Letter reveals how wartime codebreakers were told jobs had ended after VJ Day
The intelligence agency has published historic documents to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Japan Day, shedding light on what happened to staff who deciphered Nazi messages during the Second World War.
A first letter dated August 12 1945 was sent to staff at GCHQ's wartime headquarters, Bletchley Park, days before VJ Day was declared on August 15.
It said: 'All staff except the absolute minimum necessary to maintain essential services, will be granted two days paid holidays to mark the end of hostilities in Asia.'
According to GCHQ, extra holiday would not have been usual for staff working at the agency, then called GC&CS (Government Code and Cypher School).
The document added: 'After the VJ holidays, it is hoped that there will be no further shift working at B/P except for 'essential services'.'
GCHQ staff were bound by the Official Secrets Act and were unable to talk about their secret work they carried out during the war.
The second letter documents a template for telling staff their employment had ended.
Their managers would have filled in the correct dates and sent it to their teams.
It reads: 'Owing to the cessation of the hostilities, there is no further work for you to do in this organisation. In these circumstances there is no object in continuing to report here for duty, and with effect from ****** you are free to absent yourself.
'This letter is to be taken as formal notice of the termination of your employment in this department.'
The documents show what happened to British war efforts in the days surrounding the surrender of Imperial Japan in the Second World War.
At the once-secret site, wartime codebreakers used early forms of computer intelligence – cryptanalytical machines called bombes – to break the Enigma code used by the Nazis to encrypt messages, changing the course of the war and saving millions of lives.
Their work enabled British intelligence to move more quickly and act on the information the Bletchley team gave them, contributing to a number of key military victories.
It also sparked the industrialisation of codebreaking and helped pave the way for the first forms of the computers used today.
After the war, in 1946, GC&CS became GCHQ and moved out of Bletchley Park, developing into the intelligence and cyber agency it is today.
GCHQ director of technology futures Marsha Quallo-Wright said: 'As someone working at the forefront of new and emerging technology for GCHQ, understanding our rich history is as important to me as looking to our future.
'We have a lot to thank our predecessors for, and the dedication and innovation shown by those working at Bletchley Park, GCHQ's wartime home, never ceases to amaze me.
'These documents help us to understand what happened to that workforce after six long years when VJ Day was declared. I'm pleased that we're able to offer this insight into their world.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
a minute 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.
The Herald Scotland
14 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.'
Daily Mail
29 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
ROBERT HARDMAN: On VJ Day how can we claim 'we will remember them' when the remains of UK war heroes are still in plastic boxes in Malaysia?
As the very last of the 'Forgotten Army' gather today, it will be with the same bitter-sweet emotions which come flooding back every August 15. Now, as then, the veterans of the Far East can't help the feeling that they are something of an afterthought. They had felt it all through the war, and especially through the summer of 1945 – as they fought on for three more hellish months long after Victory in Europe and those wild VE Day parties back home. And can we really blame them? Today's commemoration of Victory in Japan – VJ Day – at the National Memorial Arboretum, attended by the King and the Prime Minister, will be a poignant occasion, of course. Yet, at the going down of the sun and in the morning, can we truly say that 'we will remember them' when it transpires that the mortal remains of several British heroes continue to languish in a plastic box in Malaysia – while the British authorities twiddle their thumbs? For proof that the war in the Far East still sits in the dimmer recesses of our collective national memory, look no further than the tragic tale of two mighty Royal Navy warships, the battle cruiser, HMS Repulse, and the battleship, HMS Prince of Wales. On December 10, 1941, less than three days after its attack on the US fleet in Pearl Harbour, Japan came after the pride of the Royal Navy's Eastern Pacific fleet off the coast of what was then Malaya. Both ships were hit by bombs and torpedoes and went down within hours of each other, taking 842 men with them. 'In all the war, I never received a more direct shock,' Winston Churchill said later. 'As I turned over and twisted in bed the full horror of the news sank in upon me... Across this vast expanse of waters, Japan was supreme.' Even for those who survived, salvation was short-lived. Most were taken ashore to the naval base in Singapore. Within weeks, the colony had fallen to Japan in one of the greatest humiliations of the war. Thousands of servicemen, along with the civilian population, were marched to a brutal captivity from which many would not emerge. After the war, passing British ships would conduct memorial services over the wrecks and, for a while, send divers down to ensure that the White Ensign of the Royal Navy was still attached to the hulls. In due course, they were designated as war graves while the bell of the Prince of Wales was recovered in 2002 and returned to Britain. However, over the years came grim reports of looting by salvage operators plundering the wreck for scrap metal. When the subject surfaced periodically in Parliament, ministers would pledge to keep an eye on things. It was only thanks to the British charity, the Maritime Archaeology Sea Trust (MAST), that the true extent of this desecration has since come to light. In 2022, it discovered that a Chinese salvage barge had spent 92 days ransacking the sites – which lie in international waters. Then, in 2023, it tracked the loot to a Malaysian breakers' yard. Police duly seized a huge quantity of stolen property, including the giant anchors of HMS Prince of Wales, and arrests were made. Veterans and the next of kin were dismayed, even more so when it emerged that the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur had told the Malaysians they could keep the stuff. No one in the Foreign Office or the Ministry of Defence, it seems, had seen it fit to consult the families. Further bad news was to follow, however. Last year, the Malaysian authorities confirmed to the team from MAST their worst suspicions: the loot not only included sailors' possessions but human remains. These were being carefully preserved by the Malaysians yet the British authorities had made no effort to reclaim them. It was now beyond doubt that the final resting places of hundreds of British war heroes have been plundered by Chinese grave-robbers and the bodies of the dead have not just been disturbed but dumped ashore while British diplomats failed to act. 'I find it utterly extraordinary. I just don't know how we can simply stand by while this goes on,' says the former First Sea Lord, Admiral Lord West. Two months ago, in the House of Lords, he asked the Government 'what steps they are taking to ensure that human remains found among the scrap of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse are given a fitting burial by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission'. The defence minister, Lord Coaker, said the Government 'is unable to provide a response regarding the presence of human remains' until 'investigations have concluded'. The MoD will only say: 'We strongly condemn any desecration of any maritime military grave. We will take appropriate action, including working with regional governments and partners to prevent inappropriate activity.' At least MAST, led by marine and military luminaries, including former Desert Rats commander Major General Patrick Cordingley, are on the case. 'It's only thanks to them we have had any idea of what's going on. We've heard nothing from the Government,' says Hannah Rickard, chair of the HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse Survivors Association. This week, MAST's chief operating officer has reported back from Malaysia where he has been shown human bones included in the official catalogue of material seized from the scrapyard. These, he says, are being treated 'with professionalism and respect' and the Malaysians are more than ready to assist the British in identifying them through DNA tests. Once that has happened, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission is ready to give these brave men a proper burial. This cannot come soon enough for the last survivor of the sinkings. This week, former Royal Marine Jim Wren, 105, received a royal visit when the Duchess of Edinburgh came to his Salisbury care home as part of the VJ Day commemorations. He still recalls the moment a bomb landed behind his mess in HMS Repulse and exploded several decks below. He rushed to man an anti-aircraft gun until the ship keeled on her side, whereupon 'it was every man for himself' and he was hauled out of the sea two hours later, vomiting oil. Returned to Singapore, he fought the Japanese on land before being taken prisoner. For the next three years, his family and his sweetheart, Margaret, thought he was dead until word came through that an emaciated Jim was on his way home in October 1945. Now the oldest Royal Marine alive, Mr Wren has had his portrait painted at the behest of the King and also featured on this week's BBC film, VJ Day: We Were There. 'I can't forget the men in that ship,' he said this week. 'Let them rest in peace.' He wants all the looted remains buried properly. For good measure, he would love to see the main anchor of the Prince of Wales returned to Britain and installed at the National Memorial Arboretum as a monument to all 842. It is, surely, not much to ask – unless the heroes of VJ Day really are the 'forgotten' ones?
