WE'RE approaching the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.

On May 8 1945 the war in Europe ended.

With this anniversary in mind, we're asking for your memories of the end of the war.

This photo shows an extraordinary scene at Westminster Abbey which reveals just how close the Allies came to losing the war.

Researcher John Williams said: "When the entire British Army became trapped at Dunkirk, in sheer desperation, King George 6th called for a National Day of Prayer to be held on 26th May 1940.

"In a national broadcast he instructed the people of the UK to turn back to God in a spirit of repentance and plead for divine help.

"Millions of people across the British Isles flocked into churches pleading for deliverance.

"This photograph shows the extraordinary scene outside Westminster Abbey as people queued for prayer."

Two events immediately followed - a violent storm rising over the Dunkirk region grounding the Luftwaffe which had been killing thousands of soldiers on the beaches and a calm descent on the English Channel, the like of which had not been seen for a generation, which allowed hundreds of tiny boats to sail across and rescue 335,000 soldiers.

Mr Williams said: "The Channel became like a mill pond. From then on people referred to what happened as “the Miracle of Dunkirk."

"Sunday June 9 was officially appointed as a Day of National Thanksgiving.

"Had it not been for that violent storm and Channel calm, at that precise moment, the entire British Army would have been destroyed and the War lost."

Send your memories to John Williams at Rockmount House,33,Glencregagh Road,

Belfast, BT8 6FZ and also to Looking Back - Dorset Echo, Fleet House, Hampshire Road, Weymouth, Dorset, DT4 9XD or email joanna.davis@dorsetecho.co.uk