The Mayor, Cllr Lucy McGirr Photo: Folkestone Town Council –
Eighty years ago, on August 15, 1945, Japanese Emperor Hirohito announced Japan’s unconditional surrender to the Allies. This came after five days of negotiation deadlock, broken only when the Emperor personally intervened. The surrender, which marked the end of World War II, is known as VJ Day, or Victory over Japan Day.
The war’s swift end was driven by several factors, including the United States dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the Soviet Union’s declaration of war on Japan. The atomic bombings caused unprecedented death and destruction, with an estimated 200,000 casualties. Meanwhile, Japanese forces had been largely defeated across the Pacific and in Burma. With Japan’s merchant fleet destroyed and its finances depleted, the country was nearing collapse. The atomic bombs served as the final catalyst for surrender.
The Burma Campaign, which took place from December 1941 to September 1945, saw over 90,000 British casualties, with 30,000 killed and 37,500 taken as prisoners of war. After the surrender, it took months to locate tens of thousands of Allied POWs, who had been subjected to horrific conditions and forced labour.
While celebrations erupted globally on the announcement of the war’s end, many also mourned the immense loss of life. VJ Day is commemorated on different dates worldwide: September 2nd in the United States, September 3rd in China, and August 15th in Japan, where a solemn ceremony honours military and civilian casualties.
80th Anniversary held in Folkestone Photo: Folkestone Town Council
In Folkestone, the 80th Anniversary was marked with a Service held in the Garden of Remembrance, led by the Mayor’s Chaplain, Reverend Chris Johnson. The Service was attended by dignitaries including the Deputy Lieutenant – Mrs Tracey Luke MBE DL, Chair of Folkestone & Hythe District Council – Cllr Anita Jones, representative from 1RGR, representatives from local organisations such as Royal British Legion branches, the Royal Artillery Association and Royal Naval Association. Also present were members of
Folkestone Lions and Rotary Clubs, Folkestone Nepalese Community, Kent Police and Fire, the Shorncliffe Trust and the Friends of the Royal British Legion Community Choir.
Standard Bearers Photo: Folkestone Town Council
The Mayor, Cllr Lucy McGirr, gave a speech during the service thanking attendees for attending and Chris Shaw of the Shorncliffe Trust who read a poem written by Stanley Robinson, a 98 year old Veteran from Folkestone. The Shorncliffe Trust had also very kindly brought three symbolic lanterns: “Tommy” (Army), “Jack” (Royal Navy) and “Roger” (Royal Airforce) to the service. The lanterns had previously attended D-Day 80 in Normandy, the WW1 centenary and were even flown lit to Canada in 2019 to mark the repatriation of the “spirit” of the 50,000 soldiers whose bodies lay in Europe. They have supported groups at the Menin Gate and events around the world.
The service in Folkestone combined solemn remembrance with a shared recognition of peace hard-won, paying tribute to the sacrifices of those who served and the enduring importance of keeping their memory alive.