VJ Day - Victory over Japan - Royal Marines in SE Asia & the Pacific

On August 6 and 9, 1945, the Allies dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively. On August 9, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan. The Japanese government on August 10 communicated its intention to surrender under the terms of the Potsdam Declaration.

Imperial Japan surrendered on the 15th August 1945, the formal surrender occurred aboard the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on 2nd September 1945.

Many Royal Marines served in the South-East Asian theatre of War on capital ships, in the air and on the ground in various roles and units.

• Loss of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Renown

• Battle for Singapore

• Battle of Hong Kong

• Force Viper in Burma

• Hell Ships Lisbon Maru & Hofuku Maru

• Myebon Peninsula

• Kangaw and Hill 170

• Special jungle operations

• Air operations in the Pacific

• Landing craft operations in the Pacific

• Liberation of Hongkong, Singapore and Rangoon

Royal Marines who were captured suffered terribly at the hands of the Japanese, some were transported on Hell Ships, many POW’s would never return.

More articles of interest from the SE Asia/ Pacific Theater of War;

1. The Battle for Hong Kong and the Lisbon Maru Massacre - Royal Marines Roll of Honour

2. Plymouth Argyll Royal Marines - Fall of Singapore

3. Force Viper - Burma

4. Jim Wren Royal Marines at 100 (HMS Repulse & POW)

5. A Brief History of 44 Royal Marine Commando at The Battle of Hill 170

6. RM Fighter Ace - Battle of Britain Pilot - Ronald Cuthbert Hay

7. Maurice Pink, Dunkirk, Hunt for the Bismark, Sinking of Repulse, Escape from Singapore and Anzio

8. Major Reginald Ingleton Executed by Beheading - 7 July 1945 - Operation Rimau

9. Rescue of Australian Nurses

10. DayForce - Bougainville Campaign

11. Hell Ship - Lisbon Maru

12. Re-occupation of Hong Kong