The 1945 General Election: How Britain’s war heroes cast their votes
Two months after VE Day, Britain was back at the polls once again to decide who was going to lead the country into a new era of peace. In an outcome that shocked the world, the victorious wartime leader, Conservative Winston Churchill, was defeated by a new Labour government led by Clement Atlee.
As the polls were opened so close to the end of the war, many British troops were still stationed across the globe – so temporary polling stations were erected for the soldiers to get their chance to vote.
Below is a selection of images showing the army polling stations around war-torn Europe and North Africa as the soldiers cast their votes.
The election was also in full swing back home as voters flocked to their local polling station to decide the political fate of the nation.