On 8 May 1945, Stroud celebrated VE Day with jazz bands and dancing in the streets. But it would be a while before family members were demobbed, and some would never return home. This display remembers those from Stroud District who served in World War Two, from soldiers to spies, ATS girls to intrepid airmen.

From acts of service to acts of friendship, we reveal gifts from German prisoners of war to new-found English friends, as well as objects which tell the story of Stroud’s solidarity with fellow Europeans across the water.

Foyer

FREE, donations welcome

Stroud’s War continues in the Collectors’ Room with The Civil Defence of Area Eight - the story of Stroud on the Home Front (29 April - 31 August).