Christopher Portway flew home to England in a converted Lancaster bomber similar to the one pictured above, surrounded by newly-freed POWs, The picture below shows a group of delighted British soldiers just released from incarceration. They are displaying a number of trophies seized from their former guards. Released prisoners ran a gamut of emotions from guilt at being made captive in the first place, to deep depression, to unbridled joy. For some, their liberation heralded a time when they would meet their families and friends for the first time in nearly six years.

It was not unusual that some fathers would be seeing sons or daughters for the first time ever, their offspring having been conceived before they marched off to war and born when 'Dad' was overseas or already a captive of the enemy. The first garden party to be held at Buckingham Palace since pre-war days took place on 24 May, when the King and Queen were hosts to nearly 2000 former prisoners-of-war, men who had served with the army, navy and air force. The small picture (above) shows the King chatting to some RAF officers with Princess Elizabeth on the right.