Hull Victory Celebrations

After nearly six years at war the people of Hull show their relief and joy through dancing, children’s parties and other celebrations seen here breaking out all across the city.

This film of Hull in May 1945 shows the great range of victory celebrations, including a wonderful parade of children, later joined by all those involved on the home front: nurses, the Royal Navy, Wrens, Royal Observer Corps, Civil Defence etc.. Also shown are children’s victory sports and tea parties, some wonderful dancing, the Thanksgiving service, as well as those laid up in hospital and unable to participate in the outdoor festivities.

Victory celebrations broke out spontaneously across the country when Germany finally surrendered on May 7th 1945. Here the celebrations can be seen the following day, the official VE Day, when a public holiday was declared. Beverley film makers Debenham & Co, who had filmed many local events during the war, were on hand to film these scenes. Hull had endured the worst bombing in Britain outside of London: over 90% of the city was damaged, with only 6,000 of the 92,000 houses escaping bomb damage, while 1,200 people were killed in the raids and a further 3,000 injured. Although the war in Europe was at an end, the final end to the war wasn’t until Japan surrendered on 14 August.