VE Day

May 8, of course, is Victory in Europe day. Imagine the cheer that went up in Annie and Pete's house!

Pilot Mound Sentinel, May 10, 1945

VE Day at Portage and Main, Winnipeg
[National Air Force Museum]

Dad was serving overseas at this point, as we know. When asked how he celebrated VE Day, he told me he went for a beer. While celebrating with his chums someone stole his bike, but he didn't really mind.

"The war is over, but I'm still in Britain ... without a bike."

For servicemen like Dad, there was still work to do, converting aircraft to peacetime uses, as evidenced by Dad's August 1945 note about B-24 Liberators from Squadron 422:

In December of 1945, Dad finally boarded the HMT Mauretania and headed for home. On January 1, 1946, the ship docked in Halifax.

Onboard the HMT Mauretania in the North Atlantic in December? Brrrrr!

At least it's sunny!

Once in Canada, troops boarded trains for the remainder of their journey.

By January 3, 1946 Dad had reached Montreal.

Dad arrived in Winnipeg on January 9, 1946 and was met by his mom and dad. His parents returned to Pilot Mound on the 11th, and Dad followed four days later. No doubt he had some celebrating to do with Hazel Stevens.

His return to Pilot Mound was noted in the Sentinel:

Pilot Mound Sentinel, January 17, 1946

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