1st KOSB on VE-DAY

'Victory in Europe' day, 1945 was spent in a small town in Germany. The War Diary for 1st King's Own Scottish Borderers on the 7th and 8th of May report the following: 7th May 1945: The Bn moved to IBBENBUREN leaving DELMENHORST at 0715 and arriving at 1430. The tracked column arrived three hours later and the Bn was settled in by 1800 hrs with positions as follows:- Bn HQ 988091; "A" Coy 991095; "B" Coy 997101; "C" Coy 988088; "D" Coy 990083; "S" Coy 038072. The Bn was comfortably established in billets and settled down to cleaning up and smartening up after eleven months and two days of fighting on the Continent. In the evening it was announced that the next day would be celebrated as "Victory in Europe" day as all GERMAN armed forces in Europe had surrendered unconditionally to the Allies. 8th May 1945:

"Victory in Europe" day. A Thanksgiving Service was held in IBBENBUREN Protestant Church at 0930 conducted by the Rev W.I.G. WILSON. The rest of the day was spent quietly as a holiday.

The price paid for Victory in Europe. Photo of some of C Company, taken early in the War. The black crosses denote those who didn't come back.