VE Day at Aldermaston
80 years ago, the European part of the Second World War came to an end. On the 8th of May 1945 – known as Victory in Europe Day or VE Day – celebrations erupted around the world to mark this.
Aldermaston had played its part in the liberation of Western Europe as it formed the launch point and training ground for American airborne operations for the 101st Airborne Division, nicknamed the “Screaming Eagles”, during D-Day a year earlier and the failed Operation Market Garden.
Operation Market Garden © USAAF USA.gov
The site also supported the 101st when they were under siege in Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 and served as a base for photographic reconnaissance missions over northern France in preparation for the invasion.
General McAuliffe briefing troops, September 1944 © USAAF USA.gov
Operation Keokuk at Aldermaston © USAAF USA.gov
Aldermaston became a quieter place after the resident unit moved to France in February 1945 and, four months later, the station was returned to the Royal Air Force, being used only as a stopover on the way to the continent rather than as an operation base.
Meanwhile, in the United States, the first Director of AWE William Penney was heavily involved in the end of the conflict in the Pacific Theatre, changing the face of the post-war world before returning to the UK and leading the nation’s sovereign atomic weapons programme, taking over the airfield to become AWE as we know it today.
Although Aldermaston’s time as a centre of war time activity has passed, we’re proud that the site played an important role in securing the victory that we celebrate today.
We are proud to be commemorating AWE’s 75th year this year, and throughout we’ll be sharing more stories and memories from our long history of keeping the nation safe.
