Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip lead tributes to those who fought to defeat Japan.
LONDON — The U. K. marked the 75th anniversary of the defeat of Japan in World War II on Saturday, with Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, leading tributes to those who fought during the six-year campaign. In a special message on Victory over Japan Day, the queen and Philip offered their “grateful thanks” to those involved in a campaign that has been widely overlooked in the decades since. The war cost the lives of some 50,000 British and Commonwealth troops, nearly half of whom perished in brutal prison camps. “Those of us who remember the conclusion of the Far East campaign, whether on active service overseas, or waiting for news at home, will never forget the jubilant scenes and overwhelming sense of relief,” said the 94-year-old queen, who remains in quarantine at her residence in Windsor Castle because of the coronavirus pandemic. “Amongst the joy at the end of the conflict, we also remembered, as we do today, the terrible devastation that it brought, and the cost borne by so many,” she added. Following the surrender of the Nazis on May 8, 1945, which is called Victory in Europe Day, Allied troops carried on fighting the Japanese until an armistice was declared on Aug.15,1945, after the U. S. dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Japan formally surrendered on Sept.2,1945, but many Pacific War veterans felt their efforts were not fully recognized in the fog of the mushroom clouds.
