Dozens were given the names Victor or Winston
VE Day babies are celebrating turning 80 as Greater Manchester and the nation marks the milestone anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
Dozens of babies were born on May 8, 1945, across Greater Manchester – with many of them being given names synonymous with the day itself. They included Victor – a nod to victory – and even Winston, after wartime Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill.
They were known at the time as ‘victory babies’.
Stephen Victor Swannell was born at Withington Hospital on the day the war finally ended. His mother, Elsie, was ‘peeved’ that she missed the celebrations, but delighted to become a mum, joked Mr Swannell’s son, Mark.
Mr Swannell attended Alma Park junior school before attending Ladybarn school. The father-of-two became an accountant and met his wife, Susan, whilst he was gaining his qualifications at night school.
The family lived in Levenshulme then Heaton Mersey in Stockport, before moving to Bolton.
Mr Swannell, a lifelong Manchester City fan, joined Crown Paints in Darwen before further accounting jobs took him to Stretford, south Manchester and Chelmsford. The couple still live in Egerton, Bolton.
“A proud Mancunian, with his VE Day-inspired middle name, he celebrates his 80th birthday as one of Manchester’s very own VE Day babies,” said son Mark, who lives in Canada.
Mr Swannell said: “The only joke in the family was that my mum could not take part in the VE Day celebrations, but that was obviously all said in jest. I also remember that my dad was back from the war at the time.
“We are having a family meal on Sunday to celebrate it all.”
May Barton was also born on May 8, 1945 – blissfully unaware of the country celebrating around her.
It’s believed she was being delivered at about the same time as Churchill was addressing the nation to announce the war was over, making her one of the first babies born on VE Day in Greater Manchester.
Her mother told her that a rejoicing midwife put her in red, white and blue clothing – and a neighbour took her to a local bonfire that night wrapped up in a Union Jack flag. Her middle name is Victoria and she, too, was turning 80 on Thursday.
Mother-of-three and grandmother-of-five Mrs Barton is a retired nurse who lives in Chadderton, Oldham. She was born at home on Middlesex Road in Blackley.
Speaking to the M.E.N. 10 years ago, she said: “My parents always said that I was being born as Churchill was speaking. I vividly remember the story about the neighbour and the bonfire as well. All the neighbours used to say that that’s what happened as I was growing up.”
Her daughter, Lisa Barber, 52, told the M.E.N.: “I live in Kent and will be travelling up to celebrate with her. She has decorated all the house and she is having a big party on Saturday.
“We’ll be wearing Union dresses and military clothing and it should be great.
“Any royal occasion she loves and revels in being a VE Day baby. We believe she was one of the first to have been born in Greater Manchester on VE Day – that’s what we’ve always been told. She’s our queen.”
In 2015 – on the 70th anniversary of VE Day – the M.E.N. reported on the only set of twins to be born in Greater Manchester on VE Day. Victor and Winston Hodgkinson were born 10 minutes apart on May 8, 1945 at St Mary’s hospital, weighing 4lb and 2lbs 4oz.
The newborn pair were even pictured on the front page of the Manchester Evening News in the days that followed VE Day.
