May 8, 1945: "It's all over... Germany has surrendered ... the war's over" and peace gradually prevailed

George Tremblay

World events were moving quickly in April and early May 1945 as there were growing signs that the end of World War II would come soon, according to George Tremblay in his book 'Break at Nine'.

He writes that on May 8, 1945, the day the war in Europe ended, started like any other for students at Chapleau High School. The end of the school year was approaching and exam preparation was underway as well as the annual inspection of 1181 Chapleau High School which had been founded in 1924. Mr. Tremblay noted it was the day that the boys would be fitted for their uniforms. 

They were into the  process when John McClellan, the school principal, burst into the fitting room and announced, "It's all over.. Germany has surrendered.. the war's over".

Surprisingly Mr. Tremblay noted there was no great reaction from the boys. "We listened and after a few minutes of quiet chatter we continued with the job at hand which was  to try to get the possible fit from the selection of newly arrived modern cadet uniforms. Up to that day we had been wearing archaic World War I uniforms with tight tunics and high military collars with badges, big leather belts, flappy breeches finished off with puttees around our legs."

John McClellan

He added that finally on the last day of the war they were getting new cadet uniforms.

Gradually as the momentous news sunk in the uniform selection process was sped up .  He wrote that all the boys ran to the windows of the old Chapleau High School on Pine Street when they heard a "commotion" coming from the grounds and "stared in astonishment at the sight of the school girls doing an impromptu snake dance below. "

CHS

Someone yelled "Let's go', and "That was it. We made dash for the doors to join the girls as they weaved around the school in their snake dance." All classes were cancelled for the day,

In the community, the end of the war also marked. My aunt Marion (Morris) Kennedy, shortly before she died wrote me a letter sharing her story about  the end of the war. Aunt Marion wrote that after the news was received townsfolk started to go to St. John's Anglican Church, Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church and Trinity United Church although no services had been planned. It was simply the reaction to the end of the war from people who had been affected by it since 1939.

Mr. Tremblay  was working part-time as a projectionist at the Regent Theatre owned by Cecil Smith and prepared an addition to the evening movie. It had been prepared in anticipation of the end of the war.

Regent Theatre

He wrote that after he went home following the last show he reflected on the day's events. The war was not completely over as Japan had not yet surrendered .. "we felt peace would soon prevail everywhere and we could start to look forward towards the future with some hope and confidence. A great burden of uncertainty was being removed. 

He also noted that in the following weeks, there started to appear shocking news about concentration camps and prisoner of war camps. Over the next few weeks Mr. Tremblay finished his school year and prepared to attend cadet camp at Niagara on the Lake,

He commented on the Atomic bombs that were dropped on Japan in August which resulted in its surrender. He and others did not comprehend the tremendous power of the new technology .

In due course Mr. Tremblay filed his application for his final apprenticeship exam so that he could qualify as a projectionist and start earning a salary. 

I h ave provided a summary of the chapter "War's End" from his book Break at Nine which is a wonderful look at the movie industry. Lest we forget the effect of World War II in Chapleau. His brother Neil, a projectionist at the Regent Theatre came home safely after serving in our armed forces but another projectionist was not so fortunate. Chapleau boy Jack Rose was killed in action in Italy shortly before the end of the war His aircraft was brought down by ground fire.   It was the ordeal of total war for most in the community.My email is mj.morris@live.ca