South Ayrshire Remembers - VJ Day 80
Friday 15 August 2025 marks the 80th Anniversary of Victory over Japan Day (VJ Day), which signalled the end of the Second World War as Japan surrendered to the Allied Forces.
Whilst fighting in Europe had ended on 8 May 1945, thousands of members of the Armed Forces were still engaged in conflict in the Far East and the Pacific. Soldiers experienced brutal conditions as military units were spread across a vast area, with countries including Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Burma and Singapore. Approximately 365,000 British soldiers and 1.5 million Commonwealth military operatives were deployed in the Far East and the Pacific, with the pre-partition Indian Army consisting of approximately 2.5 million volunteers also playing a significant role in the combat.
Despite this, upon returning home from the war, many of the men and women involved in the conflict were not greeted with the same jubilation as those who fought in Europe. Unfortunately, as the conflict in the Far East and Pacific was not on Britain's doorstep, it took significant lengths of time to receive correspondence and information in the newspapers was irregular, therefore daily life largely resumed after VE Day. This resulted in troops being regarded as 'The Forgotten Army'.
South Ayrshire Council Provost, Iain Campbell, said: "It is incredibly important that we commemorate the 80th Anniversary of VJ Day in the same respect as VE Day. Whilst VE Day signalled the end of the conflict in Europe, VJ Day marked the end of the Second World War. All those who bravely fought in the Far East and Asia also faced horrendous conditions in order to protect our country and our freedoms. That should never be forgotten.
"On VJ Day, we reflect upon the sacrifices made and the heroic efforts of all those involved who will forever remain in our thoughts."
