VE day 75th anniversary

Soldiers assembling in Slingsby High Street WW2

To mark this occasion we have delved into the village website’s archive and dusted off some fascinating footage for you. Most of it was presented to herald the “Wartime in Slingsby” exhibition of 2014. The links further below take you to Pathe news reels, some grim, many entertaining, and an audio recording of local memories.

Although Victory in Europe was publicly declared on 8 May 1945, it was actually 75 years ago today, 7 May, that the German surrender was received. To understand the joy and elation of VE Day, you need to understand the horror and hardship that went before. So here we look back.

Four people from the parish lost their lives during the war. Slingsby received over 120 evacuees. Soldiers were billeted in many of the farm buildings and used the village hall as their mess room. A few current residents remember these times, as you will hear.

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