Tuesday, May 08, 2012

The WW2 Victory Parade (8 June 1946)

Front cover of 1946 Victory Celebrations programme
The Massed Pipers of the Scottish Regiments
The Royal Family in a State Landau, WW2 Victory Parade

1 Comments:

Blogger ritsonvaljos said...

The above photographs are from the WW2 Victory Celebrations, London which took place on 8 June 1946. The official programme cost two old pence (2d).

The Royal Family (King George VI, his consort Queen Elizabeth, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret Rose) were in a State Landau. They were escorted by a Captain's Escort of the Household Cavalry with Standard. The Royal party left Buckingham Palace at 10.10 am and took the following route: Marble Arch, Oxford Street, Charing Cross Road, Northumberland Avenue, Bridge Street, Whitehall and finally The Mall to the 'Saluting Base' (opposite Marlborough Gate).

Between the arrival of the King at the Saluting Base and the arrival of the 'March Past' the Massed Pipers of the Scottish and Irish Regiments marched and counter-marched in The Mall, as can be seen in the above photographs. The 'March Past' included representatives of branches of the Armed Forces, the Allied Forces, civilian services and industrial groups. The 'Victory Celebrations' recognised that this had truly been a "People's War".

At the conclusion of the 'March Past' there was a 'fly past' by the squadrons from the Royal Air Force and the Naval Air Arm. Throughout the afternoon and evening entertainment was provided in some of the central London parks (Hyde Park, Green Park, St James's Park, Regent's Park, Gloucester Green).

[Thanks to Mrs Eva Elliott, Whitehaven for most of the above information].
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Further reading:

(1) To read the account of WW2 veteran Ron Goldstein about the WW2 Victory Celebrations of 1946 on the BBC "People's War" website click on the following link:
Ron Goldstein at the Victory Celebrations, 1946

(2) To read the account of West Cumbrian coal miner Tom Ritson taking part in the WW2 Victory Celebrations of 1946 on the BBC "People's War" website click on the following link:
Tom Ritson at the Victory Celebrations, 1946
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Tuesday, 08 May, 2012  

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