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Soldiers stationed in Europe during the Second World War also had their own way of marking the coming of VE Day.

Fred Petrie fought his way across occupied France and into Germany, and was one of the men who helped cross the Rhine. His expectation was that – on VE Day – they would be sent to Berlin to do a victory march.

Uniforms were scrubbed, boots were shined, hair was brushed – yet the march through the German capital never came. Instead, they were sent to a German poison gas factory – grim, you might think, but it had showers and the ability for the troops to clean themselves after a long hard slog across the continent.

Image: Fred Petrie