A two minute silence will be held this morning (Saturday 15 August) at 11am to remember and thank all those from the many nations who fought for the freedoms that we enjoy today.
Union Flags will fly at full-mast on UK Government buildings and the UK will observe a two-minute silence on Saturday 15 August to mark the 75th anniversary of the day Japan surrendered that brought the Second World War to an end after six years of fighting.
- World leaders come together in a poignant video message giving thanks to all those who served
- The Red Arrows will conduct flypasts over Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff and will conclude their UK tour over London’s Royal Hospital Chelsea
- Images of veterans will be projected on video screens across the nation
- UK will fall silent at 11am and Union flags will fly at full mast
As the nation falls silent to remember the end of the Second World War, world leaders will give thanks to all those who served as part of a poignant video message commissioned by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
The Friendship of Nations will see world leaders including the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, Malawian President, Lazarus Chakwera, Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, and US President, Donald Trump thanking veterans.
As well as world leaders, members of the Royal Family and the Prime Minister will pay tribute at a series of events to mark the anniversary. His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales will lead a national moment of remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. As part of the UK’s commemoration event, the Prime Minister will read the Exhortation ahead of a national two minute silence.
His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge will feature in a special programme broadcast on BBC One, and pay tribute to all those who sacrificed so much during the Second World War.
His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh will feature, alongside other veterans, on a number of large screens across the UK including the Piccadilly Curve and National Rail stations in a photomontage showing veterans during their time in service and as they are now.
In the first such flight since the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games, The Red Arrows will conduct a specially designed UK wide flypast tribute over Edinburgh, Belfast, Cardiff and London with its path including The Royal Hospital Chelsea, home to three Burma Star recipients.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “On this 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, we pay tribute to the heroes deployed thousands of miles away in the mountains, islands and rainforests of Asia.
“Unable to celebrate the victory in Europe, and among the last to return home, today we recognise the bravery and ingenuity of those who, in the face of adversity, restored peace and prosperity to the world.
“Their immeasurable sacrifice changed the course of history and at today’s commemorations, we take the opportunity to say what should be said every day – thank you.”
Secretary of State for Scotland Alister Jack said: “Today marks the 75th anniversary of VJ day, and our thoughts are with all those who made such huge sacrifices to secure our country’s freedom. Finally, the war was really over.
“But the war in Japan was brutal, and many of those who returned were never able to speak about their experiences. The courage of those who fought and endured, so we are able to live freely, must never be forgotten.
Today, we remember them, we honour them, and we thank them.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: “Today we remember all those who served in the Second World War as we mark the 75th anniversary of the peace they secured.
“We must not forget the millions of men, women and children who were drawn into this terrible conflict. I want to call on everyone, wherever you are, to join us in giving thanks to the veterans who came home with the burdens of war on their shoulders, and to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
“Our commemorations today are with our nation’s deepest gratitude for the freedoms they won us.”
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “VJ Day is sometimes seen as the forgotten victory, but this year, on its 75th anniversary, our celebrations are rightly focused on paying special tribute to the Greatest Generation and their service and sacrifice in the Far East.
“These commemorations have been specially designed to include our veterans and pay tribute to the wartime generation as much as possible despite these challenging times.
“The number of veterans still able to share these moments with us may become fewer each year, but our gratitude to them remains undiminished.
“As the Second World War recedes from living memory, our responsibility to educate future generations about the conflict is more important than ever. Today, I will be thinking of the unique hardships faced by those who served, and thanking them for all they did for us.”
Plans for the day include:
- The day will begin with a piper playing “Battle’s Over” at the Imperial War Museum’s HMS Belfast in London at sunrise as part of a tribute entitled ‘Waking Up to Peace’.
- Military pipers will also be playing at dawn in India, Australia, New Zealand and Nepal.
- The national service of remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire attended by veterans, descendants, the Prime Minister and Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall.
- At 10:15 AM, the Friendship of Nations will be broadcast on BBC One and online featuring 10 world leaders paying tribute to all who served, including the UK Prime Minister.
- His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, accompanied by Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall, and the Prime Minister will lead a national moment of silence from the National Memorial Arboretum. The ceremony will involve Armed Forces musicians and a flypast by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
- His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh will appear in a photo montage series alongside other Second World War veterans. Each veteran is pictured with an image of themselves from their time in service in a touching tribute broadcast on large screens across the country marking the 75th anniversary of the end of the war.
- The Red Arrows will conduct flypasts over Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff and will conclude their tour of the UK over London.
- VJ Day 75: The Nation’s Tribute will be broadcast on BBC One between 2030 – 2200 with a tribute from His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge.
VJ Day 75: The Nation’s Tribute will be broadcast on BBC One between 2030 and 2200 on Saturday 15 August.
Filmed at Horse Guards Parade, alongside veteran testimony His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge will give an address which pays tribute to the veterans and the wartime generation, as the Nation honours, thanks and remembers all those who sacrificed so much during the Second World War.
The pre-recorded programme, developed with the Ministry of Defence and involving members of Armed Forces personnel, will highlight the scope and diversity of the British military in 1945. It will include a host of famous faces reading tributes, military bands and dramatic visual projection.
The timings of the Red Arrows are as follows:Edinburgh: 1130
Belfast: 1400
Cardiff: 1445
London: 1730
Visit ve-vjday75.gov.uk to find out more about our plans to commemorate VJ Day and how you can get involved safely from home.
VJ DAY 75: GET INVOLVED
There are many ways you can get involved with VJ Day, either outdoors while following social distancing guidance, or online.
Here’s a selection of some of things you can do and ways you can find out more:
Discover your WW2 history
You can use these online resources to discover your local and family Second World War histories and connections:
To help commemorate VJ Day, Ancestry is opening selected worldwide records and sharing expert advice to help you research the untold stories of the war. Discover more about your family’s history.
Share your WW2 history
Do you have a Second World War or VJ Day connection? Share it with us at ve-vjday75@dcms.gov.uk
On social media
Share your Second World War stories, family histories and messages of remembrance on social media. Use #VJDay75 to join the conversation now.
Find your local memorial
You can use these resources to find out more about memorials near you:
- IWM’s War Memorials Register allows you to search almost 90,000 UK war memorials and the names of more than 1.2 million people. To search for your local war memorials type in the name of your village, town or city and click search. You can narrow down the results by using filters which include, location, war commemorated and memorial type.
- Commonwealth War Graves lists more than 170,000 UK war graves across 13,000 different locations, searchable on its website, so you can find out more about war graves near you. Alternatively, you can download the War Graves App and use its “What’s near me” function to find sites near you.
If you find out more about your family’s history or your local community’s contribution and would like to share what you’ve learned, use #VJDay75 or email us at ve-vjday75@dcms.gov.uk
VJ Day in your home
- Use our dedicated toolkit for resources and branding for your activity, including social media graphics, posters to print and personalise and fun worksheets for the kids to colour in.
- Submit a couple of sentences, and a photo if you have one, to remember a loved one who fought during the world wars – or just to give thanks for everyone who fought for their country. These will be displayed on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s digital Wall of Remembrance.
- The Royal British Legion is asking you to share a story or message of thanks to those who served in the Far East on its interactive map. Explore the RBL’s website showcasing the broad contribution of the Commonwealth.
- The National Army Museum, the Royal Air Force Museum, the National Museum of the Royal Navy and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission have teamed up for a full programme of content for you to enjoy from your own home, including online talks, events and virtual tours.
- Contribute to Historic England’s digital project ‘VE to VJ Day: 75 Places that Witnessed the War”. From ordinary places that sheltered the Blitz-weary, to well-known sites of military might, the collection will feature stories of listed places that harbour wartime histories. The final collection will be revealed on VJ Day.
Other ways to get involved
- Join the Premier League Academies in marking VJDay 75 by sending paper cranes to Big Ideas, where they will be assembled into a paper wreath to be laid at the Children’s Peace Monument in the Hiroshima Memorial Peace Park.
- IWM will be sharing new digital public artwork from Es Devlin and Machiko Weston called “I Saw The World End” which will explore the dropping of the atomic bombs and aftermath of the Second World War. The IWM’s programme also includes Voices of War – audio compilations from IWM’s rich sound archive which will invite audiences to question what the end of the war to people around the world.
Learn more about the history of VJ Day
- Download the National Memorial Arboretum and the Royal British Legion’s Children’s Activity Pack including fact sheets, word searches and drawings to colour in.
- The Royal British Legion’s Teaching Remembrance covers a range of Remembrance topics, with resources designed for Key Stages 2-4.
- BBC Resources for KS2: VE Day and VJ Day
- UK Parliament during WWII – its role, the decisions made and the laws passed for primary and secondary pupils.