Herbert (Bert) Bowden
Joined up February 1940
Discharged April 1946
Uk – 4 years 6 months
France, Belgium, Holland and Germany – 1 year 9 months
Story: Herbert Bowden’s Letter Home, 9th May 1945
The end of the Second World War in Europe is often remembered through triumphant scenes—street parties, flags waving, and Churchill’s stirring broadcasts echoing through a nation relieved by peace. But for many who served on the front lines, the end came with a quieter, more reflective tone.
One such voice is that of Herbert Bowden, a British soldier stationed in Germany on 9th May 1945, the day after VE Day. In a letter sent to his parents, Bowden captures the weary relief, the solemnity, and the weight of memory that accompanied the war’s final moments—not from a London street, but from a roadside in a still-active war zone.
His letter was later shared publicly through the BBC’s WW2 People’s War archive—a project that gathered wartime memories from veterans and civilians across the UK. Submitted with his permission by the South Gloucestershire Library Service, Bowden’s account is a deeply human and moving reflection.
“Yesterday, on the roadside, we heard Churchill’s speech over the radio in very different circumstances to people back at home. There were only about 40 of us listening yet to us it was just as impressive as it must have been back at home with all the flags and ceremony… We thought too of our pals we had left behind with just a little wooden cross to mark where they lay and we wished they were here with us now listening to these historic words.”
He speaks not with celebration, but with the quiet dignity of someone who has endured years of hardship, loss, and duty. His recollections include a haunting moment with German prisoners listening to the same news of surrender, and a profound exchange with one soldier about the moral weight of following orders.
Bowden’s words are a vital reminder that the end of war does not erase its cost. His reflections help us see VE Day not just as a moment of national pride, but also of personal reflection, remembrance, and resilience. You can read his full letter here on the BBC WW2 People’s War Archive:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/06/a4575206.shtml
