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The war ended in Europe on May 8^th 1945 (VE Day) after Germany surrendered unconditionally.
All hostilities of war ended on August 15^th 1945 (VJ Day) after Japan surrendered unconditionally.

Here is a downloadable .pdf file which lists the main events of the war Chronology of WWII.

The evacuation of allied troops from Dunkirk took place in 1940, between May 26^th June 3^rd. British, French and Belgian troops were evacuated from the French coast, because they had been surrounded by advancing German troops.

The Battle of Britain was a large-scale attack on Great Britain by Nazi Germany's Luftwaffe. It has been described as the first major military campaign fought entirely by air forces. It is recorded as having lasted from August 8^th to October 31^st 1940, although there were heavy bombing raids on Coventry, Manchester, Liverpool, Clydebank, London and Hull during 1941.

D-Day was 6th June 1944 and was part of "Operation Overlord". This was the day the allies started the final push to end the war in Europe, beginning with a massive landing of men and machinery with considerable assistance from the Americans. This map shows the names used for the Normandy beaches

Different countries joined the war at different times. The British forces were part of The Allies. The German support came from The Axis. Here is a list of those countries that aligned for either side.  Axis v. Allies

Those Commemorated on the
Anwoth & Girthon War Memorial

On the Anwoth & Girthon War Memorial there are 14 names  of soldiers who died during World War II. Click on a name below to see a brief summary of that soldier's details

Gomer Cain	Alexander Cliff McCulloch	Hamish Cochrane	Denis Cowie
James A Crosbie	Alfred Gemmell	Alfred Hay	H Patterson Holmes
Robert Kennan	William "Alex" Kerr	Andrew McCulloch	William B McGeachie
	John Sproat	Robert Wilson

 

Those named on Anwoth or Girthon Church
Memorials but not on the Town War Memorial

In each of Girthon and Anwoth Churches there was a plaque to commemorate those from the parish who died in the war. It is not immediately obvious why, but there are 3 names on these plaques that do not appear on the Gatehouse War Memorial. 

Peter Leslie McEwan Anwoth

Anthony Welsh McGuffie Anwoth

William Muir Girthon

 

Those who died but are not named on any local memorial

There are some who died, maybe away from Gatehouse, maybe after years of suffering from wartime illness or injury.

Drysdale Bennett	Ralph Elgin	Robert Hood Patterson
Ethel Salmond	James Wilson