VJ Day – 75th Anniversary

There will be a two-minute silence at 11am to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of VJ Day.

Kiss the War Goodbye

VJ Day, August 15th 1945, when the Japanese , in the form the Emperor, announced to the world that" they have surrendered ".

A day when much celebrations took place – and that iconic photo of the American sailor kissing the girl in Times Square , New York.

A day that meant something to me and my brother as our mother told us that Daddy would be coming home !

So strange to think of it for me at the age of 8 and Billy at 6 . We had no memory of our father at all, for he had gone off to war in 1939 and had spent all the years since then in India and Burma facing the Japanese army . A total stranger to us as he arrived, a regimental sergeant major, wearing the hat of the Chindits, in Atherton – Lovers Lane , and came round the corner from the trolley bus. He said "are you Billy or Ralph .? " I think Billy was first to greet up him.

What a change in our little world from then on.

I also include images of the letter from King George VI to all children and a listing of the war dates that affected us all . Kindly lent by our village Muse, Jessie .

Hard to think of those days of bombs, ration books, olive oil as a medicine, concentrated orange juice, castor oil, powdered egg, no toys.

Hard to remember in this world of ours today .

But today we can recall VJ Day .