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Victory in Europe Day Radio Recordings

For the peoples living in the victorious nations it seemed as though it should be a time of celebration, Nazi Germany had declared their unconditional surrender to the forces of the Allied Powers.

VE Day Clips

14 old time radio show recordings
(total playtime 5 hours, 32 min)
available in the following formats:

1 MP3 CD
or
6 Audio CDs


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Play a sample episode from May 08, 1945:

"On a Note of Triumph: VE Day"



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Text on OTRCAT.com ©2001-2024 OTRCAT INC All Rights Reserved. Reproduction is prohibited.

VE Newspapers

Church bells rang out on May 8, 1945, with a message for the whole world, a message of Peace. For the peoples living in the victorious nations it seemed as though it should be a time of celebration, Nazi Germany had declared their unconditional surrender to the forces of the Allied Powers. The surrender came just days after the focus of evil, Adolf Hitler, had committed suicide in his bunker hiding place as Soviet troops were bearing down on Berlin.

VE Day KissAs we move west, we see dancing in the streets of towns and villages which had been liberated by the advancing American and British forces. Not so very long ago, the peoples of Great Britain looked East across the Channel expecting to see the advance of an invasion force coming toward their "island fortress". On this day, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret wandered incognito through the crowds in Trafalgar Square who had come to see the King and Queen standing beside Winston Churchill in celebration.

Across the Atlantic, the celebratory mood was somewhat tempered. Flags would continue to fly at half-staff in mourning for Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the President who had led the nation out of the Great Depression and through most of the War but who died in Georgia on April 12. Mothers wept with joy thinking that their sons would be returning safely from Europe, then rushed to support other mothers whose sons were still deep in the fighting in the Pacific.

Victory in Europe had been considered somehow "more important" than defeating the Empire of Japan even before the attack on Pearl Harbor. This attitude made Norman Corwin's On a Note of Triumph all the more poignant. The knowledge that Japan was still to be defeated cast a somber note on Fibber McGee and Molly as announcer Harlow Wilcox opened the VE Day broadcast with a reminder that there was still a lot of work to do. Presented with humor, Fibber and Molly encapsulated the attitudes on the Home Front from the beginning of the War, and their relief at VE Day can be heard on the performance that night.

VE DayThe peace promised by VE Day would ultimately prove illusory. Although victorious, the British Empire had been effectively wrecked by the War. Continental Europe faced rebuilding after years of physical and financial ruin. Modern historians point out that the brunt of the European War had indeed been carried by the Soviet Union, and in the immediate aftermath of VE Day the defeated German Armies were in flight to escape capture by the Soviets. There were more than a few American voices which advocated remaining in Europe because a faceoff with our uneasy Soviet allies was inevitable.

On this day, however, it is more important to listen to the church bells, bells which had been expected to ring warnings of invasion so recently, now ringing in victory.

See also: Victory over Japan recordings.

Text on OTRCAT.com ©2001-2024 OTRCAT INC All Rights Reserved. Reproduction is prohibited.

These classic recordings are available in the following formats:

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  • MP3 CDs are delivered by mail. These archival quality MP3 CDs are playable in your computer and many MP3 player devices.



    14 recordings on 1 MP3 CD for just $5.00. Total playtime 5 hours, 32 min
    14 recordings on 1 MP3 CD for just $5.00
    total playtime 5 hours, 32 min
    Add MP3 CD Collection to Cart

    1. 14 shows - total playtime 5 hours 32 minutes
    2. Fibber McGee And Molly 450508 439 Housing Survey.mp3
    3. News 450507 Canada Celebrates Victory In Europe.mp3
    4. News 450508 CBS Bradley Montgomery Devers Stark Burrough.mp3
    5. News 450508 CBS Truman Churchill Eisenhower Murrow Grew.mp3
    6. News 450508 Churchill At Big Party.mp3
    7. News 450508 Churchill Germanys Unconditional Surrender.mp3
    8. News 450508 Gabriel Heatter Nazis Have Just Surrendered.mp3
    9. News 450508 Howard Marshall Shares Day with Crowds.mp3
    10. News 450508 Montgomery Remember Those Gave Lives.mp3
    11. News 450508 NBC King George VI On Victory In Europe.mp3
    12. News 450508 NBC President Truman Proclaims Victory in Europe.mp3
    13. News 450510 Victory in Europe.mp3
    14. On Note Of Triumph 450508.mp3
    15. VE Day Special 450508 Afrs Bob Hope Special Victory Program.mp3
  • MP3 downloads are available instantly after purchase!



    14 recordings on 1 MP3 Collection Download for just $5.00. Total playtime 5 hours, 32 min
    14 recordings on 1 MP3 Collection Download for just $5.00
    total playtime 5 hours, 32 min
    Add Instant Download Collection to Cart

    1. 14 shows - total playtime 5 hours 32 minutes
    2. Fibber McGee And Molly 450508 439 Housing Survey.mp3
    3. News 450507 Canada Celebrates Victory In Europe.mp3
    4. News 450508 CBS Bradley Montgomery Devers Stark Burrough.mp3
    5. News 450508 CBS Truman Churchill Eisenhower Murrow Grew.mp3
    6. News 450508 Churchill At Big Party.mp3
    7. News 450508 Churchill Germanys Unconditional Surrender.mp3
    8. News 450508 Gabriel Heatter Nazis Have Just Surrendered.mp3
    9. News 450508 Howard Marshall Shares Day with Crowds.mp3
    10. News 450508 Montgomery Remember Those Gave Lives.mp3
    11. News 450508 NBC King George VI On Victory In Europe.mp3
    12. News 450508 NBC President Truman Proclaims Victory in Europe.mp3
    13. News 450510 Victory in Europe.mp3
    14. On Note Of Triumph 450508.mp3
    15. VE Day Special 450508 Afrs Bob Hope Special Victory Program.mp3
  • Standard Audio CDs are delivered by mail on archival quality media with up to 60 minutes on each CD and play in all CD players



    14 recordings on 6 Audio CDs. Total playtime 5 hours, 32 min
    14 recordings on 6 Audio CDs
    total playtime 5 hours, 32 min

    VE Day Clips Disc A001

    1. News 450507 Canada Celebrates Victory In Europe
    2. Fibber McGee And Molly 450508 439 Housing Survey

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    VE Day Clips Disc A002

    1. News 450508 CBS Bradley Montgomery Devers Stark Burrough

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    VE Day Clips Disc A003

    1. News 450508 CBS Truman Churchill Eisenhower Murrow Grew
    2. News 450508 Churchill At Big Party
    3. News 450508 Churchill Germanys Unconditional Surrender

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    VE Day Clips Disc A004

    1. News 450508 Gabriel Heatter Nazis Have Just Surrendered
    2. News 450508 Howard Marshall Shares Day with Crowds
    3. News 450508 Montgomery Remember Those Gave Lives
    4. News 450508 NBC King George VI On Victory In Europe
    5. News 450508 NBC President Truman Proclaims Victory in Europe

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    VE Day Clips Disc A005

    1. On Note Of Triumph 450508

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    VE Day Clips Disc A006

    1. VE Day Special 450508 Afrs Bob Hope Special Victory Program
    2. News 450510 Victory in Europe

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00

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