Tag: Hiroshima

Tony Delahoy: Things Remembered

INDIA … AND THE WAR IS OVER

IT was from Osnabruck that I was posted back to the Woolwich barracks in the UK. I was given four weeks leave and then sent out to India to take part in the war against Japan that was still going on.

The troopship to India was the P & O Edinburgh Castle, and the route was from Southampton past Gibraltar, through the Mediterranean to Port Said, then on through the Suez Canal, the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean to Bombay.

Sleeping arrangements on board was in hammocks hooked to the ceiling and packed like sardines head to toe; beneath the hammocks were the mess tables. The hammocks were rolled up in the morning and stacked away and the area then became the mess deck during the day,

The weather improved daily as we moved further east. It was fascinating to see the coat of North Africa so close, and the many islands of the Mediterranean – also the many flying fish that kept up with the speed of the ship, just in front of the ship’s bow; a really lovely sight.

The further east we travelled the warmer it got, very much so at night time below deck. To aid the airflow there were some scuttle-like ventilators that were pushed into the portholes to scoop fresh air; there were also some small swivel-type air vents in the ceiling. It was quite funny to see hands and arms constantly reaching out to turn the ventilator in their direction!

We finally reached Port Said at the head of the Suez Canal to restock the ship with stores and water. It was here I first saw and tasted water melon; very refreshing in the heat.

The journey through the canal was very interesting. It is quite narrow. The Egyptian side was cultivated and the other bank just desert. To regulate shipping there are wide lagoons to allow ships to pass. I remember one at Port Suez, there were others with beautiful blue sea and lovely scenery. On leaving the Canal and entering the Red Sea the heat became sticky and oppressive, but it cooled off once we entered the Indian Ocean.

As our troopship reached it’s destination of Bombay we heard news that an atomic bomb had been dropped on Hiroshima in Japan by the Americans on the 6th August, and this was followed by another on Nagasaki on the 9th. We didn’t know the full implications of this new warfare but were hopeful that it would end the war.

As we approached Bombay harbour there was a huge amount of shipping that we presumed was part of the preparations for an invasion of Japan, of which we would be a part.

Our ship docked in Bombay Harbour and the troops were disembarked. We marched through the city to the railway station to be transported 150 miles to a large military transit camp at Deolali.

Soon after arriving at Deolali the news came through that Japan had surrendered. Japan also concluded a separate surrender cermony with China in Nanking on 9th September 1945. With this last formal surrender World War II came to an end.

More THINGS REMEMBERED next weekend

Remembering Hiroshima

‘We must always pray for the lost souls, always remember and always commit to peace and an end to nuclear weapons – I pray, I remember, I commit.’ – Cabinet Secretary Fiona Hyslop’s message in the Nagasaki National Peace Memorial Hall book of remembrance

atomic-bomb

Seventy years ago today, an American B29 Superfortress bomber called Enola Gay dropped the world’s first atomic bomb – with the innocent sounding name of ‘Little Boy’ -on the Japanese city of Hiroshima.

This was followed three days later by the dropping of another nuclear bomb – ‘Fat Man’ – on Nagasaki. The bombs caused devastation on an unimaginable scale: at the epicemtre, five square miles of Hiroshima simply ceased to exist, flattened. Up to 120,000 people were killed in the attacks and many more suffered horrific injuries, disabilities and long, lingering deaths through radiation sickness. The nuclear bombs brought World War Two to a swift conclusion – but their unleashing changed the world we live in forever.

Today, the world will remember those cataclysmic events.

Events planned in Edinburgh include:

Today, 12 noon:  Floating paper lanterns on the pond outside the Scottish Parliament. Organised by Edinbugh CND. Contact  edinburghCND@yahoo.com

This evening, 6-7 pm: Vigil at the Mound/Princes Street. Organised by Edinbugh CND. Contact  edinburghCND@yahoo.com

This evening, 6 pm: Launch of WMD Awareness Project exhibition, “Nuclear weapons in Popular Culture” Gayfield venue, Gayfield Square, with Bill Kidd MSP.

Saturday 8 August,  1-5pm: Support for an international Hiroshima-Nagasaki fast with singing from 1-2 pm.

nagasaki-bombing

The Scottish Government today reaffirmed its stance against nuclear weapons.

The Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Europe and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop made the comments as the first of 22 events across Scotland to mark the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by atomic bombs begins today following her visit to Japan last month.

During her visit, The Cabinet Secretary visited the Nagasaki Peace Park, Atomic Bomb Museum and the Nagasaki National Peace Memorial Hall, to pay respect to the tens of thousands who died in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

At midday, Ms Hyslop will join others to scatter flower petals on the pond outside of the Scottish Parliament to mark the commemorations.

Ms Hyslop said: “Just over a month ago, I stood at the hypocentre of the explosion in Nagasaki. Even standing beside the physical scars, it is impossible to imagine the destructive power of a nuclear bomb. The shadows of men, women and even children marked the city, memories of ordinary innocent lives burnt into rock. Why anyone would consider this to be an appropriate response today is equally hard to imagine.

“My thoughts today are with the generations of Japanese people who have had to come to terms with the horrific effects of nuclear weapons. I admire greatly the compassion they have shown in moving forward. My visit to Nagasaki left me profoundly saddened and in no doubt about the horror of nuclear weapons.

“Scotland stands with Japan on the issue of nuclear disarmament. We oppose the continuation and the proposed renewal of the UK’s Trident nuclear weapon system, and the Scottish Government is firmly committed to worldwide disarmament. We strongly believe that the way forward is to create the conditions for peace through dialogue as well as action.

“The successor Trident system is estimated to cost a staggering £100 billion over its lifetime – money that could be far better spent on initiatives to support our people and our economy. As a nation, Scotland opposes nuclear weapons. Both the Scottish Parliament and the overwhelming majority of Scottish MPs are opposed to its replacement, it’s time the UK Government listened to what the people are saying.”

While in Nagasaki, Ms Hyslop spoke about Scotland’s stance on nuclear weapons to Susumu Satomi, Deputy Governor of Nagasaki Prefecture and Mr Taue Tomihisa, Mayor of Nagasaki. The Scottish Government has a shared vision with the national and regional governments’ of Japan for a world free of nuclear weapons.

The Scottish Government has made repeated calls for the UK Government to reconsider renewing the trident nuclear weapon system and is strongly opposed to the possession of nuclear weapon by any nation or nuclear weapons being stored in Scotland.