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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Victory Parades 1919


TwoBob

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Was there two Victory Parades in London in 1919?A May one for the Dominions,a July one for the BEF,RN,RAF?

What other cities,countries had Victory Parades?

Thanking you

Bob

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I don't know about May, but 19 July was designated Peace Day for the Empire - except India where it was judged to be too hot to celebrate (seriously!). Some places within the UK held their Peace Day celebrations on different dates, and a few, including the city of Exeter, didn't hold any official celebrations at all. You might know that the London Cenotaph was originally designed as a saluting point for Peace Day.

Swizz

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Peace day was a 'big deal' ... cakes and goodies, bands, sports, parade of vets, Mayoral speeches.

Some great reports to be found in old papers.

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I was very fortunate to receive a DVD copy of a movie shot in Rothesay, Isle of Bute of their Victory Parade down High Street to the Esplanade as well as some later celebrations that were filmed. I recognized some of the people from my research.

Mike Morrison

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Bob,

Does this count?

8th Royal Scots"It was at 4.30p.m. on Thursday,24th April 1919,that the cadre took farewell of Dunkirk and France,and sailed for Southampton.After three days at Gailes,the cadre was welcomed home at Haddington on 30th April 1919".

My Father saw this parade and their was only one man on the parade who had gone out with the Battalion in 1914.

I am sure these "welcome home" parades were repeated up and down the land.

George

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The two main events were Saturday 2nd March 1919 "The Guards Return" and 19th July 1919 The National Peace Celebration

8,000 troops took part in the procession for the Guards Return drawn from 3 Household Cavalry Regiments, 10 battalions of Foot Guards, demobilised Guardsmen marching in plainclothes and Guards wounded riding in lorries

street liners were provided by a Line Cavalry Regiment and 9 Battalions of Infantry of the line plus a composite unit of Canadians

The King took the salute at Buckingham Palace and the parade was by way of The Mall, Marlborough Road, Pall Mall, Trafalgar Square, The Strand, Fleet Street, Ludgate Hill, CannonStreet, King William Street, Mansion House, Poultry, Cheapside, Holborn, Broad Street, Shaftesbury Avenue, Piccadilly, Hyde Park Corner

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The July "Peace March" was even bigger 7 Naval and Marine and 17 military bands tookpart (including a composite Australian Band and a composite Royal Munster Fusiliers band) in the procession alone. Many other bands must have been on street lining duties (including 3 out of 5 of the Guards bands). I only have sketchy details of the parade. It was probably the only occasion when all 4 State Colours of the Guards have been paraded abreast of each other.

Two feeder parades, one from Albert Gate in Hyde Park and one from Vauxhall converged on Whitehall merging to finish at Hyde Park Corner for a concert by all the Guards bands and a 10,000 strong Imperial choir (no that s not a typo that is 10K).

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