‘We are forever grateful’: Prince William addresses Britain in tribute honouring veterans on VJ Day
‘We are forever grateful’: Prince William addresses Britain in TV tribute honouring veterans on VJ Day 75 years after his great grandfather King George VI gave a speech marking the end of the Second World War
- The Duke of Cambridge described how King George VI’s announcement on August 15, 1945, marked the end of ‘the most catastrophic conflict in mankind’s history’
- Thousands watched George VI and the Queen drive down The Mall in an open carriage, as they celebrated the end of the war following Imperial Japan ‘s surrender
- William recited the words of the Kohima Epitaph, carved on the memorial of the 2nd British Division in India, which reads ‘When you go home, tell them of us and say. For your tomorrow, we gave our today’
By Ross Ibbetson For Mailonline
Published: 15:45 EDT, 15 August 2020 | Updated: 05:00 EDT, 16 August 2020
Prince William tonight addressed the nation to honour veterans on VJ Day, 75 years after his great grandfather gave a speech on the end of the Second World War.
The Duke of Cambridge described how King George VI’s announcement on August 15, 1945, marked the end of ‘the most catastrophic conflict in mankind’s history.’
Thousands watched George VI and the Queen drive down The Mall in an open carriage, as they celebrated the end of the war following Imperial Japan‘s surrender.
Speaking on BBC One, William said: ‘As he marked the moment the world had long prayed for, King George expressed his pride in the international effort from across the Commonwealth and allied nations which secured success in the Asia-Pacific region.
‘We are forever grateful to all those who fought alongside us.
‘It is hard for us to imagine what Victory over Japan Day must have felt like at the time; a mix of happiness, jubilation, and sheer relief, together with a deep sadness and overwhelming sense of loss for those who would never return home.
‘Today we remember those who endured terrible suffering and honour all those who lost their lives.’
Prince William speaking in a pre-recorded televised speech which aired on BBC One on Saturday night as part of a special programme to commemorate the 75th anniversary of VJ Day
From left to right, Princess Elizabeth, Queen Elizabeth, King George VI, and Princess Margaret Rose wave from the balcony of Buckingham Palace August 15, 1945 on VJ Day in London, England
The Prince of Wales lays a wreath during the national service of remembrance marking the 75th anniversary of VJ Day at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire
The Duke showed his gratitude to the wartime generation, which includes his grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh, who fought in the Far East and was aboard HMS Whelp in Tokyo Bay as the Japanese signed the surrender on the USS Missouri.
‘He remembers vividly his role in collecting released prisoners of war, a sign, as sure as any to him, that the war was finally over,’ William said.
He recited the words of the Kohima Epitaph, carved on the memorial of the 2nd British Division in the cemetery of Kohima, northeast India, which reads ‘When you go home, tell them of us and say.
‘For your tomorrow, we gave our today.’
He continued: ‘As we look back, we must not forget our responsibility to learn the lessons of the past and ensure that the horrors of the Second World War are never repeated.
‘We owe that to our veterans, to their families, and to the generations who will come after us.
‘As we mark the 75th anniversary of Victory over Japan Day, to each and every one of you who contributed to the effort, I say, thank you, our country owes you a debt of gratitude.
‘Your bravery, and the sacrifices you made, will never be forgotten.’
The address was recorded earlier in the month at The Guards Memorial, opposite Horse Guards Parade, in London.
The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows performing a fly-past over the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland, to mark the 75th anniversary of VJ (Victory over Japan) Day
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Charles, Prince of Wales attend a national service of remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas
Prime Minister Boris Johnson (2nd L) shares a joke with veteran Bill Redston after a national service of remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas
The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) perform a flypast at the VJ Day 75 Commemorations over the National Memorial Arboretum to mark the 75th Anniversary of VJ Day on August 15, 2020 in Alrewas, Staffordshire
Earlier on Saturday, a televised remembrance service took place at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire, where a two-minute silence was led by the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall at 11am.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson read the Exhortation before the silence, which was followed by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight flypast over the arboretum.
About 40 veterans attended the ceremony of remembrance, sharing their stories with one another and with Charles and Camilla.
Edward Woodward, 97, who served in Burma, India and Malaya with the Royal Corps of Signals, caused mirth after asking the royal couple to guess what was the most sought-after item in their air-dropped rations.
‘Toilet paper,’ he told them.
After meeting the couple, the former electrician from Kings Norton, Birmingham, said: ‘That had them laughing.’
Charles and Camilla laid poppy posies and wreaths at the Kwai Railway Memorial, while veterans looked on from benches dotted around the memorial, to maintain social distancing.
In a speech dedicated to the hundreds of thousands of Allied and Commonwealth personnel who fought and died in the campaign, Charles said: ‘All too often those who served in the Far East have been labelled The Forgotten Army, in a forgotten war.
‘We salute all those who remain among us and offer our most heartfelt and undying gratitude to all those that have gone before.
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales attends the VJ Day National Remembrance event, held at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire
The Prince of Wales meets Sikh veteran Darbara Singh Bullar and his family with a traditional greeting at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, Britain
The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall speak with the Prime Minister at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire, on Saturday
‘Your service and your sacrifice will echo through the ages.’
The Covid-19 pandemic has meant tributes to mark the landmark anniversary have been organised online and on television, including a video published online of the Prince of Wales reading an extract from the diary of his grandfather, King George VI, written on August 15 1945.
He reads: ‘By 10am there were already large crowds outside Buckingham Palace and we drove in procession in a state landau with an escort to Westminster where I opened the first peacetime Parliament since 1938.
‘The crown was carried in the full procession but no robes were worn. My speech took 16 minutes to read, in which I mentioned the surrender of Japan.’
In a separate video, the Duke of Gloucester reads an extract from the speech delivered by King George VI on VJ Day, which formed part of an online service of commemoration from Leicester Cathedral.
In a special message, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh – who himself was aboard HMS Whelp in Tokyo Bay as the Japanese signed the surrender aboard USS Missouri on August 15, 1945 – gave ‘grateful thanks’ to all those who fought for the Allied nations.
Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson (left) elbow bumps a veteran after a national service of remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, central England today, to mark the 75th anniversary of VJ (Victory over Japan) Day.
In a statement, the Queen said: ‘Prince Philip and I join many around the world in sending our grateful thanks to the men and women from across the Commonwealth, and Allied nations, who fought so valiantly to secure the freedoms we cherish today.’
The Duke of Edinburgh, 99, featured alongside other veterans on a number of large screens across the UK, including the Piccadilly Curve, in a photo-montage showing veterans today and when they served.
The RAF’s Red Arrows had planned a UK-wide tour with flypasts over the four nation’s capital cities throughout Saturday.
However, the flypasts over London, Edinburgh and Cardiff were cancelled due to poor weather, the Ministry of Defence said.
The Red Arrows flew over Glasgow Prestwick Airport, where the aircraft landed to greet three Second World War veterans, and the scheduled flight over Belfast city centre took place at 2pm.
Small poignant ceremonies took place across London to begin the day, including 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.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace was joined by military chiefs as he laid a wreath at the Cenotaph, Whitehall, London.
In a letter addressed to the veterans of the Far East Campaign, Mr Johnson showed his gratitude to the 50,000 British and Commonwealth service personnel who laid down their lives in the war against Japan, half of whom died in prison camps.
Presenter: The commemorative programme was hosted by Joanna Lumley, who led viewers who a host of tributes from former servicemen and celebrities
Emotional: Tributes: Moments before wowing audiences with a collection of Vera’s wartime classics, including iconic track We’ll Meet Again, Sheridan was seen wiping away tears as she listened to tributes from war veterans
The BBC’s special commemorative programme tonight was filmed at Horse Guards Parade in central London
Wow: Nicola Roberts, 34, showcased her powerful vocals on the night, as she sang The Captive’s Hymn
He writes: ‘You were the last to come home but your achievements are written in the lights of the glittering capitals of the dynamic region we see today.’
He joined nine other global figures including US president Donald Trump, Nigeria’s president Muhammadu Buhari and Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau in a video message thanking those who served.
In the Friendship of Nations video released ahead of commemorations, each leader said in turn: ‘To all who served, we thank you.’
In a video message, Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer said: ‘On behalf of the Labour Party I want to pay tribute to the wartime generation, who through the horrors of conflict showed us the spirit and determination that we need to always remember and always be grateful for.
‘It’s important that as we face the challenges of today, we take inspiration from that generation.
‘Through their community spirit and their bravery and their determination for a better world they’ve shown us what we can achieve when we pull together.’
King George VI’s VJ Day speech, 15 August 1945
Three months have passed since I asked you to join with me in an act of thanksgiving for the defeat of Germany. We then rejoiced that peace had returned to Europe, but we knew that a strong and relentless enemy still remained to be conquered in Asia. None could then tell how long or how heavy would prove the struggle that still awaited us. Japan has surrendered, so let us join in thanking Almighty God that war has ended throughout the world, and that in every country men may now turn their industry, skill, and science to repairing its frightful devastation and to building prosperity and happiness.
Our sense of deliverance is overpowering, and with it all, we have a right to feel that we have done our duty. I ask you again at this solemn hour to remember all who have laid down their lives, and all who have endured the loss of those they love. Remember, too, the sufferings of those who fell into the hands of the enemy, whether as prisoners of war or because of their homes had been overrun. They have been in our thoughts all through these dark years, and let us pray that one result of the defeat of Japan may be many happy reunions of those who have been long separated from each other.
The campaigns in the Far East will be famous in history for many reasons. There is one feature of them which is a special source of pride to me, and also to you, the citizens of our British Commonwealth and Empire to whom I speak. In those campaigns there have fought, side by side with our allies, representatives of almost every unit in our great community – men from the Old Country, men from the Dominions, from India, and the Colonies. They fought in brotherhood; through their courage and endurance they conquered. To all of them and to the women who shared with them the hardships and dangers of war I send my proud and grateful thanks.
The war is over. You know, I think, that those four words have for the Queen and myself the same significance, simple yet immense, that they have for you. Our hearts are full to overflowing, as are your own. Yet there is not one of us who has experienced this terrible war who does not realise that we shall feel its inevitable consequences long after we have all forgotten our rejoicings of today.
But that relief from past dangers must not blind us to the demands of the future. The British people here at home have added lustre to the true fame of our Islands, and we stand today with our whole Empire in the forefront of the victorious United Nations. Great, therefore, is our responsibility to make sure by the actions of every man and every woman here and throughout the Empire and Commonwealth that the peace gained amid measureless trials and suffering shall not be cast away.
In many anxious times in our long history the unconquerable spirit of our peoples has served us well, bringing us to safety out of great peril. Yet I doubt if anything in all that has gone before has matched the enduring courage and the quiet determination which you have shown during these last six years. It is of this unconquerable spirit that I would speak to you tonight. For great as are the deeds that you have done, there must be no falling off from this high endeavour. We have spent freely of all that we had: now we shall have to work hard to restore what has been lost, and to establish peace on the unshakable foundations, not alone of material strength, but also of moral authority. Then, indeed, the curse of war may be lifted from the world, and States and peoples, great and small, may dwell together through long periods of tranquillity in brighter and better days than we ourselves have known.
The world has come to look for certain things, for certain qualities from the peoples of the Commonwealth and Empire. We have our part to play in restoring the shattered fabric of civilization. It is a proud and difficult part, and if you carry on in the years to come as you have done so splendidly in the war, you and your children can look forward to the future, not with fear, but with high hopes of a surer happiness for all. It is to this great task that I call you now, and I know that I shall not call in vain. In the meantime, from the bottom of my heart I thank my Peoples for all they have done, not only for themselves but for mankind.
