The battle continued
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As news of VE Day spread to troops around the world, attention turned to the bitter war still raging in the Far East.
Blind veterans Ken, Matt and Les reflect on their experiences as the war came to a close.
Ken's story: 'There were some terrible sights'
Following jubilant celebrations, navy stoker Ken was horrified to witness the see the state of prisoners of war first-hand.
"I was drafted to Aberdeen just before Churchill announced the end of the war. Everybody was celebrating in the streets. All I remember was hanging out the window waving the flag about, probably with a drink in my hand. There was a general feeling of relief and jubilation.
"The very next day, I was sent off to board HMS Aquitania, taking newly liberated prisoners of war home to their families. There were some terrible sights. They used to lay them all out on deck to give them a bit of experience of being in the wide-open spaces, to help them recuperate.
Now 98, Ken recalls travelling overseas to bring them home
Ken was sent to Borneo to join a ship searching for deadly mines.
"HMS Welcome took us down to Borneo, and we mine swept around Borneo, blowing up mines dropped by the Japanese. We had to shoot them with rifles from onboard the ships.
"Once, unfortunately, something ricocheted off one of the mines and hit one of the lads who was on board a dam layer, or trawler. The poor lad died from his injuries."
"My worst experience was seeing the state those poor devils were in. How people can be so cruel in this world, I really don't know."
As Ken faces a new battle, we are proud to fight for him.
"I lost my sight due to age-related macular degeneration. The charity has done everything for me that they possibly can.
"We all meet up once a month in the local area and have lunch and a bit of a chat. Now that I'm on my own, I really appreciate them. It’s one way of getting out and meeting up with people again.
"I went to their Rustington Centre recently, and even did a little entertainment spot there. I really enjoyed it. Beautiful people. Couldn't do enough for us. I'll definitely be back."
"On the 80th anniversary, I’ll be thinking of my old mates who are no longer hanging about - the people I had trust in and who trusted me. We all helped one another."
Les's story: 'The relief was a hell of a size'
Royal Navy veteran Les remembers the drunken revelry - and a very welcome announcement.
"We'd just done a convoy when we found out, so we went out and had a few drinks. We come back and a stoker off the next ship climbed up to the top of a big crane and stripped off!
"All the ships had their headlights on him. There was a punishment waiting for him when he come down! He'd probably had too much to drink.
"We were then headed towards the Panama Canal to Japan, but I remember our Captain announcing over the Tannoy: 'We've been given new instructions… because the war with Japan is over!'
"Relief is a small word, but it was a hell of a size. It became a big word because it was the word everybody seemed to express. We couldn’t believe our luck!"
Matt: 'The news came through in dribs and drabs'
After surviving the famously bloody battle of Monte Cassino, SAS veteran Matt was behind enemy lines in Northern Italy when he heard the war was over.
"I'd been dropped in by parachute with the SAS and I was in a nice little village, doing various raids on enemy territory.
"I had to ride a horse for miles all the way down the Mediterranean coast. When you're riding a horse and you hear a bullet whizz past her head, it's not exactly a pleasant thought! That was my VE time.
"How did we find out VE Day had happened? These things you didn't get told. It came through in dribs and drabs, one way or another. Somebody would have a radio set and pick up a bit of news and then it would be passed down to you.
"There was no Army Colonel calling us all together and telling us, 'The war is now over.' That didn’t happen."
Today, these heroes need our support
Matt: 'They've done me a great service'
"Blind Veterans UK has done me a great deal of service because when they knew I had eye trouble, they gave me this printing enlarger. That's helped me a great deal because I'm now able to read my personal letters and things. There's also someone who looks in on me to make sure I have everything I need."
Les: 'You lose your independence'
"I like to get out and about, but when my eyes went I had to give up my licence and my car. You lose your independence and become dependent on other people and taxis. That's the hardest thing. Through the charity, I go to coffee mornings twice a week. I like to go to sit and talk as I'm in the house by myself now."
Please support our VE Day veterans.
With the right equipment, training and social interaction, our blind veterans can live safely and happily.
They fought for us. Now it's our turn to fight for them.
Read more about VE Day 80
VE Day 80: Remnants of a brutal war
The joy on VE Day was universal, but as Alice, Derrick and Joan attest, almost six years of war had taken its toll.
VE Day 80: Women at war
ATS girl Neena worked for the Parachute Regiment – and says it was the happiest time of her life.
VE Day 80: Celebrations across the UK
Blind veterans Thomas, Peter, John and Arthur fondly recall the jubilant revelry that followed the news of VE Day.
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