VE Day? (1 Viewer)

[CannonFodder1971]

Today, 7th May, is the upon which Nazi Germany signed its unconditional surrender. However, most countries don't celebrate VE Day until 8th or 9th May. Is there any basis for the story that the official announcements were postponed to allow it co-indicde with President Truman's 61st birthday on 8th May 1945? Just curious.

 

[OzDigger]

The surrender documents for the German forces in the North were signed by General Kinzel, Major Friedl, Admiral von Friedburg and another German Admiral together with the British representative, Field Marshal Montgomery at Courseulles, Normandy at 19.30 hours British Summer Time on May 4, 1945.

However the other signatories for the allies, Eisenhower (in Rheims) and the Russian representative still had to sign and because the Germans delayed the procedure to allow more Germans to escape capture by the Russians, the formal surrender document was not signed at Rheims until May 7, 1945 with the surrender to take effect on the following day being May 8, 1945. Therefore the official surrender date is May 8 but most fighting stopped several days earlier.

 

[Zeneru]

Good news

 

[Louis Badolato]

Welcome to the Asylum, Zeneru.