Harry Punter (Letters, May 8) did well to remind us that World War Two did not end until August 15, 1945 - VJ Day, the date of Japan’s surrender.
Japan had disturbed the world’s peace as much as Germany, yet the war against Japan is less remembered here.
On VE Day, few supposed that Japan would surrender when it did. The expectation was that the allies would invade Japan in the autumn, and on one estimate would incur about a million casualties. Japan’s military elite had no notion of surrender, but the emperor Hirohito stepped in and demanded that Japan did so. This saved many British, as well as Allied, lives.
These things are not well remembered in Britain, but they are in Australia and New Zealand. I suspect hose countries will celebrate VJ Day with more vigour than we do.
David Martin, Rosedale Avenue, Acomb, York
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