Download Victory in Europe (VE) Day

Victory in Europe (VE) Day
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Australians who served
 Australians from each of the three
services and from the merchant
marine served in the war against
Germany and her European allies.
Casualties
 More than 39,000 Australians died
during the Second World War.
 Some 10,000 Australians lost their
lives in the European theatre during
the War.
 Some 10,000 Australians were
wounded and another 8,000 became
prisoners of war while serving in
Europe or the Mediterranean.
Major Units
 The Australian 6th, 7th and 9th
Divisions served in the war against
Germany and her allies, as did
significant elements of the Royal
Australian Navy, including HMAS
Sydney, and RAAF personnel
operating out of bases in the
Mediterranean and north west
Europe.
Key Battles across Europe, North Africa and
the Atlantic
 Bardia
 Syria and Lebanon
 The Battle of Britain
 Defence of Tobruk
 Battle of Cape Spada
 Greece and Crete
 El Alamein
 Battle of the Atlantic
 Battle of the Ruhr
 Battle of Berlin
 Normandy D-Day Landings
Medals
 Five Australians received the Victoria
Cross in the war against Germany
and her European Allies. Jack
Edmondson VC, Roden Cutler VC,
James Gordon VC, Hughie Edwards
VC, Rawdon Middleton VC.
Commemoration
 8 May 2015 marks the 70th
Anniversary of Victory in Europe in
the Second World War.
On 7 May 1945 Germany signed an
unconditional surrender on all fronts.
The surrender took effect from
midnight 8-9 May, with 8 May
declared Victory in Europe (VE) Day.
This brought an end to the war
against Germany and her European
allies that had spread across Europe,
the Middle East and the Atlantic
Ocean, lasting for five years and eight
months. However, the war in the
Pacific continued until Japan
surrendered in August that year.
Australian Involvement
Australian involvement in the Second
World War began on 3 September
1939, when Prime Minister Robert
Menzies announced to Australians
that Great Britain had declared war
on Germany and “as a result,
Australia is also at war”.
Australian servicemen and women
were operational in Europe from
early in the war until Victory in
Europe on 8 May 1945. Australians
fought and died in the skies over
Britain, north west Europe, the
Atlantic and the Mediterranean, on
land in North Africa, Greece and
Crete and in the Middle East and at
sea.
The sailors of the Royal Australian
Navy established a reputation for
determination and gallantry in many
actions. They braved enemy aircraft
and submarines to get supplies to the
‘Rats of Tobruk’ and evacuate troops
from the beaches of Greece and
Crete. They participated in
dangerous patrols and escort
operations in the Atlantic. By late
1942, most Australian warships had
left to serve against the Japanese;
however, in 1943 eight Australian
corvettes supported the Allied invasion of
Sicily, the first step in the Allied advance
through Italy. Merchant seamen also
contributed to Allied war efforts, as they
transported men and supplies from
Australia, carried supplies through the
Arctic Ocean to Russia’s northern ports,
and sailed in Atlantic convoys between
Britain and the Americas.
Thousands of Australians took part in the
war in the air. Before the war started, a
small number of Australians had joined
the Royal Air Force and some of these
men took part in the Battle of Britain and
other early aerial encounters. They were
joined by thousands of Royal Australian
Air Force (RAAF) men, many trained in
the Empire Air Training Scheme. Some
Australians flew with the Desert Air Force
over North Africa, the Mediterranean and
Italy. Others went to the UK to serve in
Fighter, Bomber, Coastal, Transport or
Training Command. Most Australian
airmen flew with Bomber Command,
some in Australian squadrons but the
majority in RAF units.
V for Victory
Victory in Europe brought liberation for
Australians who were prisoners of war in
Germany or eastern Europe. Most were
soldiers captured in Greece, Crete and
North Africa, but there were also many
airmen among them, taken prisoner after
their aircraft were shot down. VE Day
meant those still serving in the European
theatre could return home.
On the path to this victory some 10,000
Australians lost their lives, at least 10,000
more were wounded and another 8,000
became prisoners of war.
For more info contact DVA Media
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