East End Bids Farewell to the Fuhrer

Crowds carry a mock coffin of Adolf Hitler through the streets of Stratford while the Union Flag and bunting hang defiant above the WW2 rubble.

Splendid colour scenes of VE celebrations in east London show locals turning out in force to rejoice at the end of the war in Europe. The most notable event is the coffin of 'Adolf Hitler' being carried through the crowd, with both kids and adults trying to squeeze in front of the camera. The film further documents the widespread destruction caused by the pitiless onslaught from the skies, with evocative shots of the wreckage of cottages, a mansion and even a church.

This film is from the collection of Redbridge Museum, Local Studies and Archives.