Among those who joined in the nationwide festivities were the students and staff of the College, who vividly recalled the spontaneous joy that erupted on campus when the news broke.

The historic announcement of the ending of hositilites came during Monday evening prep on May 7, 1945. As word of Germany’s surrender spread through the classrooms, a wave of cheering echoed across the school. "A cheer rang out from each form as the word spread," recalled one former cadet who was present that evening.

Years later another captured the atmosphere of the event "The band marched about a bit and the Devitt’s children came out in dressing gowns. Some of us went up to the tower to watch the Verey lights, and at the appointed hour, the ceasefire was blown. The cheers from Reading were really quite loud."

The College, like much of Britain, marked the occasion with both solemn reflection and unbridled celebration along with the granting of a two day holiday to mark VE Day itself on the 8th May — a testament to the immense relief and hope felt after years of wartime hardship.

As the nation remembers  today, the College community pauses to honour those who served and to reflect on the enduring significance of that hard-won peace.