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The '''London Victory Celebrations of 1946''' were British Commonwealth & Empire<ref name="Colourful London Victory Parade"> “The Canberra Times”, 10 June 1946. Retrieved: 23 October 2009.</ref> victory celebrations held after the defeat of ] and ] in ]. It took place in the ] capital of ], on June 8, 1946,<ref name="The Official Programme of the Victory Celebrations, Part 1">The Official Programme of the Victory Celebrations on 8th June 1946 in London, England Published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1946</ref> mainly encompassing a military parade through the city and a night time ] display.<ref name="Colourful London Victory Parade"/>
{{Use British English|date=July 2011}}
]
The '''London Victory Celebrations of 1946''' were British Commonwealth, Empire and Allied victory celebrations held after the defeat of ] and ] in ].<ref name="QoH"/><ref name="colourful"/> On 1 November 1945 the Prime Minister appointed a committee under the chairmanship of the Home Secretary, ] to formulate plans for official Victory Celebrations. The celebrations took place in London on 8 June 1946,<ref name="offprogramme"/> and consisted mainly of a military parade through the city and a night time ] display.<ref name="colourful"/> Most British allies took part in the parade, including Belgium, Brazil, China, Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, Luxembourg the Netherlands and the United States.<ref name="QoH"/>


==Victory parade== ==Victory parade==
] in their traditional ].]]
The first part of the parade was the Chiefs of Staff's procession, featuring the British Chiefs of Staff together with the Supreme Allied Commanders. This was followed by a mechanised column which went from ] to Tower Hill to The Mall (where the saluting base was)<ref name="The Official Programme of the Victory Celebrations, Part 1"/><ref name="The Victory Parade"/><ref name="books.google.ca"> ''Life'', 24 June 1946. Retrieved: 21 October 2009.</ref> and then back to Regent’s park. It was more than four miles long and contained more than 500 vehicles from the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force, British Civilian Services and the British Army (in that order).<ref name="Gaumont British Newsreel"> Last accessed on 23 October 2009.</ref><ref name="The Official Programme of the Victory Celebrations, Part 1"/>
] amphibious vehicles taking part in the Victory Parade in London on 8 June 1946.]]
] armed forces, including two ] in their traditional ].]]
] march in the Victory Parade.]]
Next came a Marching Column, which went from Marble Arch to The Mall to Hyde Park Corner <ref name="The Official Programme of the Victory Celebrations, Part 1"/>. This was headed by the flags of the Allied nations which took part in the parade, each with an honour guard (see photo on right of Greek honour guard). Next came units of Navies, the air forces, Civilian Services and armies of the nations of the British Empire. They were followed by units from the Royal Navy, followed by British Civilian Services, the British Army, more of the British Civilian Services, representatives of certain Allied air forces and then the Royal Air Force. This was then followed by a fly-past of RAF planes.
The parade was 9 miles long and stretched from ] to ].{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}}
In the aftermath, 4,127 persons needed medical attention and 65 were taken to hospital.<ref name="Colourful London Victory Parade"/>


The first part of the parade was the Chiefs of Staff's procession, featuring the British Chiefs of Staff together with the Supreme Allied Commanders. This was followed by a mechanised column which went from ] to Tower Hill to The Mall (where the saluting base was)<ref name="offprogramme"/><ref name="tpyf-wales1"/><ref name="victoryparade"/><ref name="fireworks"/> and then back to Regent's Park. It was more than four miles long and contained more than 500 vehicles from the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force, British civilian services and the British Army (in that order).<ref name="offprogramme"/><ref name="gaumont"/>
Though mainly a Commonwealth affair, most of the allies were represented, parading their national flag with an honour guard. The parade also included representatives from the USA, France, Belgium, Brazil, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Egypt, Ethiopia, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Luxembourg, Mexico, Nepal, Netherlands, Norway and Transjordan.<ref>http://www.polishsquadronsremembered.com/Victory_parade.html</ref>


Next came a marching column, which went from Marble Arch to The Mall to Hyde Park Corner.<ref name="offprogramme"/><ref name="tpyf-wales1"/> This was headed by the flags of the Allied nations which took part in the parade, each with an honour guard. Next came units of the navies, air forces, civilian services and units of the ], and the armed forces of the ]. They were followed by units from the ], followed by British civilian services, the ], representatives of certain Allied air forces and the ]. This was followed by a fly-past of 300 aircraft, led by ].<ref>Tucker, Spencer C (2001) Routledge {{ISBN|0-415-23497-2}} (p. 17)</ref>
The only allied countries not represented at the parade were USSR<ref> “The Canberra Times”, 29 May 1946. Retrieved: 23 October 2009.</ref> (the largest contributor to the Allied victory in Europe with 34.4 million troops<ref>See Г. Ф. Кривошеев, Россия и СССР в войнах XX века: потери вооруженных сил. Статистическое исследование (G. F. Krivosheev, Russia and the USSR in the wars of the 20th century: losses of the Armed Forces. A Statistical Study, in Russian)</ref> ), Yugoslavia<ref name="newspapers.nla.gov.au"> “The Canberra Times”, 7 June 1946. Retrieved: 23 October 2009.</ref> (which contributed more than 800,000<ref>Perica, Vjekoslav (2004). Balkan Idols: Religion and Nationalism in Yugoslav States. Oxford University Press. p. 96. ISBN 0195174291.</ref> soldiers to the Allied victory in Europe), and ]<ref>], 1983. ''God's Playground''. Vol II. New York: Oxford Univ. Press. ISBN 0-19821944 p. 575</ref><ref name="The Victory Parade">Rudolf Falkowski, . Last accessed on 30 September 2009.</ref><ref>], “An Army in Exile” MacMillan & Co., London 1949. page 299</ref><ref name="books.google.ca"/><ref>http://books.google.ca/books?id=LkoEAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA32&ots=_GcCLqn9h6&dq=poland%201946%20london%20victory%20parade&pg=PA32#v=onepage&q=&f=false</ref> the fourth largest contributor to the Allied victory in Europe (contributing between 200,000 and 400,000 members of the ]<ref name="R. F. Leslie"></ref><ref>http://web.ku.edu/~eceurope/hist557/lect16.htm</ref>
In the aftermath, 4,127 persons needed medical attention and 65 were taken to hospital.<ref name="colourful"/>
200,000 soldiers in the east <ref name="ZalogaLWP">{{cite book | author =Steven J Zaloga | coauthors = | title =Polish Army, 1939-1945 | year =1982 | editor = | pages = | chapter = The Polish People's Army| chapterurl = http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&vid=ISBN0850454174&id=AAdYFeW2fnoC&pg=PA26&lpg=PA26&dq=first+polish+army&vq=counter-government&sig=qPA6i-Gms1D-8JEiRw58CNeDmvc| publisher =Osprey Publishing| location = Oxford | id =ISBN 0-85045-417-4| url =http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&vid=ISBN0850454174&id=AAdYFeW2fnoC&dq=isbn+0850454174&pg=PP1&printsec=0&lpg=PP1&sig=ajafnskh3BRg59sdnerIgirmLBc| format = | accessdate = }}</ref> and 228,000 in the west). The press at the time reported the Yugoslav government did not send a delegation, in protest about rising tension with British and Italian troops around the ],<ref name="newspapers.nla.gov.au"/> which later became known as the ] and the ].


Most of the allies were represented at the parade, including representatives from the US, France, Belgium, Brazil, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Egypt, Ethiopia, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Luxembourg, Mexico, Nepal, Netherlands, Norway and Transjordan.<ref name="The Victory Parade"/>
==Political Controversy==


The only allied countries not represented at the parade were USSR,<ref name="nla"/> Yugoslavia,<ref name="yugoslavia"/> and ].<ref name="victoryparade"/><ref name="fireworks"/><ref name="playground"/><ref name="MacMillan 1949. page 299"/><ref name="Inc1946"/>
The absence<ref> ''PBS'' (''Behind Closed Doors''). Retrieved: 22 October 2009</ref><ref>http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=165717&sectioncode=6</ref><ref name="QoH">], ], ''A Question of Honor: The Kosciuszko Squadron: Forgotten Heroes of World War II '', Knopf, 2003, ISBN 0375411976, .</ref><ref name="FT06">Kwan Yuk Pan, , ], July 5, 2005. Last accessed on 31 March 2006.</ref><ref>http://www.aniaspoland.com/polish_forces.php</ref> of the 228,000 ] who had served under ] has proven controversial.<ref name="To Return To Poland Or Not To Return - The Dilemma Facing The Polish Armed Forces At The End Of The Second World War"/> Lynne Olson and Stanley Cloud write that "the ] invited Communist Poland to take part - and, to avoid annoying ], barred the hundreds of thousands of Poles who had fought under British command. This latest insult was too much for the RAF, which insisted that at least a token delegation of Polish airmen be included. In the end, the government relented on that point. A few Polish fliers were belatedly and grudgingly invited to march".<ref>Lynne Olson and Stanley Cloud, For Your Freedom and Ours, Arrow Books, 2004, page 397</ref>


===Australian contingent===
Soviet installed <ref name="War II Behind Closed Doors 2009, page 391"/>] was invited to send a delegation to the London parade and, according to ], the British Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs<ref name="hansard.millbanksystems.com">Statement to Parliament by British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs 5 June 1946. ]</ref></blockquote> and the ] newspaper <ref name="To Return To Poland Or Not To Return - The Dilemma Facing The Polish Armed Forces At The End Of The Second World War"></ref>, promised to send a delegation. The Polish government stated that its army, air force and navy would be represented.<ref name="Millions jam London for victory event, greatest in years">Millions jam London for victory event, greatest in years, The Times Daily – June 7, 1946 </ref>
The Australian contingent was headed by ] ], an officer with a distinguished record in the war. The contingent consisted of 250 servicemen and women, drawn from the three services, including ] ], who had won the ] in the ] in 1943. The Victory March Contingent sailed for the United Kingdom on {{HMAS|Shropshire|73|6}} on 8 April 1946.<ref name="Desert Sands, Jungle Lands: a Biography of Major General Ken Eather"/>


=== New Zealand contingent ===
After British newspapers and public figures put pressure<ref>Lynne Olson and Stanley Cloud, For Your Freedom and Ours, Arrow Books, 2004, page 397</ref><ref name="War II Behind Closed Doors 2009, page 391">], World War II Behind Closed Doors, BBC Books, 2009, page 391</ref> on their government to include the ], the ]'s Polish veterans were invited, but, according to some sources, refused to attend out of solidarity with those who had been omitted.<ref name="To Return To Poland Or Not To Return - The Dilemma Facing The Polish Armed Forces At The End Of The Second World War"/>
New Zealand was represented on the victory march by a contingent of 300 former and serving members of the armed forces. The contingent consisted of 150 representatives of the army, 100 of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and 50 of the Royal New Zealand Navy. Women were also included in all three sections, and there was representation of the Maori Battalion. The contingent was commanded by Lieutenant-General Sir ], the General Officer Commanding of the New Zealand Forces During the war. The Contingent included the Victoria Cross holders, Colone ] VC, DSO Sergeant Alfred ] VC and ], VC & Bar.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sandford |first1=Kenneth |title=Mark of the Lion |date=1962 |publisher=Hutchinson |location=London |pages=278–279}}</ref> The contingent sailed from New Zealand on 20 April on the New Zealand hospital ship Maunganui.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/GISH19460413.2.28|title=Victory Parade Contingent|date=13 April 1946|via=Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand|access-date=20 November 2018}}</ref>


=== Controversy about Poland ===
Britain's ] argued that the invitation to the RAF's Polish veterans was not being extended to other ] as a necessary compromise due to the political circumstances of the day.<ref name="hansard.millbanksystems.com"/> Britain's ] ] criticised the decision, and spoke of British "shame".<ref name="To Return To Poland Or Not To Return - The Dilemma Facing The Polish Armed Forces At The End Of The Second World War"/> According to one source, Labour ] ] apologized to ] about the affair.<ref>http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2003/nov/08/featuresreviews.guardianreview2</ref>
The British government initially invited the government in Poland to send a flag party to represent Poland among the allied forces in the parade, but did not specifically invite representatives of the Polish forces in exile that had fought under ]. Britons including ], figures in the ] and a number of MPs protested against the decision, which was described as an affront to the Polish war effort as well as an immoral concession to communist power.<ref name="QoH"/><ref name="battlefields"/> After these complaints, 25 pilots of the ], who had taken part in the ], were invited to march together with other foreign detachments as part of the parade of the ].<ref name="hansard"/> Last-minute invitations were sent by Foreign Minister ] directly to the Chief of Staff of the Polish Army, ], who was still in post in London, and to the chiefs of the Polish Air Force and the Polish Navy and to individual generals. These invitations were declined,<ref name="Rising 44"/> and the airmen refused to participate in protest against the omission of the other branches of the Western backed Polish forces in exile.<ref name="dilemma"/>


The Polish government, in turn, chose not to send a delegation, and later cited the invitation to the exiled pilots as its reason to stay away.<ref name="12million"/> In the end, the parade took place without any Polish forces. The ] and ]<ref name="yugoslavia"/> also stayed away.
] writes that at the time the ] faced the question, "Should they return to Poland, a country now with changed national boundaries and under the domination of the Soviet Union?"; and that the "belief that they were no longer wanted was symbolized by the omission of all the Polish army units from the Victory Parade held in London in the summer of 1946." Rees goes on to say in the same paragraph "Only the Poles who had fought in the Royal Air Force were asked to take part in the parade, and they refused to out of loyalty to their comrades."<ref name="War II Behind Closed Doors 2009, page 391">], World War II Behind Closed Doors, BBC Books, 2009, page 391</ref>


==Nighttime festivities==
Lynne Olson and Stanley Cloud write that a week before the Parade, ten British ] composed "a letter of protest against the exclusion" which said, "the Poles will not be there. Have we lost not only our sense of sense of perspective, but our sense of gratitude as well?"<ref>Lynne Olson and Stanley Cloud, For Your Freedom and Ours, Arrow Books, 2004, page 5</ref>
After sunset, the principal buildings of London were lit by floodlights, and crowds thronged the banks of the ] and ] to watch ] and his family proceed down the river in the royal barge. The planned festivities ended with a ] display over ]. However, crowds continued to gather in London and surrounded ] even after the royal family had retired from the festivities. Many festival goers could not return home that night and spent the rest of the night in public parks and other public areas around London.<ref name="colourful"/>


==Events for Children==
] writes of the invitation being first sent to the communist government of Poland in Warsaw instead of the Polish Government in Exile in London, "before someone noticed that the Warsaw regime had not been Britain's wartime ally". He states that "the faux pas was not corrected until the very eve of the parade", when “in consequence, a last-minute invitation was sent by Foreign Minister ] directly to the Chief of Staff of the Polish Army, ], who was still in post in London; and other invitations were sent to the chiefs of the Polish Air Force and the Polish Navy and to individual generals. The belated invitations were courteously declined.”<ref name="Rising 44">{{cite book |author=Davies, Norman |title=Rising '44: the battle for Warsaw |publisher=Pan Books |location=London |year=2004 |page= 507 |isbn=0-330-48863-5 |oclc= |doi=}}</ref> Davies also states that "the Victory Parade in London passed off without the participation of any units, colour parties or representatives from Poland." Davies says the only Poles who did take part in the parade were some “fliers and ground crew who attended in their capacity as members of the various RAF formations into which they had formerly been integrated.”<ref name="Rising 44">{{cite book |author=Davies, Norman |title=Rising '44: the battle for Warsaw |publisher=Pan Books |location=London |year=2004 |page= 507 |isbn=0-330-48863-5 |oclc= |doi=}}</ref>


Entertainments were arranged for children in London's parks and a personal message from King George<ref>{{cite web |title=To-day, as we celebrate victory |url=https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1502005181 |website=Imperial War Museum |publisher=His Majesty's Stationery Office |accessdate=1 May 2020}}</ref> was printed on card and distributed to school children across the United Kingdom. The message began with the phrase ].
Four days before the parade ], the British ] wrote “His Majesty's Government still hope that it will also be possible for a party of Polish airmen who flew with the Royal Air Force in the ] to be included in the parade.” <ref>Written answer from British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to question regarding Polish participation in Victory Parade 4 June 1946. ]</ref>.


== See also ==
], speaking in ] as ] ] three days before the Parade, said he "deeply" regretted that "none of the Polish troops, and I must say this, who fought with us on a score of battlefields, who poured out their blood in the common cause, are not to be allowed to march in the Victory Parade." He also said Poland was now "held in strict control by a Soviet-dominated government" and that "we, who went to war, ill-prepared, on her behalf, watch with sorrow the strange outcome of our endeavours." <ref name="War II Behind Closed Doors 2009, page 391"/> ], the British ]'s ] responded to the criticism, by saying, "It is not true that we have not invited any members of those fighting Poles to take part in the Parade. Let me be quite honest. We have not invited the Navy and the Army, but we did invite some of the Poles who flew in the Battle of Britain, to march past in the R.A.F. contingent. The action was not taken to please M. Molotov." <ref name="hansard.millbanksystems.com"/>
* ]


==References==
Two days before the parade, the Polish government notified the British government that the Polish contingent would not march and that reasons for this decision would be set forth in a note which would be delivered to the British.
{{Reflist|2|refs=
<ref name="Millions jam London for victory event, greatest in years">Millions jam London for victory event, greatest in years, The Times Daily – June 7, 1946 </ref> On the day of the parade it was reported that the invitation had been refused because pilots loyal to the defunct Polish government in exile had been invited.<ref name="12 million victory fete in London">“12 million victory fete in London”, The Pittsburgh Press - Jun 8, 1946 </ref> A small group of Polish airmen who had served in the RAF marched with British pilots.<ref name="Millions applaud as London pays tribute to war victors">“Millions applaud as London pays tribute to war victors”, ] Associated Press, The Milwaukee Journal - Jun 8, 1946</ref><ref name="Britons celebrate victory day"> "Britons celebrate victory day", Sarasota Herald-Tribune - Jun 9, 1946 [http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xb8qAAAAIBAJ&sjid=m2QEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2003,5544310&dq=london+victory+parade+poland&hl=en</ref>


<ref name="12million">"12 million victory fete in London", The Pittsburgh Press&nbsp;— 8 June 1946 </ref>
Rudolf Falkowski, a Pole who flew with the RAF 635, 639 and ]s, speculated that the Polish authorities had given in to pressure from Moscow, stating that "Later on, we heard some rumors, that apparently, the Polish authorities were ready to sent a contingent of men, but at last moment, received a "message" from Moscow: "What’s going to happen, if your soldiers get captivate by fascists in England and never return?" "<ref name="The Victory Parade"/> After the parade Polish state radio announced that Polish forces had not taken part because “The attitude of Britain regarding Poland’s western border has been negative” and the Polish government had not received any answer to questions asked regarding General ] being granted a diplomatic passport and a visa to go to the USA.<ref name="Poland and London Victory Parade"> Poland and London Victory Parade, The Glasgow Herald - Jun 12, 1946 </ref>


<ref name="battlefields">], World War II Behind Closed Doors, BBC Books, 2009, p.391: "Winston Churchill, now leader of the opposition, said in the House of Commons on 5 June, just three days before the Victory Parade, that he 'deeply' regretted that 'none of the Polish troops, and I must say this, who fought with us on a score of battlefields, who poured out their blood in the common cause, are not to be allowed to march in the Victory Parade... The fate of Poland seems to be unending tragedy and we who went to war all ill-prepared on her behalf watch with sorrow the strange outcome of our endeavours."</ref>
===Australian contingent===
The Australian contingent was headed by ] ], an officer with a distinguished record in the war. The contingent consisted of 250 servicemen and women, drawn from the three services, including ] ], who had won the ] in the ] in 1943. The Victory March Contingent sailed for the United Kingdom on {{HMAS|Shropshire|73|6}} on 8 April 1946.<ref>{{cite book
| title = Desert Sands, Jungle Lands: a Biography of Major General Ken Eather
| first = Steve
| last = Eather
| url = http://books.google.com.au/books?id=Ojb_DIpWFIIC&dq=kenneth+eather&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=m-L2XFLy73&sig=MuGs6CizPdBRjpqHbs2Jci9IKso&hl=en&ei=2VARSsGeKYXytQPVr4WPAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5
| year = 2003
| publisher = ]
| location = ]
| isbn = 9781741141825
| accessdate = 24 September 2009
| pages = 179–188
}}
</ref>


<ref name="colourful"> "The Canberra Times", 10 June 1946. Retrieved: 23 October 2009.</ref>
==Associated festivities==
After sunset of the same day, the principal buildings of London were lit by floodlights, and crowds thronged the banks of the ] and ] to watch ] and his family proceed down the river in the Royal barge. The planned festivities ended with a ] display over ]. However, crowds continued to gather in London and surrounded ] even after the Royal family had retired from the festivities. Many festival goers could not return home that night and spent the rest of the night in public parks and other public areas around London.<ref name="Colourful London Victory Parade"/>


<ref name="Desert Sands, Jungle Lands: a Biography of Major General Ken Eather">{{cite book | title = Desert Sands, Jungle Lands: a Biography of Major General Ken Eather | first = Steve | last = Eather | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Ojb_DIpWFIIC&q=kenneth+eather | year = 2003 | publisher = ] | location = ] | isbn = 978-1-74114-182-5| pages = 179–188 |via=Google Books}}</ref>
== References ==
<!--See http://en.wikipedia.org/Wikipedia:Footnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the <ref(erences/)> tags-->
{{Reflist}}


<ref name="dilemma"></ref>
== External links ==

*
<ref name="fireworks"> ''Life'', 24 June 1946. Retrieved: 21 October 2009.</ref>

<ref name="gaumont"> Last accessed on 23 October 2009.</ref>

<ref name="hansard">Statement to Parliament by British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs 5 June 1946. ]</ref>

<ref name="Inc1946">{{cite book|author=Time Inc|title=LIFE|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_LkoEAAAAMBAJ|accessdate=3 October 2012|date=24 June 1946|publisher=Time Inc|pages=–|issn=0024-3019}}</ref>

<ref name="MacMillan 1949. page 299">], "An Army in Exile" MacMillan & Co., London 1949. page 299</ref>

<ref name="nla"> "The Canberra Times", 29 May 1946. Retrieved: 23 October 2009.</ref>

<ref name="offprogramme">The Official Programme of the Victory Celebrations on 8 June 1946 in London, England Published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1946</ref>

<ref name="playground">], 1983. ''God's Playground''. Vol II. New York: Oxford Univ. Press. {{ISBN|0-19-821944-X}} p. 575</ref>

<ref name="QoH">{{cite book |author1=Lynne Olson |author-link=Lynne Olson |author2=Stanley Cloud |title=A Question of Honor: The Kosciuszko Squadron: Forgotten Heroes of World War II |publisher=Knopf |year=2003 |isbn=0-375-41197-6 |chapter-url=http://www.questionofhonor.com/prologue.htm |chapter=Prologue |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/questionofhonort00olso }}.</ref>

<ref name="Rising 44">{{cite book |author=Davies, Norman |title=Rising '44: the battle for Warsaw |publisher=Pan Books |location=London |year=2004 |page= 507|isbn=0-330-48863-5}}</ref>

<ref name="The Victory Parade">{{cite web|url=http://www.polishsquadronsremembered.com/Victory_parade.html |title=The Victory Parade |publisher=Polishsquadronsremembered.com |accessdate=2012-10-03}}</ref>

<ref name="tpyf-wales1">{{cite web |url=http://www.tpyf-wales.com/index.php?lang=en&subj=5773&id=1726&op=1&size=2&t=2 |title=Their Past Your Future |publisher=Tpyf-wales.com |date=1946-06-08 |accessdate=2012-10-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717082959/http://www.tpyf-wales.com/index.php?lang=en&subj=5773&id=1726&op=1&size=2&t=2 |archive-date=17 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

<ref name="victoryparade">Rudolf Falkowski, . Last accessed on 30 September 2009.</ref>

<ref name="yugoslavia"> "The Canberra Times", 7 June 1946. Retrieved: 23 October 2009.</ref>
}}


==External links==
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{{Commons category|London Victory Celebrations of 1946}}
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{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:London Victory Parade of 1946}}
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Latest revision as of 03:25, 15 June 2024

The Official Programme of the Victory Celebrations.

The London Victory Celebrations of 1946 were British Commonwealth, Empire and Allied victory celebrations held after the defeat of Nazi Germany and Japan in World War II. On 1 November 1945 the Prime Minister appointed a committee under the chairmanship of the Home Secretary, James Chuter Ede to formulate plans for official Victory Celebrations. The celebrations took place in London on 8 June 1946, and consisted mainly of a military parade through the city and a night time fireworks display. Most British allies took part in the parade, including Belgium, Brazil, China, Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, Luxembourg the Netherlands and the United States.

Victory parade

Representatives of the Greek armed forces, including two Evzones in their traditional fustanella.
Four DUKW amphibious vehicles taking part in the Victory Parade in London on 8 June 1946.
Regiments of the Indian Army march in the Victory Parade.

The first part of the parade was the Chiefs of Staff's procession, featuring the British Chiefs of Staff together with the Supreme Allied Commanders. This was followed by a mechanised column which went from Regent's Park to Tower Hill to The Mall (where the saluting base was) and then back to Regent's Park. It was more than four miles long and contained more than 500 vehicles from the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force, British civilian services and the British Army (in that order).

Next came a marching column, which went from Marble Arch to The Mall to Hyde Park Corner. This was headed by the flags of the Allied nations which took part in the parade, each with an honour guard. Next came units of the navies, air forces, civilian services and units of the British Empire, and the armed forces of the Commonwealth Dominions. They were followed by units from the Royal Navy, followed by British civilian services, the British Army, representatives of certain Allied air forces and the Royal Air Force. This was followed by a fly-past of 300 aircraft, led by Douglas Bader. In the aftermath, 4,127 persons needed medical attention and 65 were taken to hospital.

Most of the allies were represented at the parade, including representatives from the US, France, Belgium, Brazil, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Egypt, Ethiopia, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Luxembourg, Mexico, Nepal, Netherlands, Norway and Transjordan.

The only allied countries not represented at the parade were USSR, Yugoslavia, and Poland.

Australian contingent

The Australian contingent was headed by Major General Ken Eather, an officer with a distinguished record in the war. The contingent consisted of 250 servicemen and women, drawn from the three services, including Private Richard Kelliher, who had won the Victoria Cross in the Battle of Lae in 1943. The Victory March Contingent sailed for the United Kingdom on HMAS Shropshire on 8 April 1946.

New Zealand contingent

New Zealand was represented on the victory march by a contingent of 300 former and serving members of the armed forces. The contingent consisted of 150 representatives of the army, 100 of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and 50 of the Royal New Zealand Navy. Women were also included in all three sections, and there was representation of the Maori Battalion. The contingent was commanded by Lieutenant-General Sir Edward Puttick, the General Officer Commanding of the New Zealand Forces During the war. The Contingent included the Victoria Cross holders, Colone Leslie Andrew VC, DSO Sergeant Alfred Clive Hulme VC and Charles Upham, VC & Bar. The contingent sailed from New Zealand on 20 April on the New Zealand hospital ship Maunganui.

Controversy about Poland

The British government initially invited the government in Poland to send a flag party to represent Poland among the allied forces in the parade, but did not specifically invite representatives of the Polish forces in exile that had fought under British High Command. Britons including Winston Churchill, figures in the RAF and a number of MPs protested against the decision, which was described as an affront to the Polish war effort as well as an immoral concession to communist power. After these complaints, 25 pilots of the Polish fighter squadrons in the Royal Air Force, who had taken part in the Battle of Britain, were invited to march together with other foreign detachments as part of the parade of the Royal Air Force. Last-minute invitations were sent by Foreign Minister Bevin directly to the Chief of Staff of the Polish Army, General Kopanski, who was still in post in London, and to the chiefs of the Polish Air Force and the Polish Navy and to individual generals. These invitations were declined, and the airmen refused to participate in protest against the omission of the other branches of the Western backed Polish forces in exile.

The Polish government, in turn, chose not to send a delegation, and later cited the invitation to the exiled pilots as its reason to stay away. In the end, the parade took place without any Polish forces. The Soviet Union and Yugoslavia also stayed away.

Nighttime festivities

After sunset, the principal buildings of London were lit by floodlights, and crowds thronged the banks of the Thames and Westminster Bridge to watch King George VI and his family proceed down the river in the royal barge. The planned festivities ended with a fireworks display over Central London. However, crowds continued to gather in London and surrounded Buckingham Palace even after the royal family had retired from the festivities. Many festival goers could not return home that night and spent the rest of the night in public parks and other public areas around London.

Events for Children

Entertainments were arranged for children in London's parks and a personal message from King George was printed on card and distributed to school children across the United Kingdom. The message began with the phrase 'Today, as we celebrate victory'.

See also

References

  1. ^ Lynne Olson; Stanley Cloud (2003). "Prologue". A Question of Honor: The Kosciuszko Squadron: Forgotten Heroes of World War II. Knopf. ISBN 0-375-41197-6..
  2. ^ "Colourful London Victory Parade" "The Canberra Times", 10 June 1946. Retrieved: 23 October 2009.
  3. ^ The Official Programme of the Victory Celebrations on 8 June 1946 in London, England Part 1 Published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1946
  4. ^ "Their Past Your Future". Tpyf-wales.com. 8 June 1946. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  5. ^ Rudolf Falkowski, The Victory Parade. Last accessed on 30 September 2009.
  6. ^ "London Victory Parade: Britain celebrates V-E holiday with pomp and fireworks." Life, 24 June 1946. Retrieved: 21 October 2009.
  7. Gaumont British Newsreel Last accessed on 23 October 2009.
  8. Tucker, Spencer C (2001) Who's Who in Twentieth Century Warfare Routledge ISBN 0-415-23497-2 (p. 17)
  9. "The Victory Parade". Polishsquadronsremembered.com. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  10. "No Soviet troops for London's Victory Parade" "The Canberra Times", 29 May 1946. Retrieved: 23 October 2009.
  11. ^ "Yugoslavia annoyed at British Note" "The Canberra Times", 7 June 1946. Retrieved: 23 October 2009.
  12. Davies, Norman, 1983. God's Playground. Vol II. New York: Oxford Univ. Press. ISBN 0-19-821944-X p. 575
  13. Władysław Anders, "An Army in Exile" MacMillan & Co., London 1949. page 299
  14. Time Inc (24 June 1946). LIFE. Time Inc. pp. 32–. ISSN 0024-3019. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  15. Eather, Steve (2003). Desert Sands, Jungle Lands: a Biography of Major General Ken Eather. Crows Nest, New South Wales: Allen and Unwin. pp. 179–188. ISBN 978-1-74114-182-5 – via Google Books.
  16. Sandford, Kenneth (1962). Mark of the Lion. London: Hutchinson. pp. 278–279.
  17. "Victory Parade Contingent". 13 April 1946. Retrieved 20 November 2018 – via Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand.
  18. Laurence Rees, World War II Behind Closed Doors, BBC Books, 2009, p.391: "Winston Churchill, now leader of the opposition, said in the House of Commons on 5 June, just three days before the Victory Parade, that he 'deeply' regretted that 'none of the Polish troops, and I must say this, who fought with us on a score of battlefields, who poured out their blood in the common cause, are not to be allowed to march in the Victory Parade... The fate of Poland seems to be unending tragedy and we who went to war all ill-prepared on her behalf watch with sorrow the strange outcome of our endeavours."
  19. Statement to Parliament by British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs 5 June 1946. Hansard
  20. Davies, Norman (2004). Rising '44: the battle for Warsaw. London: Pan Books. p. 507. ISBN 0-330-48863-5.
  21. Dr Mark Ostrowski
  22. "12 million victory fete in London", The Pittsburgh Press — 8 June 1946
  23. "To-day, as we celebrate victory". Imperial War Museum. His Majesty's Stationery Office. Retrieved 1 May 2020.

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