BikerBabe
Senior Master Sergeant
... a radio message was broadcast from BBC in London, by the danish reporters sending to Denmark:
BBC, 4 May 1945, 8.36 PM: "This is London. Montgomery presently announces that the German troops in Holland, North Western Germany, and Denmark have surrendered."
My parents have told me about this famous and much loved evening:
People tore down the black-out curtains, lit candles in their windows, ran out into the streets and hugged and kissed total strangers and danced and ran about in the streets, celebrating the long-awaited freedom after five long, dark years of german oppression and terror rule.
The german troops just wanted to go home, and the danes just wanted to get rid of them, and so the long walk back home to Germany began for the german troops.
The danish people who didn't side with the germans danced in the streets, sang and gathered to celebrate the freedom, and to this day it is tradition to light a couple of candles in our windows on the evening of may 4th to celebrate our freedom, give thanks to those who fought for us and liberated us, and remember those - danes and allies alike - who gave all: their lives.
Tomorrow, a formation of RAF planes will fly over a cemetary in Jutland to commemorate their fallen comrades who were shot down over Jutland, they are now buried at a local cemetary, their graves being tended to and looked after by the locals.
So - even after all these years, this evening is still very special for many danes, especially for the older ones whose parents or other family members experienced the war and the liberation.
And tonight, I made myself some coffee with Richs - that's a famous danish brand of wartime replacement coffee that were used instead of real coffee, which were impossible to get here during the war.
I've listened to the danish reporters' BBC broadcast with the message that the german armed forces had surrendered, and I've pondered and reflected upon freedom and democracy, which - in my eyes - must never be taken for granted.
And I'll say a prayer later for those men and women who has fought and who fight for our freedom and for democracy all over the world - the alternative to freedom is too nasty, and I'm sure that a few prayers won't hurt.
I just wanted to share this particular evening with you guys, there you are.
BBC, 4 May 1945, 8.36 PM: "This is London. Montgomery presently announces that the German troops in Holland, North Western Germany, and Denmark have surrendered."
My parents have told me about this famous and much loved evening:
People tore down the black-out curtains, lit candles in their windows, ran out into the streets and hugged and kissed total strangers and danced and ran about in the streets, celebrating the long-awaited freedom after five long, dark years of german oppression and terror rule.
The german troops just wanted to go home, and the danes just wanted to get rid of them, and so the long walk back home to Germany began for the german troops.
The danish people who didn't side with the germans danced in the streets, sang and gathered to celebrate the freedom, and to this day it is tradition to light a couple of candles in our windows on the evening of may 4th to celebrate our freedom, give thanks to those who fought for us and liberated us, and remember those - danes and allies alike - who gave all: their lives.
Tomorrow, a formation of RAF planes will fly over a cemetary in Jutland to commemorate their fallen comrades who were shot down over Jutland, they are now buried at a local cemetary, their graves being tended to and looked after by the locals.
So - even after all these years, this evening is still very special for many danes, especially for the older ones whose parents or other family members experienced the war and the liberation.
And tonight, I made myself some coffee with Richs - that's a famous danish brand of wartime replacement coffee that were used instead of real coffee, which were impossible to get here during the war.
I've listened to the danish reporters' BBC broadcast with the message that the german armed forces had surrendered, and I've pondered and reflected upon freedom and democracy, which - in my eyes - must never be taken for granted.
And I'll say a prayer later for those men and women who has fought and who fight for our freedom and for democracy all over the world - the alternative to freedom is too nasty, and I'm sure that a few prayers won't hurt.
I just wanted to share this particular evening with you guys, there you are.
