VJ Day 80^th Anniversary

Victory over Japan Day (VJ Day) marks Japan’s surrender to the Allied forces and the end of the Second World War. This year is the 80th anniversary of that historic moment.

Across the UK, many events are taking place to commemorate the occasion. Buckingham Palace have announced that King Charles III will address the nation, while the Royal British Legion will host a National Commemorative Event at the National Memorial Arboretum. The day will see 400 Armed Forces members in attendance, a Red Arrows flypast, and live performances by military bands.

As we celebrate this milestone, we also pause to remember the lives lost. There were more than 90,000 British casualties in the conflict with Japan, and over a third of them were held as prisoners of war.

One of the most tragic episodes was the sinking of the Lisbon Maru in 1942, a Japanese freighter carrying over 1,800 prisoners of war from Hong Kong to Shanghai and Japan. Unaware that British and Commonwealth soldiers were onboard, a US Navy submarine torpedoed the ship. In the chaos, Chinese fishermen gallantly risked their own lives under open fire to rescue survivors.

Many of the 828 soldiers who lost their lives originated from Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire. Anglia Research Services Ltd played a key role in tracing the descendants of those who lost their lives, and our work was featured in the documentary film “The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru.” Our team of probate genealogists were able to locate the living relatives of the prisoners who had been on board and allowed them to attend the premiere of the documentary.

We are honoured to share that the film will be available to view from today, only in the UK and Ireland.
You can watch the film here: “The Sinking of The Lisbon Maru” Watch Online

On this 80th anniversary of VJ Day, we remember not only the victory, but the sacrifices and courage of all who served and suffered during the Second World War.