DOROTHY PALMER from Southampton was a private with the Auxiliary Territorial Service during the war. Mainly working in the gun operations rooms in Brighton, she was stationed in Uxbridge during VE day. 'Here in a letter to her mother and father, dated May 10 1945, she describes the celebrations in London.
Dear Mum and Dad,
How is everything down there? I wonder if it is so good as London. My ambition was realised and I really have had a wonderful time — there is so much to tell you that I really don't know how to begin.
I arrived back at Uxbridge, but London from what I saw in the Underground was very quiet so there is little to write about Monday but Tuesday was quite full.
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We were on night duty but I had the fortune to be off and didn't need to go to bed. Hilda was seeing Betty off on embarkation leave so one of the Girls, Rita Browne, and I went up to London.
Although it was only lunch time there were masses of people around who were absolutely intoxicated with the excitement -- wearing rosettes, paper hats, flags and most women seemed to be in red, white and blue.
We had lunch and decided to wander down the Mall to the Palace.
On arriving there it was about 14:15. We found masses of people thronging the Palace gates so we gathered that the Royal Family would make an appearance after Mr Churchill's announcement so decided to wait. There were thousands waiting there and just behind us were the press photographers.
The speech was broadcast outside of the Palace and then the king, queen and princesses appeared and the crowd just about went mad.
Before they appeared the traditional ‘we want the king' cry rose up from the crowd. We had to leave just then as we were on duty at 1700 — but to get out the crowd was almost impossible — the Mall, as far as one could see was a mass of people — anyway we eventually found a tube station and went on duty.
We had absolutely nothing to do — there was a dance next door, but there was only a skeleton staff on duty — I was the only one in the teleprinter room. There were four altogether so we sat around drinking tea all evening and listened to the radio. Just outside of the window was a mass of wood to be set alight at 2359.
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We were miserable ¬- of all evenings to be on duty why this particular one. Anyway the fire was set alight at 2230 instead so we had a little out of it. There was a guy of Hitler on the top of the fire and of course he went up in smoke. A lot of distress signals and rockets were lit — really a wonderful sight, we had such a good view of it all. After duty we went down to Uxbridge to see the illuminations and then went back to bed.
Yesterday — Wednesday I was off in
the afternoon having been on duty the previous evening. But the others were on duty so I stayed in to hear the radio. At 1700 the girls came off duty, Hilda's husband was down for a few days so I went up to town With Audrey Ball and Kits Carr.
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On arriving some gunners gave us tickets for the broadcast — it was quite good too. We had the chance of going up in Lucky Dip but I am afraid my nerves didn't like the idea at all so we sat where we were
After the show we wandered around to find somewhere to eat and eventually managed a meal in one of the clubs.
The streets were absolutely packed. Fireworks were going off in all directions — it was really crazy. Then we made our way down the Mall to the Palace to see it floodlit and once again there were thousands of people calling for the king.
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We landed somewhere in the middle of the crowd and to get out was impossible.
Then suddenly a car went by — at least crawled through and we peered in — it was Mr Churchill. There were a few people who followed the car so we did also and in so doing landed right outside of the palace gates but we lost the car.
Anyway the people by the gate had been waiting hours to get in that position — quite a break for us.
Anyway some times later the lights went on — it was really wonderful beautifully white against the dark blue sky — then the Royal family came out again.
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Then we left — with the crowd to see the rest of the lights. Nelson had the searchlights on him.
All the buildings were flood-lit with daylight lighting. I have never seen such a magnificent sight.
The people everywhere were wild with excitement but not drunk, from all accounts there were no drinks to be had.
Love Dorrie.
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