A RARE home movie shows the parade through Bournemouth which marked the end of World War Two in Europe.

The film was shared by Lionel Fynn, consultant solicitor with Horsey Lightly Fynn, who inherited it from his godfather.

His godfather was William Sutton, who had served in the First World War, during which he fought at the Battle of the Somme.

In World War Two, Mr Sutton served in the Home Guard. Described by Mr Fynn was “quite a local celebrity”, he died in 1975.

VE Day locally was heralded by the Echo’s front page headline on Monday, May 7, 1945: “Hostilities in Europe Are At An End”.

Following Germany’s unconditional surrender, the government declared that Tuesday would be VE Day, set aside for celebrations, before the focus shifted to the continuing war in the Far East.

The day was marked by street parties, dancing in the streets and the switching-on of the Pavilion’s fountain after six years.

The following Sunday, a parade of armed forces servicemen and women, the Civil Defence, Home Guard and youth organisations marched through Bournemouth to a victory service in Meyrick Park.

There, the mayor, Cllr Harry Brown, declared: “Today we have had the opportunity of joining together in public to give thanks to God for the deliverance of our country from the bondage of warfare.”

Mr Sutton’s film was taken from a first floor vantage point on Westover Road, across the road from the Bureau of Information – now the Tourist Information Centre.

It shows several groups of servicemen and servicewomen march past as well as some marching bands.

Bournemouth historian John Walker recently told the Echo how the service at Meyrick Park was attended by more than 20,000. “The event was described as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, parades ever seen in the town,” he added.

Winston Churchill said in his speech that day: “God bless you all. This is your victory. It is the victory of the cause of freedom in every land.

“In all our long history we have never seen a greater day than this. Everyone, man or woman, has done their best. Everyone has tried. Neither the long years, nor the dangers, nor the fierce attacks of the enemy, have in any way weakened the independent resolve of the British nation. God bless you all.”