'V for Victory' spreads across Europe

20th July 1941: Churchill promotes symbol of defiance in occupied countries

The director of the Belgian French-speaking broadcasts on the BBC, Victor de Laveleye, first suggested that the Belgians should use a V as a symbol of defiance in January 1941. V stood for victoire (French: “victory”) and vrijheid (Dutch: "freedom") as a rallying emblem during World War II.

the occupier, by seeing this sign, always the same, infinitely r…