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The Prime Minister has hailed the courage of Far East veterans for bringing an end to the Second World War.
Boris Johnson wrote to “Veterans of the Far East Campaign” on the 75th anniversary of Victory in Japan (VJ) Day.
As well as thanking them for their service, he praised them for delivering “peace and prosperity”.
After the defeat of Nazi Germany on May 8 1945, thousands of troops in East Asia fought on until Japan’s surrender, with many not returning home until 1946. August 15, 1945, marked the end of all hostilities in the six-year global conflict.
Highlighting the importance of the war’s outcome to South East Asia, Mr Johnson said: “You were the last to come home but your achievements are written in the lights of the glittering capitals of the dynamic region we see today.
“You fought for freedom, brought the Second World War to its end, and restored peace and prosperity to the world.
“All of us who were born after you have benefited from your courage in adversity. On this anniversary, and every day hereafter, you will be remembered.”
VJ Day celebrations in London (1945) – In pictures
1/28
Crowds gathered in Piccadilly Circus and Shaftesbury Avenue with St. John Ambulance crews ready for an emergency in the foreground
Daily Mail
2/28
Crowds gathered in Piccadilly Circus under peace time lighting celebrating the imminent surrender of Japan
Daily Mail
3/28
American soldiers celebrating in the streets of London after news of Japan’s peace offer
Daily Mail
4/28
A cheering crowd at Piccadilly Circus
Daily Mail
5/28
Crowds gathered at Piccadilly Circus at midnigh
Daily Mail
6/28
A crowd of people gathered around a bonfire celebrating the victory over Japan in Chinatown
Daily Mail
7/28
Soldiers celebrating victory over Japan by throwing a fellow soldier into the air in Piccadilly Circu
Daily Mail
8/28
A crowd singing and dancing in Piccadilly Circus celebrating the victory over Japan in the early hours of the morning
Daily Mail
9/28
American soldiers parade the ‘Stars and Stripes’ through Piccadilly Circus, London
PA
10/28
The Royal coach procession leaving St. Pauls Cathedral where King George, Queen Elizabeth and Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret had attended a Thanksgiving Service
Daily Mail
11/28
The Royal coach procession leaving St. Pauls Cathedral where King George, Queen Elizabeth and Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret had attended a Thanksgiving Service
Daily Mail
12/28
A London policeman is held aloft by military men from the US and New Zealand in celebration of VJ Day
AP
13/28
The view which greeted the King from Buckingham Palace on VJ Day. As far as the eye can see jubilant crowds stretch from Queen Victoria’s monument along the Mall
Getty Images
14/28
Dancing through the night at the Peabody Buildings, Hammersmith, following news of Japan’s surrender
Getty Images
15/28
A man waving from a lamppost to the crowds below in Piccadilly Circus, London, during the celebrations following the news of Japan’s surrender
Getty Images
16/28
Crowds assemble in Piccadilly Circus to celebrate the news of Japan’s surrende
Getty Images
17/28
GIs amongst the crowds in Piccadilly, London, after the announcement of the Japanese surrende
Getty Images
18/28
Crowds at Downing Street, London, cheer prime minister Clement Attlee after the surrender of Japan
Getty Images
19/28
WAAFs link arms with soldiers during the VJ Day celebrations in Piccadilly Circus
Getty Images
20/28
A London policeman joins the celebratory crowds in London’s West End, following the news of Japan’s surrender
Getty Images
21/28
Crowds at Queen Victoria’s Monument gather to catch a glimpse of the Prime Minister, Clement Attlee, who went to the Palace to see the King, during the VJ Day celebrations
Getty Images
22/28
In the excitement of the celebrations following news of Japan’s surrender, an American soldier kisses a London girl in Piccadilly Circu
Getty Images
23/28
Minutes after the news of the Japanese surrender, huge crowds gathered in Piccadilly Circus, bringing traffic to a standstil
Getty Images
24/28
A flurry of ticker tape outside British Columbia House in London, after the announcement of victory in the Far East
Getty Images
25/28
A member of the Chinese Military Mission in London, passing through Piccadilly Circus, was carried shoulder high by crowds singing ‘For He’s A Jolly Good Fellow’
Getty Images
26/28
Cheering crowds in Piccadilly during the VJ Day celebrations
Getty Images
27/28
Jubilant London womens celebrate the news of Japan’s surrender
Getty Images
28/28
Jubilant crowds gather outside Buckingham Palace, hoping to see the King, following news of Japan’s surrender at the end of World War II
Getty Images
1/28
Crowds gathered in Piccadilly Circus and Shaftesbury Avenue with St. John Ambulance crews ready for an emergency in the foreground
Daily Mail
2/28
Crowds gathered in Piccadilly Circus under peace time lighting celebrating the imminent surrender of Japan
Daily Mail
3/28
American soldiers celebrating in the streets of London after news of Japan’s peace offer
Daily Mail
4/28
A cheering crowd at Piccadilly Circus
Daily Mail
5/28
Crowds gathered at Piccadilly Circus at midnigh
Daily Mail
6/28
A crowd of people gathered around a bonfire celebrating the victory over Japan in Chinatown
Daily Mail
7/28
Soldiers celebrating victory over Japan by throwing a fellow soldier into the air in Piccadilly Circu
Daily Mail
8/28
A crowd singing and dancing in Piccadilly Circus celebrating the victory over Japan in the early hours of the morning
Daily Mail
9/28
American soldiers parade the ‘Stars and Stripes’ through Piccadilly Circus, London
PA
10/28
The Royal coach procession leaving St. Pauls Cathedral where King George, Queen Elizabeth and Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret had attended a Thanksgiving Service
Daily Mail
11/28
The Royal coach procession leaving St. Pauls Cathedral where King George, Queen Elizabeth and Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret had attended a Thanksgiving Service
Daily Mail
12/28
A London policeman is held aloft by military men from the US and New Zealand in celebration of VJ Day
AP
13/28
The view which greeted the King from Buckingham Palace on VJ Day. As far as the eye can see jubilant crowds stretch from Queen Victoria’s monument along the Mall
Getty Images
14/28
Dancing through the night at the Peabody Buildings, Hammersmith, following news of Japan’s surrender
Getty Images
15/28
A man waving from a lamppost to the crowds below in Piccadilly Circus, London, during the celebrations following the news of Japan’s surrender
Getty Images
16/28
Crowds assemble in Piccadilly Circus to celebrate the news of Japan’s surrende
Getty Images
17/28
GIs amongst the crowds in Piccadilly, London, after the announcement of the Japanese surrende
Getty Images
18/28
Crowds at Downing Street, London, cheer prime minister Clement Attlee after the surrender of Japan
Getty Images
19/28
WAAFs link arms with soldiers during the VJ Day celebrations in Piccadilly Circus
Getty Images
20/28
A London policeman joins the celebratory crowds in London’s West End, following the news of Japan’s surrender
Getty Images
21/28
Crowds at Queen Victoria’s Monument gather to catch a glimpse of the Prime Minister, Clement Attlee, who went to the Palace to see the King, during the VJ Day celebrations
Getty Images
22/28
In the excitement of the celebrations following news of Japan’s surrender, an American soldier kisses a London girl in Piccadilly Circu
Getty Images
23/28
Minutes after the news of the Japanese surrender, huge crowds gathered in Piccadilly Circus, bringing traffic to a standstil
Getty Images
24/28
A flurry of ticker tape outside British Columbia House in London, after the announcement of victory in the Far East
Getty Images
25/28
A member of the Chinese Military Mission in London, passing through Piccadilly Circus, was carried shoulder high by crowds singing ‘For He’s A Jolly Good Fellow’
Getty Images
26/28
Cheering crowds in Piccadilly during the VJ Day celebrations
Getty Images
27/28
Jubilant London womens celebrate the news of Japan’s surrender
Getty Images
28/28
Jubilant crowds gather outside Buckingham Palace, hoping to see the King, following news of Japan’s surrender at the end of World War II
Getty Images
Due to the distance from Britain, military victories in Europe, and long final journeys home, some veterans returning from the Far East felt their efforts were not fully recognised, dubbing themselves the “forgotten army”.
In acknowledgement, Mr Johnson wrote: “When at last you returned, you sometimes found that your experiences had been overshadowed in popular imagination by the conflict in Europe.
“So in offering my thanks for your service, I would like to remember what you achieved.
“Today the countries of South East Asia are prospering faster than almost anywhere else in the world.
“This transformation would never have been possible if they had stayed under the occupation of Japan, imposed through the defeat of British and Commonwealth forces in Malaysia, Singapore and Burma.”
Mr Johnson added: “These blows were so heavy that many feared they would break your will to fight on.
“But you survived the longest retreat in British history, marching almost 1,000 miles from Burma to India, and then you regrouped and reformed.”
He highlighted the creation of the “formidable” 14th Army, made up of nearly a million soldiers, including from India and Africa.
The huge fighting force helped “turn defeat into victory”, Mr Johnson said, winning battles at Imphal in India and Arakan in Burma – now Myanmar.
The Prime Minister also wrote: “At Kohima in 1944, British and Indian forces, outnumbered ten to one, halted Japan’s invasion of India and achieved one of the greatest feats of arms in military history.”
Commemorating VE Day, VJ Day, Hiroshima and Nagasaki
1/10 Prime Minister Winston Churchill addresses the crown in Whitehall, 8 May 1945
Churchill waves to crowds in Whitehall from the balcony of the Ministry of Health as he broadcasts to the nation that the war with Germany has been won.
© IWM (H 41849)
2/10 Crowds in Westminster at the moment Prime Minister Winston Churchill speaks to the nation, 8 May 1945
The crowds in Westminster as Big Ben strikes 3pm, the moment when Prime Minister Winston Churchill made his statement from Whitehall, broadcast to the nation, declaring that the war in Europe is over
© IWM (HU 92005)
3/10 The mushroom cloud produced by the dropping of the second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, 9 August 1945
An atomic bomb was dropped by United States Air Force B-29 “Bock’s Car” on 9 August 1945 on Nagasaki, three days after the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. The Japanese Supreme War Council agreed later that day to accept the Potsdam Declaration of 26 July 1945 which demanded the unconditional surrender of Japan.
© US Public Domain (IWM MH 2629)
4/10 Crowds dancing in Oxford Circus in VJ Day celebrations, 15 August 1945
Victory over Japan Day was celebrated around the world on 15 August 1945, over three months since the end of hostilities in Europe.
© US Public Domain (IWM EA 75898)
5/10 Ground crews of No.356 Squadron RAF on hearing the news of the surrender of Japan
The end of the Second World War was celebrated throughout the world. No.356 Squadron RAF, based in the Cocos Islands, celebrate in front of one of their Consolidated Liberator Mark B VIs
© IWM (CI 1557)
6/10 Celebrations in London to mark VE Day, 8 May 1945
Pictured with two British sailors in a fountain in Trafalgar Square are Joyce Digney (left) and Cynthia Covello, members of the Land Army, who travelled to London to celebrate VE Day. They were identified in 2015 following an IWM-led campaign on social media.
© US Public Domain (IWM EA 65799)
7/10 The aftermath of the atomic bomb, Japan, 1945
Three civilians, including a young child, walk down a street amid the debris and devastation caused by the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan. In the background, there are a few buildings which are still standing.
© IWM (MH 29433)
8/10 The B-29 ‘Enola Gay’ which dropped the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima and her pilot, Colonel Paul Tibbets
On 6 August 1945, the Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima Three days later, a second atomic bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki. The detonation of these weapons, the first and only time they have been used in conflict, changed people’s understanding of the potential consequences of conflict forever.
© IWM (HU 44878)
9/10 Celebrations in London to mark VE Day, 8 May 1945
A truck of revellers passing through the Strand in London following the announcement of Germany’s surrender and the end of hostilities in Europe
© IWM (HU 41808)
10/10 News of victory in Europe reaches London, 7 May 1945
Eager soldiers pulling copies of “Stars and Stripes” from the press of the London Times at 9 pm on 7 May 1945. An extra edition was put out to announce the news of Germany’s surrender. The headline reads “Germany Quits”.
© IWM (EA 65948)
1/10 Prime Minister Winston Churchill addresses the crown in Whitehall, 8 May 1945
Churchill waves to crowds in Whitehall from the balcony of the Ministry of Health as he broadcasts to the nation that the war with Germany has been won.
© IWM (H 41849)
2/10 Crowds in Westminster at the moment Prime Minister Winston Churchill speaks to the nation, 8 May 1945
The crowds in Westminster as Big Ben strikes 3pm, the moment when Prime Minister Winston Churchill made his statement from Whitehall, broadcast to the nation, declaring that the war in Europe is over
© IWM (HU 92005)
3/10 The mushroom cloud produced by the dropping of the second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, 9 August 1945
An atomic bomb was dropped by United States Air Force B-29 “Bock’s Car” on 9 August 1945 on Nagasaki, three days after the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. The Japanese Supreme War Council agreed later that day to accept the Potsdam Declaration of 26 July 1945 which demanded the unconditional surrender of Japan.
© US Public Domain (IWM MH 2629)
4/10 Crowds dancing in Oxford Circus in VJ Day celebrations, 15 August 1945
Victory over Japan Day was celebrated around the world on 15 August 1945, over three months since the end of hostilities in Europe.
© US Public Domain (IWM EA 75898)
5/10 Ground crews of No.356 Squadron RAF on hearing the news of the surrender of Japan
The end of the Second World War was celebrated throughout the world. No.356 Squadron RAF, based in the Cocos Islands, celebrate in front of one of their Consolidated Liberator Mark B VIs
© IWM (CI 1557)
6/10 Celebrations in London to mark VE Day, 8 May 1945
Pictured with two British sailors in a fountain in Trafalgar Square are Joyce Digney (left) and Cynthia Covello, members of the Land Army, who travelled to London to celebrate VE Day. They were identified in 2015 following an IWM-led campaign on social media.
© US Public Domain (IWM EA 65799)
7/10 The aftermath of the atomic bomb, Japan, 1945
Three civilians, including a young child, walk down a street amid the debris and devastation caused by the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan. In the background, there are a few buildings which are still standing.
© IWM (MH 29433)
8/10 The B-29 ‘Enola Gay’ which dropped the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima and her pilot, Colonel Paul Tibbets
On 6 August 1945, the Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima Three days later, a second atomic bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki. The detonation of these weapons, the first and only time they have been used in conflict, changed people’s understanding of the potential consequences of conflict forever.
© IWM (HU 44878)
9/10 Celebrations in London to mark VE Day, 8 May 1945
A truck of revellers passing through the Strand in London following the announcement of Germany’s surrender and the end of hostilities in Europe
© IWM (HU 41808)
10/10 News of victory in Europe reaches London, 7 May 1945
Eager soldiers pulling copies of “Stars and Stripes” from the press of the London Times at 9 pm on 7 May 1945. An extra edition was put out to announce the news of Germany’s surrender. The headline reads “Germany Quits”.
© IWM (EA 65948)
He added: “You accomplished these advances through ingenuity and daring, mastering jungle warfare, overcoming malaria and solving the supposedly intractable problem of how to fight during the monsoon.
“General William Slim, the Commander of the 14th Army, wrote that he asked his soldiers ‘for the impossible – and got it’.”
Mr Johnson concluded: “You know better than me the fearful cost: 50,000 British and Commonwealth citizens laid down their lives in the war against Japan. Of these, nearly half died in brutal prison camps.
“Yet this immeasurable sacrifice helped to change the course of history and lay the foundations of the success of South East Asia.”