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Daily Mail
16 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
How Britain went 'crazy' for VJ Day: Dancing, bonfires and kissing as the nation celebrated Japan's defeat and final end of WWII
It was the 'biggest and noisiest crowd' that London ever saw. On August 15, 1945, tens of thousands of people flooded the streets of the British capital and elsewhere to celebrate the end of the Second World War. As had been expected for days up to that joyous moment, the rulers of Japan had finally surrendered after the United States' use of the horrifying atom bomb on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These acts of mass slaughter had helped bring an end to a conflict which had left more than 380,000 British troops dead in combat. Although the bulk of those who died were killed in the fight against Nazi Germany, 30,000 lost their lives fighting in the Far East. Thousands of more would live for the rest of their lives with the trauma of the horrors they endured as prisoners of the Japanese. So, as archive pictures show, on VJ Day itself - when the surrender of Japan was formally announced - and on the days leading up to it, Britons in London and elsewhere celebrated peace joyously. The Mail said in its jubilant reporting that London had gone 'crazy'. The front-page story on August 16 went on: 'Never before has Piccadilly circus staged such scenes. 'Just after midnight bonfires were lit, which quickly blazed, and the enthusiastic crowds - as thick as ever at 1am - saw to it that the fires were never short of fuel. 'The damage this morning is considerable. Windows are broken, telephone kiosks are wrecked. 'Remnants of the crowd outside Buckingham Palace lit a bonfire in the roadway in front of the centre gate. They stoked it up with wooden park chairs. 'At 1am cars were still battling through Piccadilly, but you could not see them, for they were smothered with people on their roofs, mudguards, running-boards and bonnets.' There were said to have been 200 casualties caused by fireworks as the raucous revellers enjoyed themselves. The Red Cross had set up emergency treatment stations, and they received regular fresh cases. Among them were 'women who had fainted, men who had been knocked over and trampled on; men, women, children with burns - one boy was temporarily buried by a firework. There were said to have been 'plenty of police', but 'nobody noticed them'. Thousands of the revellers ended up sleeping on the streets because there were nowhere near enough trains, trams and buses to get them home. It was not just London that celebrated. In Dover on the Kent coast, the castle was floodlit for the first time since 1939 and a 60foot bonfire was visible in France. The King's speech was relayed by a loud speaker that had until then been used for shell warnings. In Hastings, East Sussex, more than 10,000 holiday-makers packed the sea front and danced in the streets. In Portsmouth, the Navy put on a searchlight display, and in Plymouth, fireworks were fired from ships. In Nottingham, thousands of people danced in the streets despite the rain. In Manchester, revellers - among them sailors in uniform - gathered in the city's Albert Square to celebrate. VJ Day happened to coincide with the State Opening of Parliament following the election that had swept Labour into office just weeks earlier. King George VI told the massed MPs and Lords: 'The surrender of Japan has brought to an end six years of warfare which have caused untold loss and misery to the world. 'In this hour of deliverance, it is fitting that we should give humble and solemn thanks to God by whose grace we have been brought to final victory. 'My Armed Forces from every part of my Commonwealth and Empire have fought with steady courage and endurance. 'To them as well as to all others who have borne their share in bringing about this great victory and to all our Allies our gratitude is due.' In a separate address to the British people, King George said: 'The war is over. You know, I think, that those four words have for the Queen and myself the same significance, simple yet immense, that they have for you. 'Our hearts are full to overflowing, as are your own. 'Yet there is not one of us who has experienced this terrible war who does not realise that we shall feel its inevitable consequences long after we have all forgotten our rejoicings of today.' VJ Day celebrations in London. A crowd singing and dancing in Piccadilly Circus, August 14, 1945 Soldiers throw a comrade into the air at Piccadilly Circus as they celebrate VJ Day, August 10, 1945 Crowds line the streets to watch the passing of the Royal procession after a service at St Paul's Cathedral, August 19, 1945 Workers at the Air Ministry letting loose a shower of papers from their office window after they heard news of Japan's surrender, August 10, 1945 Two soldiers lie down with their caps over their eyes, the VJ Day celebrations seemingly passing them by, August 16, 1945 Revellers crowd around a bonfire in Lower Regent Street during VJ celebrations, August 11, 1945 A cheering crowd at Piccadilly Circus on August 10, 1945, after news of Japan's imminent surrender emerged. One man has climbed the traffic lights Picture shows crowds dancing and singing in Leicester Square after the first news of an imminent Japanese surrender was heard, August 10, 1945 The Daily Mail's front page on August 16, 1945, the day after VJ Day The Mail's coverage of prime minister Clement Attlee's address to the nation Prime Minister Clement Attlee told the public in his radio address: 'Japan has today surrendered. The last of our enemies is laid low. 'Taking full advantage of surprise and treachery, the Japanese forces quickly overran the territories of ourselves and our allies in the Far East and at one time it appeared as though they might even invade the mainland of Australia and advance far into India. 'But the tide turned, first slowly then with an ever-increasing speed and violence as the mighty forces of the United States and of the British Commonwealth and Empire and of their allies and finally of Russia were brought to bear.' He finished the broadcast by telling the nation: 'When we return to work on Friday morning we must turn again with energy to the great tasks which challenge us. 'But for the moment let all who can relax and enjoy themselves in the knowledge of work well done.
Daily Mail
16 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
HORROR as Aussie plane plunges 28,000ft terrifying passengers as oxygen masks deployed
People on a routine Virgin Australia flight from Sydney to Brisbane were horrified when their plane dropped 28,000ft. The flight VA993 is understood to have experienced a loss of cabin pressure soon after takeoff at 8.30pm on Thursday. About 40 minutes into the journey, the aeroplane plunged from 37,000ft to under 10,000ft. It continued at that altitude until it landed safely in Brisbane. Footage from onboard the aircraft showed oxygen masks hanging from the overhead cabin compartments. Flight attendants could be working to calm passengers. More to come.
The Herald Scotland
30 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Veteran says horrors of war ‘should never be forgotten' on anniversary of VJ Day
Mr Lamond was involved in D-Day as a signalman on HMS Rowley, part of the 3rd Escort Group, when it was deployed to rendezvous with battleship HMS Warspite as it travelled to Normandy to shell German troops. HMS Rowley's role was to act as a first line of defence by circling HMS Warspite and it was expected that the sailors would sacrifice their lives. Mr Lamond survived and a year later, on VJ Day, his role was to evacuate Allied prisoners of war from remote islands and transport them to Australia. Mr Lamond, who was 19 at the time, described the PoWs as 'living skeletons' but said they were still able to smile when they were rescued. He had a career on the railways after leaving the Navy, and now lives in McKellar House at Erskine Veterans Village in Renfrewshire. Mr Lamond said: 'Sometimes it feels like yesterday. I can still see it so clearly – from D-Day to the long months that followed in the Pacific in the run-up to VJ Day. Those memories never leave you. 'By the time VJ Day came, I was heading towards the Philippines. We were preparing for more fighting when the news came through about the surrender. After years of horror, that was it, the war was finally over. 'I remember feeling an enormous sense of relief, but also a deep sadness for those who didn't make it home. We had seen the cost of war up close, the lives lost, the suffering endured, and I knew that for many families, the relief of peace was mixed with grief that would never fade. 'Our job wasn't over though, and orders changed. Instead of heading into battle, we were sent to evacuate Allied prisoners of war from remote islands and transport them to Australia for medical treatment. Albert Lamond in his Navy days (Erskine Veterans Charity/PA) 'I will never forget the sight of those men we brought home – they were living skeletons. The sight of them moved the entire crew. Those men had been through unimaginable suffering, but still managed the courage to smile, to shake our hands, and to thank us. It was a humbling experience that I remember clear as day. 'For me, VJ Day will always be about more than the end of the war in the Pacific, it was the final chapter in a war that had shaped my young life. 'You never forget the war, never mind VJ Day, and you never forget the people you served with. The horrors should never be forgotten.' His nephew Richard Copeland said: 'I grew up hearing these stories of danger, bravery, and moments that shaped the world. 'Albert didn't just serve in one part of the war, he saw it all, from the Arctic convoys to D-Day, and then on to the Pacific and VJ Day. To me, he's the embodiment of courage. When he would tell us all about those days, you could feel the weight of history in his voice. 'Although we were captivated, we also knew the harsh realities of what he had been through. Hearing him continue to speak about these moments keeps the war alive and not just confining them to pages of a history book. 'It's real, it's human, and it happened to someone I love. His memories shine a light on parts of the conflict people rarely hear about but should be remembered. 'Places like Erskine Veterans Charity do a wonderful job caring for veterans of all ages and conflicts, but they also carry the responsibility of making sure stories like Albert's are never lost. 'I'm so proud of him, not only for what he experienced but for also reliving the hardest moments of his life so that others can understand the true cost of war.'
