THE END OF HOSTILITIES

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V-E Day in Europe. What a day it was indeed! The essence of what transpired can be best expressed by reiterating the actual messages that were copied by W/T operators in all RCN ships. On Saturday May 5 1945, reports broadcast over the radio announced that the Germans had surrendered in North Germany, Holland and Denmark. Many W/T offices were also copying the Whitehall broadcast which sent instructions in the event that any U-boats surrendered at sea. Two days later, general news was broadcast that Germany surrendered unconditionally. This was followed by a broadcast from Whitehall on 197 kc. An OP (Intermediate) message was addressed from Admiralty to AIG 1 (Address Indicating Group 1) meaning all Ships and Authorities Home and Abroad. The text of message number BN595 (time 072253B) said:

In the evening of Monday May 7, an O-U (Most Immediate) message from the Admiralty was addressed and broadcast to All Ships and Authorities Home and Abroad on 155 kc. The text read:
 

"The German High Command has surrendered, unconditionally, all German land, sea and air forces in Europe effective from 0001B hours repetition 0001B hours ninth (9th) May repetition (9th) May. From which hour all offensive operations will cease. Due to difficulties of communications, there may be some delay in these orders reaching enemy forces. Accordingly, danger of attack by independent enemy surface craft, U-boat and aircraft may persist for some time to come. The fleet in all respects, is to remain on war footing and in a state of constant vigilance for the moment. The surrender procedure for U boats will be promulgated separately. No repetition, no release is to be made to the press pending an announcement by the heads of governments. "

On May 8 a plain text message # BN665 was received and it read:
 

"All instructions for the safety and control of merchant shipping remain in force until further orders. Convoys and independent merchant ships now at sea to continue their voyages as previously ordered. 08151B."

Following that message, an Immediate message (BN667-081410Z) was received from NSHQ (Naval Service Headquarters Ottawa) addressed to AIG 138 (All Canadian ships and Authorities). It joyously said:
 

"Tuesday eighth May 1945 has been officially proclaimed a national holiday. All ships are to splice the mainbrace on that day vide Naval Order 3315 paragraph 4."

(This message meant an extra tot of rum all around).

An Immediate message from Admiralty to AIG 1 was more terse. It simply said: "Splice the Mainbrace"

On the same day, the German High Command broadcast an order for all U-boats at sea to surrender. U-boats were to surface and remain surfaced. They were to report their position and number to the nearest British, United States, Canadian or Russian wireless station; fly a black or blue flag by day and burn navigation lights by night; jettison ammunition; render mines and torpedoes safe; make all signals in plain language; refrain from scuttling or in any way damaging their U boats; report their position, course and speed every eight hours and proceed by the prescribed route to the prescribed Allied port.

On Wednesday May 9, a message was sent by the Commander in Chief Western Approaches addressed to AIG 32 (All ships and authorities in Western Approaches Command). The message read:
 

"On V-day whilst the battle...draws to a victorious close, I send this personal message of gratitude and admiration to all of you who have so faithfully and nobly borne the brunt of the long drawn out struggle. In winter gales of the Atlantic and every kind of weather, the little ships of this command have kept continual close touch and faith with those they had to guard. But this alone was not enough. Highly technical skill reached only by superior training, added to that, seamen's knowledge and judgement which long experience at sea under the hardest conditions given, produced the polish which earned you great but still unnumbered successes. The standards you have set and maintained in A/S warfare are in my opinion quite unsurpassed by any of the combatting nations, and your standards in all other respects have been a source of pride and joy to me. Your losses have been heavy indeed and our thoughts at this time must constantly turn to our comrades and friends who have paid the price of victory. In thanking you for your unfailing loyalty and support and wishing you good luck, remember it is still to early to relax; utmost vigilance is necessary until the last German U-boat is surrendered. - 081932B".

 
Fred Ware, a Leading Telegraphist from WWII , recalls the part he played in the surrender of the U-boats. " I will say that in April 1945, two Leading Telegraphists were taken off ships and sent to the St. John's, Newfoundland  W/T station to set up a surrender service. Myself and another young fellow were drafted for this assignment. The system included  W/T stations from Perth, Australia; Pearl Harbor; St. John's, NFLD; Gibraltar; Aden; Kandy Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and possibly one or two other stations around the world. Once the armistice was signed, the order went out from German high command for the U-boats to surrender. On the hour and half hour, we broadcast on German U-boat frequencies using "Q" signals to talk to each other and usually passing weather conditions.

Whenever we were successful in establishing contact, we  gave instructions to turn on all running lights,  fly a black or blue flag and steer on a certain course. I remember talking to a U-boat in the Indian Ocean who could not be heard by the RN station in Kandy, so I relayed sailing instructions to arrange a "meet". I cannot remember how many U-boats I talked to during that period. The two of us worked four hours on and four off until June 8, 1945".
 

OTHER V-E DAY MESSAGES

L/Cpl Lloyd Henry Pickering of the 2nd Canadian Corps of Signals was on duty at Nijmegen, Holland, when hostilities in Europe ceased in May 1945. As messages of congratulations were received on teletypes and their contents were processed and ultimately distributed to the various commands, Lloyd scooped the original incoming messages. They hung on the wall in his house in Lakefield Ontario until he died a couple of years ago. Here is a excerpt of several messages received at Eishenhower's Headquarters.
 

11 MAY. UNCLASSIFIED.  THE FOLLOWING CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES RECEIVED BY THE SUPREME COMMANDER TO BE BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF ALL PERSONNEL
 

FROM THE PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA.

I SEND TO YOU AND TO THE FORCES UNDER YOUR COMMAND THE HEARTFELT
CONGRATULATIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE OF CANADA UPON THE FINAL DEFEAT OF THE MILITARY MIGHT OF NAZI GERMANY TO WHICH DEFEAT THE ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY FORCES CONTRIBUTED SO DECISIVELY. WE ARE INDEED PROUD THAT CANADIANS HAD SO WORTHY A PLACE IN THE GREAT COMPANY OF THE FORCES OF LIBERATION WHICH UNDER YOUR SUPREME COMMAND HAVE ACHIEVED SO COMPLETE A VICTORY.

FROM HER MAJESTY QUEEN OF THE NETHERLANDS.

PLEASE ACCEPT MY MOST SINCERE CONGRATULATIONS ON THE GREAT AND
DECISIVE VICTORIES WHICH HAVE CAUSED THE FINAL DOWNFALL OF A POWERFUL AND RUTHLESS ENEMY. TOGETHER WITH ME AND MY PEOPLES. GRATEFUL THANKS TO YOU AND ALL THE ARMIES UNDER YOUR SUPREME COMMAND. WHO BY THERE UNFLAGGING BRAVERY AND SACRIFICE HAVE BROUGHT ABOUT THE TRIUMPH OF OUR COMMON CAUSE AND THE LIBERATION OF THE NETHERLANDS.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT. HARRY S. TRUMAN

IN RECOGNITION OF THE UNCONDITIONAL AND ABJECT SURRENDER OF THE NAZI BARBARIANS, PLEASE ACCEPT THE FERVENT CONGRATULATIONS AND APPRECIATION OF MYSELF AND OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE FOR THE HEROIC ACHIEVEMENTS OF YOUR ALLIED ARMY, NAVY AND AIR FORCE. BY THEIR SACRIFICES, SKILL AND COURAGE, THEY HAVE SAVED AND EXALTED THE CAUSE OF FREEDOM THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. ALL OF US OWE TO YOU AND TO YOUR MEN OF MANY NATIONS A DEBT BEYOND APPRAISAL FOR THEIR HIGH CONTRIBUTION TO THE CONQUEST OF NAZISM.

I ALSO SEND MY PERSONAL APPRECIATION OF THE SUPERB LEADERSHIP SHOWN BY YOU AND YOUR COMMANDERS IN DIRECTING THE VALIANT LEGIONS OF OUR OWN COUNTRY AND OF OUR ALLIES TO THIS HISTORIC VICTORY. PLEASE TRANSMIT THIS MESSAGE TO THE APPROPRIATE OFFICERS . PUBLISH IT TO ALL ALLIED FORCES IN YOUR THEATRES OF OPERATION.

[Via www.lionantiques.com web page]

GENERAL DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER

FROM SHAEF REF NO FWD DASH TWO XERO EIGHT XERO ONE CITE SHGCT

BOOK MESSAGE

PARA ONE PD A RPT ABLE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE GERMAN HIGH COMMAND SIGNED THE UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER OF ALL GERMAN LAND CMA SEA CMA AND AIR FORCES IN EUROPE TO THE ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY FORCE AND SIMULTANEOUSLY TO THE SOVIET HIGH COMMAND AT XERO ONE FOUR ONE HOURS CENTRAL EUROPEAN TIME CMA SEVEN MAY UNDER WHICH ALL FORCES WILL CEASE ACTIVE OPERATIONS AT XERO XERO XERO ONE BAKER HOURS NINE MAY PD PARA TWO PD EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY ALL OFFENSIVE OPERATIONS BY ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY FORCE WILL CEASE AND TROOPS WILL REMAIN IN PRESENT POSITIONS PD MOVES INVOLVED IN OCCUPATIONAL DUTIES WILL CONTINUE PD DUE TO DIFFICULTIES OF COMMUNICATION THERE MAY BE SOME DELAY IN SIMILAR ORDERS REACHING ENEMY TROOPS SO FULL DEFENSIVE PRECAUTIONS WILL BE TAKEN PD PARA THREE PD ALL INFORMED DOWN TO AND INCLUDING DIVISION CMA TACTICAL AIR COMMAND AND GROUPS CMA BASE SECTIONS CMA AND EQUIVALENT PD NO REPEAT NO RELEASE WILL BE MADE TO THRE [sic] PRESS PENDING AN ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HEADS OF THE THREE GOVERNMENTS

SIGNED EISENHOWER

At the bottom of the message, it was indicated that it came in early morning on 7 May 1945 and decoded by T/3 Michael J. Maiorano, US 28th Signal Corps. This message was provided by Mike Valentine  <mike-valentine(at)comcast.net> grandson of Michael J. Maiorano.

The late Fred Ware also reflects on the period nearing the end of the war. "There was great rivalry between the Canadian and British ships of the 10th Destroyer Flotilla around 1944. The Canadian crews of HAIDA and HURON had adopted one of the British ships as a chummy ship - this was HMS ASHANTI. The crews of both ships got along really well and spent much time in port together. When HAIDA and HURON were leaving Plymouth late in 1944 to come to Canada, HAIDA's crew hoisted their piano over to ASHANTI as a gift and Huron's crew gave all the spare donations that they could muster. Unfortunately, other British ships were ignored by the Canadians and the crew of ASHANTI ignored other Canadian ships as well". At peak strength, during World War II, the Royal Canadian Navy had 400 ships in commission. In comparison, there are 12 MCDV's, 12 Halifax class frigates, 3 Iroquois 280 class destroyers and 2 transport ships in commission with the RCN in 2004.

Aug 21/10