Malvern College marks 80th Anniversary of VE Day

Today marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day, commemorating the end of the Second World War in Europe on 8^th May 1945.

Across the United Kingdom, the nation paused at noon for a two-minute silence to remember the service and sacrifice of those who fought for peace and freedom. Here at Malvern College, pupils and staff joined this national act of remembrance, reflecting on the College’s own remarkable wartime history and the legacy of its fallen alumni.

The Second World War was a period of profound upheaval for Malvern College. Requisitioned twice by the government, the school was forced to relocate on both occasions. In 1939, as war broke out, the Admiralty took control of the College’s premises and Malvern temporarily moved to Blenheim Palace. On returning to Malvern in 1940, the school was again displaced at the direct order of Prime Minister Winston Churchill, to make way for the Telecommunications Research Establishment (TRE), a vital wartime government agency.

With just one week’s notice, Malvern College found a home at Harrow School in London, despite the city facing ongoing bombing raids. Meanwhile, back in Malvern, the TRE played a pivotal role in the Allied victory, developing radar technology that proved decisive in the war effort. The College grounds also hosted a contingent of American and British scientists, while a nearby listening post at Guarlford contributed to intelligence-gathering operations. Echoing the famous claim that “Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton”, it is no exaggeration to say that radar – and in some part, victory – was forged on the playing fields of Malvern.

VE Day in 1945 brought with it an outpouring of public celebration. At that time, Malvern College pupils remained based at Harrow. In his memoirs, then-Headmaster Tom Gaunt wrote of the “festivity in the Town” and praised the boys’ conduct, noting that their behaviour earned admiration from local residents. A weekend holiday was granted in honour of the historic occasion.

Old Malvernian John Burton recalled the day with fondness: “In my third term on VE Day we were allowed time off and could join the celebrations in the town. Somewhat later Winston Churchill came to attend a Harrow School function. Two friends and I positioned ourselves where we thought he might appear—and sure enough, he emerged with the Headmaster. He seemed amused to see three Malvern boys, and we were convinced he winked at us. That, of course, made our day.”

While VE Day was a time of jubilation, it was also a moment of solemn remembrance. The Second World War claimed the lives of 258 Old Malvernians. Their names are enshrined on the Roll of Honour in the College Chapel, a permanent testament to their courage and sacrifice.

A contemporary account in The Malvernian of June 1945 captured the complexity of emotions felt on that historic day:

“As the years pass and our School memories grow dim, as they inevitably must, one day will standout vividly in our minds. On the 8th of May the war in Europe came to an end and the announcement that peace had come at last produced in the School an atmosphere never to be forgotten. For days we had been waiting for this news to arrive and everybody had his plans; but somehow when it came a certain air of bewilderment hung over us, and it was with mixed emotions that we went into school as usual. With this over the whole School gathered in chapel for an immediate act of thanksgiving. In the evening a concert was held in Speech Room, and afterwards everybody went out either to watch the Harrow bonfire and fireworks or join in the rejoicings elsewhere. But it was not perhaps until the moon shone down on quiet streets and fields that we began to realise to the full the meaning of this momentous event. The war in Europe was over and men would be free to live and enjoy the blessings of peace once more. And in the quiet of the early morning we remembered those Malvernians who had dedicated their lives to the cause of freedom and peace. In a few hours a new day would dawn and with it we would begin the task of building a better world to serve as an everlasting memorial to all who died that we might live.”

Eighty years on, Malvern College continues to honour the memory of its wartime community – those who served, those who sacrificed, and those who ensured the spirit of the College endured through the most difficult of times.

Copies of the school newsletter, The Malvernian, as well as photos and books from this time, can be found in the Malvern College digital archives.