Wigan war hero's memories of VE Day

Cyril Braithwaite was 18 years old when he joined the Royal Ulster Rifles in the 6th airborne division as a glider-borne trooper and spent three years and nine months in the army.

Despite its name, the 6th Airborne Division was actually only the second airborne division formed by the British Army during the war.

The primary role of glider-borne troops was to land by glider, supporting parachute brigades and carrying heavy equipment to reinforce the airborne assault in various theatres of war.

Speaking ahead of today’s (May 8) 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, the now 99-year-old from Whelley recalled what is was like to serve in the war and the relief he felt when the conflict was over.

Cyril said: “I went in as a boy and I came out as a man and I became a two-stripe corporal.

"The first hit I experienced was the Rhine crossing.

"The first time I ever went into action was really frightening, I was only 18: same as many other war lads.

"It was an experience I wouldn’t like to go through again.

"Being in the airborne we were right at the front of everything.

"We ended up at a place called Wismar on the Baltic Sea in Northern Germany and we had to get there before the Russian army got there.

"The day peace was declared we met the Russian troops that day and we were hugging. We couldn’t speak Russian and they couldn’t speak English.

"The only thing we could say to them was Joe Stalin, who was the president of Russia then, ‘Joe Stalin good.’

"It was wonderful that day, although you could see the German civilians leaving with no homes to go to which was very sad.”

May 8 marks the date in 1945 when Germany surrendered to the Allies, ending almost six years of conflict in Europe.

This week, events are taking place across Wigan to remember the historic moment, eight decades on.

A special military-themed event will be held in Mesnes Park on Saturday, May 10 and residents have also been encouraged to hold their own community events

On the celebrations that took place that day, widower and great-grandfather Cyril added: “We were a bit limited over in Germany but we were living in a farmhouse.

"We had a bonfire and there were a few bottles of spirits, we had a really good night.

"One of the lads was singing Maggie May and five Russian soldiers came and joined us.

"They brought us back to England a few days later and we were originally training for Japan to fight in that part of the war.

“While they were getting the ship loaded up that’s when the two nuclear bombs were dropped on Japan.

"So instead of going there we ended up in Palestine for two and a half years and then to Austria for 12 months.

"I celebrated my 21st birthday abroad in the army and I was ‘demobbed’ when I was 22.”