WHEN HULL LET ITS HAIR DOWN

Colin Allan goes through the archives to get a flavour of VE Day on Humberside

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Hull, one of Britain's hardest-hit cities of the war, celebrated the end of European hostilities today in a quiet and restrained manner but with a profound feeling of thankfulness.” So reported the city’s evening newspaper, the Hull Daily Mail, on Tuesday 8 May 1945. The mood during the morning of VE Day, at least, was calm and quiet. Perhaps this reflected the fact that just four years previously, during the night of 7-8 May 1941, Hull had suffered its most deadly air raid. It was a grim anniversary for the city’s citizens and maybe this restrained celebrations for a while. Certainly, shopping for essentials was more to the fore during the first hours of daylight.

Hull took a hammering from the Luftwaffe as its docks were a prime target for the enemy. But Hull’s sacrifices were not generally known as, for security reasons, it was always referred to as “a north-eastern port”. Apart from the geographical mistake, the phrase led to local resentment as many thought Hull was being overlooked, compared to Coventry and London.

Yet, as the day progressed, so did the celebrations. Flags and bunting hung from every public building and in many streets. And, befitting a great maritime city, ships in Prince’s Dock were festooned with a full-dress flag display. In at least two terraces, residents had made realistic life-sized effigies of Hitler. One was atop hastily constructed gallows with the figure dangling by the neck and swaying in the breeze. On a nearby wall was written: “We thank all our fighting forces - men and women. God keep them safe.” The residents of Minerva Terrace wrote an inscription next to their effigy. It read: “Don't worry. Minerva Terrace has found Hitler’s body.”