VJ Day anniversary: Queen pays tribute to 'sacrifice and bravery' of those who fought for freedom

“Amongst the joy at the end of the conflict, we also remembered, as we do today, the terrible devastation that it brought"
Queen Elizabeth II
PA
Stephanie Cockroft15 August 2020

The Queen has given thanks to those “who fought so valiantly” for today’s cherished freedoms on the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.

In a special message on VJ (Victory in Japan) Day, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh – who himself was aboard HMS Whelp in Tokyo Bay as the Japanese signed the surrender on August 15, 1945 – gave “grateful thanks” to all those who fought for the Allied nations.

In the statement, the Queen said: “Today we mark the 75th anniversary of VJ Day, which brought victory for the Allies and finally marked the end of the Second World War.

“Those of us who remember the conclusion of the Far East campaign, whether on active service overseas, or waiting for news at home, will never forget the jubilant scenes and overwhelming sense of relief.

Prince Philip was aboard HMS Whelp in Tokyo Bay as the Japanese signed the surrender
AP

“Amongst the joy at the end of the conflict, we also remembered, as we do today, the terrible devastation that it brought, and the cost borne by so many.

“Prince Philip and I join many around the world in sending our grateful thanks to the men and women from across the Commonwealth, and Allied nations, who fought so valiantly to secure the freedoms we cherish today.

“May the memory of their sacrifice and bravery remain with us always.”

Boris Johnson leads tributes to troops on VJ Day 75th anniversary

The royal family and Prime Minister Boris Johnson are leading the country in honouring those who fought in the Far East and helped to finally end the Second World War during a series of events throughout VJ Day.

The day began with a piper playing Battle’s Over at the Imperial War Museum’s HMS Belfast in London at sunrise, as part of a tribute entitled Waking Up To Peace.

Military pipers also played at dawn in India, Australia, New Zealand and Nepal.

VJ Day celebrations in London (1945) - In pictures

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Defence Secretary Ben Wallace was joined by military chiefs as he laid a wreath at the Cenotaph, Whitehall, London, on Saturday morning.

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall will lead a two-minute silence at 11am during a televised event, screened by the BBC, at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

Mr Johnson will read the Exhortation before the nation falls silent and afterwards the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight will take part in a flypast over the arboretum.

The Duke of Edinburgh, 99, who served in the Second World War as a naval officer, will feature alongside other veterans on a number of large screens across the UK, including the Piccadilly Curve, in a photo-montage showing veterans today and when they served.

When Japanese officials signed the surrender on board the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, Philip’s warship HMS Whelp was moored nearby and he has said the ceremony could be watched through binoculars.

It will be a rare appearance for the duke who retired from royal duties in 2017 and has only been seen in public a handful of times.

Defence Secretary lays wreath for VJ Day

In the evening his grandson the Duke of Cambridge will take part in VJ Day 75: The Nation’s Tribute, a pre-recorded BBC programme filmed at Horse Guards Parade where, alongside veteran testimony and a host of famous faces, the duke will honour and give thanks to all those who sacrificed so much during the Second World War.

Another aerial tribute will also be staged, with the Red Arrows roaring over the cities of Edinburgh, Belfast, Cardiff and London with the flight path to include the home of the Chelsea Pensioners, where three Burma Star recipients live in retirement.