and 108 High Street (almost opposite the Olney Centre).
Front row: Ronnie Ward, Sylvia Abraham,
Second row: Renee Davis, Ken Harris, Alma Abraham, Unknown
Third row: Mrs Boughton, Mrs Ward, Julia Abraham, Ann Clifton, Marguerita Chatfield, Barbara Ward, Nita Abraham, Mrs Harris
Top row: John Abraham, Gerald Chatfield, Edwin Harris, Doff Harris, Jim Barwick, Tom (Chas) Harris
Photo by kind permission of Gill Costin
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Evacuee Reunion in Olney – 2007
Video by kind permission of Alan Hodkinson
The lady who featured in the video is Florence (Floss) Mynard. She is talking with fellow evacuees about their early lives in London’s East End, their experiences during their evacuation to Olney in 1939 and their subsequent billets in the town. Unfortunately we do not have the names of the other evacuees.
Doug Mynard (Floss’s son) has kindly loaned us Floss’s notebook which recalls her time as an evacuee. We have reproduced these notes in full with minimal editing and uploaded them to a separate page. The notes are quite revealing but do leave many potential questions unanswered! Please click this link to read them.
Most Olney residents will have recognised that Floss is the very same lady who in 1950 won the very first International Pancake Race against Liberal in Kansas USA. Her time was one minute 10.4 seconds, which beat the Liberal winner by 7.6 seconds! See image.
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1944 Olney Christmas Card to all servicemen
The image of this 1944 Christmas Card was kindly supplied by Mary Cook. It is believed to have been sent to her father-in-law from an Olney WWII support group, chaired by Stanley Lord, whilst he was serving for the Royal Navy on aircraft carrier HMS Pursuer. (Click this link for the history of HMS Pursuer)
HMS Pursuer
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WWII Victory Celebration Message – King George VI
One of the C&N Museum Trustees found this little gem. It is a letter written by King George VI in 1946 to every child in the country.
Click image for a larger view.
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WWII Home Guard Certificate & National Service Cards
Marion Swindells found her dad’s Home Guard Certificate given to him at the end of the war. All who served in the home guard would have had one of these. She also located his National Service Card and Medical Card which states that he was fit for active service. All able bodied men eligible for call up had a medical and would have been issued with a card.
Click images for a larger view.
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And finally
In England the restrictions of ‘lockdown’ will still be in force on 8th May VE Day 75. So unfortunately many of the planned or even spontaneous street parties and gatherings will be cancelled or severely limited in scope.
Nevertheless we should never underestimate the determination of our nation, and that certainly includes the people of Olney, for inventiveness and improvisation and to ensure that we commemorate and celebrate this important event in the manner expected of us by all those who participated in the Second World War.
A great start has already been made by Olney resident Ann Minney who has captured the spirit of the occasion in the decoration of the front window of her home at 92 High Street.
Click images for a larger view.
Have a great VE Day 75 wherever you reside.
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Dated: 6th May 2020
Copyright © 2020 Olney & District Historical Society/Cowper & Newton Museum