70th Anniversary of VE Day
Posted: 17 May 2015 12:34
World War 2 combat ended in Europe on 8 May 1945, Victory in Europe Day, when German forces agreed to an unconditional surrender in Rheims, France. As thoughts turn to those who served, there are an increasing number of records available to family historians whose relatives took part.
A Government website https://www.gov.uk/requests-for-persona ... ce-records offers a service for those seeking information on deceased service men and women. There is a charge of £30 to apply for a record but this is waived for requests from those who were the spouse of the subject at the time of death.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission http://www.cwgc.org/ keeps a free register of details of Commonwealth war dead, so that graves or names on memorials can be located.
The Imperial War Museum holds a rich archive from World War 2. For an insight into its resources and events, browse the website http://www.iwm.org.uk/history/ve-day.
There are a number of websites which are collecting names and photographs from war memorials located around the UK, such as Roll of Honour http://www.roll-of-honour.com/. You have the option of searching for a memorial or to contribute to these databases.
The commercial website, Forces War Records https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/ has a name search facility, however, please note a monthly subscription fee is charged.
The day after VE Day, 9 May 1945, the Channel Islands were liberated by the British, ending 5 years of German occupation. Jersey Archive http://catalogue.jerseyheritage.org/ has recently uploaded images of over 30,000 occupation registration cards from World War 2, a fascinating new digital archive. For help with family history research in the Channel Islands, contact the Channel Islands Family History Society http://www.jerseyfamilyhistory.org/ and La Societe Guernesiaise (FHS). http://www.societe.org.gg/sections/familyhistory.php
A Government website https://www.gov.uk/requests-for-persona ... ce-records offers a service for those seeking information on deceased service men and women. There is a charge of £30 to apply for a record but this is waived for requests from those who were the spouse of the subject at the time of death.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission http://www.cwgc.org/ keeps a free register of details of Commonwealth war dead, so that graves or names on memorials can be located.
The Imperial War Museum holds a rich archive from World War 2. For an insight into its resources and events, browse the website http://www.iwm.org.uk/history/ve-day.
There are a number of websites which are collecting names and photographs from war memorials located around the UK, such as Roll of Honour http://www.roll-of-honour.com/. You have the option of searching for a memorial or to contribute to these databases.
The commercial website, Forces War Records https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/ has a name search facility, however, please note a monthly subscription fee is charged.
The day after VE Day, 9 May 1945, the Channel Islands were liberated by the British, ending 5 years of German occupation. Jersey Archive http://catalogue.jerseyheritage.org/ has recently uploaded images of over 30,000 occupation registration cards from World War 2, a fascinating new digital archive. For help with family history research in the Channel Islands, contact the Channel Islands Family History Society http://www.jerseyfamilyhistory.org/ and La Societe Guernesiaise (FHS). http://www.societe.org.gg/sections/familyhistory.php