AT midnight, as August 14 turned into August 15 in 1945, the new British Prime Minister Clement Attlee made a dramatic announcement that Japan had, at last, surrendered.

“The last of our enemies is laid low,” he said, signalling the start of two days of public holidays and celebrations.

The Northern Echo: Prime Minister Clement Attlee's announcement at midnight on the morning of August 15, 1945, sparked the VJ Day celebrationsPrime Minister Clement Attlee's announcement at midnight on the morning of August 15, 1945, sparked the VJ Day celebrations

The North-East immediately threw itself into early morning celebrations, although after an initial rush of enthusiasm, they were not as boisterous or as long lasting as those that had accompanied the news that Germany had surrendered three months earlier.

This was partly because there was no beer. In Bishop Auckland, Barnard Castle and Darlington, most pubs displayed the dispiriting sign saying “no beer” – wartime shortages had not eased enough for beer to have become plentiful.

The Northern Echo: A Northern Despatch VJ Day cartoon, showing the boffin behind the nuclear bombs turning his planet-sized brain to an even more pressing problem: the shortage of beerA Northern Despatch VJ Day cartoon, showing the boffin behind the nuclear bombs turning his planet-sized brain to an even more pressing problem: the shortage of beer

It was also because the war in the Far East was the “forgotten war”. Japan had made great advances in 1942, capturing Burma, Malaya and Singapore and tens of thousands of British soldiers, who it had put to work in appalling, tropical conditions, most notoriously building the Burma to Thailand railway.

With the Americans, the British had slowly regained lost ground, retaking Burma in late 1944, but once Victoria in Europe had been declared on May 6, the public back home had begun to move on. A general election had even been held, kicking the war hero Winston Churchill out of Downing Street and installing Labour’s Clement Attlee with a radical agenda of rebuilding a peacetime economy with nationalised industries and a National Health Service.

The fighting in the Far East had been expected to drag on for another year, but the explosive intervention of the two nuclear bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, finally weakened Japanese resolve, and that midnight, Attlee was able to announce the final surrender.

In most towns and villages, there were immediate and hasty celebrations – and noise.

The Northern Echo: A classic wartime singalong. About 200 members of the Tees Valley Boys Brigade were at camp at Croft-on-Tees when the announcement came through, and the Echo photographer got several pictures of them celebratingA classic wartime singalong. About 200 members of the Tees Valley Boys Brigade were at camp at Croft-on-Tees when the announcement came through, and the Echo photographer got several pictures of them celebrating

“More than half the town’s population rushed straight out into the streets and ‘hit it up’,” said the Darlington & Stockton Times of the scenes in Stockton. “Within a few minutes, bonfires were burning in streets all over the town, people who had gone to bed hastily threw a coat over their night attire and came out in hundreds, Rockets and fireworks went off in profusion, and when ships in the river joined in with their sirens, even the soundest sleeper must have been awakened to the fact that war had at last ceased.”

“In the Crook district,” said The Northern Echo, “fun and entertainment were provided by the Bevin boys from the miners’ hostel. Within a few minutes of the PM’s announcement, the boys held a dance in the market place and provided their own music.

“At Roddymoor, soon after the announcement was made, the din of crakes, rattles and bells brought numerous people form their beds and entertainment lasted throughout the night.”

At Thornaby, said the Echo, airmen armed with a bugle and some bin lids formed a raucous procession, which was soon joined by hundreds of people, and headed off towards Stockton.

“Scores of bonfires were kept burning furiously with a variety of fuel, household furniture, clothes props, young trees and torn off doors from coal bunkers and back yards all being consigned to the flames,” said the Echo.

In West Hartlepool, the “father” of the town council, 76-year-old Tom Allen, who ran a beer off-licence, distributed free ale and cigarettes. “The crowd took full advantage of his generosity, as was indicated by the “no beer” sign displayed in his shop later.

“The noise of the celebrations, accompanied by the hooting of ships’ buzzers and the V sign whistling of trains, awoke people who had retired earlier and missed the news. Many got up and joined in the fun, clad only in pyjamas with coats about them.”

In North Shields, Mary Glass, 11, was out with her mother on the Fish Quay, when a moored vessel fired a gun in celebration. The blastwave knocked poor Mary to the ground, fractured her skull and she died the following morning.

Perhaps because of the volume of these early celebrations – Barnard Castle, said the D&S with a little dismay, didn’t fall silent until gone 2am – the main part of VJ Day was curiously muted.

The Northern Echo: Dancing in Darlington Market Place on VJ Day on August 15, 1945Dancing in Darlington Market Place on VJ Day on August 15, 1945

“The first reaction of Darlington housewives to the sudden announcement of the VJ holiday was to seize their shopping bags bright and early and make a beeline for the food shops,” said the Echo’s evening sister paper, the Northern Despatch. “Thus it was that a large proportion of the crowd parading the streets during the morning were concerned with the serious business of laying in supplies before giving themselves over to the full enjoyment of the holiday.

“Fishmongers, bakers, butchers and grocers – all had their queues.”

The Northern Echo: Building the Darlington VJ Day bonfire where slums had been cleared opposite St Cuthbert's ChurchBuilding the Darlington VJ Day bonfire where slums had been cleared opposite St Cuthbert's Church

Even the fathers of the house were involved in this shopping, said the Despatch. “Some men must have found it very thirsty work, this queuing business, and some time before the public houses were due to open at 11.30, Darlington saw an innovation – beer queues formed up outside several places.”

This shopping phenomenon was reported in many towns. “The news of the total surrender was a little late last night for celebrations, but the prepared bonfires were lit, fireworks exploded, and the inevitable singing and dancing took place,” said the Despatch of Bishop Auckland.

“However, within two hours of the news, the streets were empty and the harassed housewives were up early this morning making a quick tour of the shops. Bread was shortage number one. Evidently many bakers had remained closed and the few open could not supply the demand. Tobacconists’ shops were besieged and green grocers had a particularly hectic time.

“The shortage, which has become more noticeable in the shops since the defeat of Germany, is likely to have a serious handicap on the prospects of celebrations, because, the conspicuous “no beer” signs in the majority of the town’s public house hold little promise for the night.”

The Northern Echo: Building a VJ Day bonfire on Cockerton GreenBuilding a VJ Day bonfire on Cockerton Green

In Richmond, said the D&S Times, “scenes of intense enthusiasm were witnessed” as hundreds of people joined in a civic procession from the town hall to the castle, accompanied by a Green Howards band, for a service. The rector, “Rev Stuart Macpherson said it was day on which they could rejoice, it was a great and glorious victory and one which had come unexpectedly and so soon after the defeat of Germany”.

In the afternoon, those who didn’t venture by bus to Darlington, enjoyed a comic football match at the grammar school, which ”caused much amusement”, and after an evening service in the parish church, “an enormous crowd witnessed a fireworks display in the castle grounds at night.

“The beacon, two miles above Richmond, was lighted at 10pm by Ald Miss Roper, who was accompanied by the Town Clerk.” The beacon may even still have been warm from its ignition on VE Day.

The Northern Echo: One of the VJ Day cartoons in the Northern Despatch. This one shows the reality of the situation. Britain and her allies might have defeated first Germany and now Japan, but would giant problems overwhelm the fragile peace?One of the VJ Day cartoons in the Northern Despatch. This one shows the reality of the situation. Britain and her allies might have defeated first Germany and now Japan, but would giant problems overwhelm the fragile peace?

In Barnard Castle, it was “a curious day”. Flags flew, military bands marched around, a loudspeaker van toured the streets, and a small roundabout and an ice cream stall set up in the market place.

“’No beer’ cards appeared in the windows of Barnard Castle’s numerous hostelries,” said the D&S Times. “Some opened for an hour or so in the evening, but after 9pm, one met quite a number of worthy citizens wearing that slightly dazed expression common to those whose legitimate demands have been frustrated.”

The lack of beer mellowed the mood. Of Darlington, the D&S Times said: “The local public houses, having been closed during the day owing to short supplies, the crowd was less boisterous than on VE Day, when damage estimated at £200 was caused to the market place. Everyone was in good humour and celebrations continued without undue incident until midnight.”

At 7pm, the 10th Hussars band, recently returned from Germany, led the dancing, although the market place was so congested it was difficult for dancers to be too expressive.

At 8pm, all sirens and hooters in the town sounded the all clear, and church bells rang. This was the signal for thousands of people – 8,000 according to the papers – to gather on a derelict area where the slums of Bridge Street had been cleared at the foot of Parkgate. Here, a monster bonfire had been building for days, and the mayor, Councillor James Blumer, ignited it at 9pm.

“It lasted for about three hours, during which time rockets and Verey lights were fired from a house on the south side of Bridge Street, most of them falling into the Skerne or St Cuthbert’s churchyard,” said the D&S.

“One effect of the Verey lights was the revealing of the architectural beauty of Darlington’s ancient parish church, the stateliness and nobility of the pile being given striking emphasis in a dramatic manner. The reflection of the fireworks in the Skerne, too, accentuated the colourfulness of the scene, giving it an almost Venetian appearance.”

A final reason for a lack of gusto in the celebrations 75 years ago was that the “no beer” signs were a very obvious manifestation of the difficulties that had dawned since VE Day had been welcomed. On the day after VJ Day, the Despatch’s local cartoonist drew a frightening picture: “Peace”, a beautiful but fragile young girl is tentatively looking at her book but she is in the shadow of a threatening, burly figure labelled “Giant Problems”.