THE end of the Second World War fighting in Europe was quietly commemorated early last Saturday morning.

Petersfield vicar Rev Will Hughes, Petersfield British Legion members, Petersfield mayor and councillors attended a short service at the War Memorial in the High Street.

The fighting officially ended on May 8, 1945; at the time the day was named VE Day (Victory in Europe), and the title remains.

VE Day celebrates the formal acceptance of Germany’s unconditional surrender of its armed forces.

The surrender ended six years of fighting in Europe from 1939 to 1945.

But VE Day didn’t mark the end of the war.

Fighting in the Pacific against the Japanese continued until they surrendered on August 15, 1945, known as Victory over Japan (VJ) Day.

During the global conflict 384,000 British servicemen were killed in combat.

A total of 70,000 civilians also died, largely because of the German bombing raids during the Blitz.

In the seven-month period between September 1940 and May 1941, a total of 40,000 civilians died, almost half of them in London.