Welcome to the Virtual VJ Day commemoration to mark the 75th anniversary.
VE and VJ day
Whilst VE Day (Victory in Europe) marked the end of the war in Europe in May 1945, many thousands of Armed Forces personnel were still engaged in bitter fighting in the Far East. Victory over Japan would come at a heavy price, and Victory over Japan Day (VJ Day) marks the day Japan surrendered on the 15 August 1945, which in effect ended the Second World War.
Fighting in the Asia-Pacific took place from Hawaii to North East India. Britain and the Commonwealth’s principle fighting force, the Fourteenth Army, was one of the most diverse in history – more than 40 languages were spoken, and all the world’s major religions represented.
Get sharing!
Send your #VJDay75WN pictures by email to storiesoflynn@alivewestnorfolk.co.uk
Or tagging in Stories of Lynn on social media and include #VJDay75WN
Messages from the Mayor
The Mayor of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk, Cllr Geoff Hipperson, has a message for the VJ Day commemorations.
Salute the ‘Forgotten Army’
Paul Edwards shares his advice to give the perfect salute ahead of the ‘Salute to the forgotten army’ that takes place on VJ Day. Please share your salutes through our social media channels and include #VJDay75WN
Get involved
Learn more about the history of VJ Day:
- Royal British Legion’s Teaching Remembrance covers a range of Remembrance topics, with resources designed for Key Stages 2-4.
- BBC Resources for Key Stage 2: VE Day and VJ Day.
- UK Parliament during WWII – its role, the decisions made and the laws passed for primary and secondary pupils.
Other ways to get involved:
The Imperial War Museums will be sharing new digital public artwork from Es Devlin and Machiko Weston called “I Saw The World End” which will explore the dropping of the atomic bombs and aftermath of the Second World War. The IWM’s programme also includes Voices of War – audio compilations from IWM’s rich sound archive which will invite audiences to question what the end of the war to people around the world.
There are many online resources to learn more about the second World War and discover your local and family histories: