WATCH: A photograph of two British women celebrating the end of the Second World War gives a sense of the joy felt when the Allies accepted the surrender of the Nazis in 1945. One of the women, 89-year-old Joyce Digney, knew the photo existed but was unaware the British Imperial War Museum has been looking for her and her friend — both of whom had moved to Vancouver decades ago. Robin Gill reports.
It was one of the most euphoric, jubilant moments in human history and two young women from the U.K. were right in the middle of it.
The identity of the women, photographed in the fountain in London’s Trafalgar Square on Victory in Europe Day (VE Day), was unknown until recently.
Britain’s Imperial War Museum put out an appeal on Twitter to try and identify the young ladies. It had the answer within 24 hours and the answer led straight to Maple Ridge, B.C.
Joyce Digney, now 89 years old, was only 18 when she and her friend, Cynthia Covello, were snapped in the fountain alongside two sailors. Covello passed away a few years ago, but Digney remembers that day vividly.
“The impression I got was euphoria,” she said. “Thousands of people all so happy that it was over. No more bombing. No more losing your friends and family in Europe, in the war. Everyone was smiling and laughing. My friend and I joined a great big conga line in Trafalgar Square.”
Extended Video: Joyce Digney shares story of iconic WWII photo
The two friends had been to St. Paul’s Cathedral that day to give thanks for being alive and to say a prayer for their brothers who were killed in the war.
Then they came out, looked at each other and said “OK, let’s go and have fun,” said Digney. “And fun we had.”
Despite a caption on the original photo that identified the two young men as Digney’s and Covello’s boyfriends, Digney said they only hung around each other for about 10 minutes.
“They weren’t our boyfriends,” she said. “That picture’s been shown a lot, but they’ve never come forward so I imagine they passed away.”
After the sailors left, Digney said a couple of soldiers came along and they had to get rid of those too.
“We wanted to get rid of them, she and I were just having fun paddling around,” she said. “All the people sitting around just goading us on.”
A photo showing Digney dunking a soldier in the fountain was her shaking him after he dunked her under water. “I was saying, how am I going to go home like this?” she laughed.
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Digney said she and Covello didn’t even know the photo existed until it appeared in an article in the Daily Mail in the 90s – long after both had emigrated to Canada. But even though she wrote to them to say it was her and her friend, she never received a reply.
Now the mystery is solved.
Digney just wishes Covello was already around to experience the recent developments.
Digney said she hopes the photo continues to remind people of that time period and the impact the war had on everyone. But she looks back on her life with gratitude and love.
“My life has been very good to me,” she said. “I had a good marriage. I had three sons that never let me down. I never got into any serious trouble. They all went to university. Our business was very successful.”
Seven decades later, she’s still amazed anyone is interested in this photo.
“It’s the only word I can come out with,” she said. “I’m amazed after 70 years that there is such an interest in this picture and VE Day.”
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