V-J Day. 75 Years Ago.

[PeteH]

Nice to see JIM has Noted the fact on the headline. It was the forgotten war. Especially in respect of the fact that VE day had overshadowed it.

I understand the P-M and Members of the Royal Family are Marking it at the Arboretum?.

Anyone who has never been, should go, it`s Matured nicely now, and is a quite moving place.

Several Useful C-L`s and C-s` close by too.

 

[PeteH]

Watched the BBC programme Last Night, Near reduced me to tears I don`t mind admitting. I never got, but eldest son lived for 5 years out in the Far East, He went up to the Burma Railway, Said the conditions must have been UN-imaginable, the roll of loss` is huge.

What the world owes those guys, when you remember that they even occupied huge parts of China too. Without their sacrifice the "modern" world as we know it would never have existed.

 

[bobnick]

Done that railway into Burma. Over the River Kwai bridge. Haunting museum at the bridge where the train stops for awhile to give time for a look see.
They say every sleeper laid on that railway represents a life lost.
Do youngsters of today really know the sacrifices our parents made. Doubt ti.

Not been to The Arboretum. On the must go list.

 

[PeteH]

Done that railway into Burma. Over the River Kwai bridge. Haunting museum at the bridge where the train stops for awhile to give time for a look see.
They say every sleeper laid on that railway represents a life lost.
Do youngsters of today really know the sacrifices our parents made. Doubt ti.

Not been to The Arboretum. On the must go list.

You wont regret going, but you cannot leave without feeling humble. The stand of trees that is the Merchant Navy memorial, every tree represents a Ship Lost. Each ship would have had up to 40 men and women, back in them days. Engine crews Rarely survived.

There is a CL just off the A38, we used, you can actually walk to the Arboretum from there I am told. We went in by car as SWMBO, needs her scoot.

 

[busby]

Watched the BBC programme Last Night, Near reduced me to tears I don`t mind admitting. I never got, but eldest son lived for 5 years out in the Far East, He went up to the Burma Railway, Said the conditions must have been UN-imaginable, the roll of loss` is huge.

What the world owes those guys, when you remember that they even occupied huge parts of China too. Without their sacrifice the "modern" world as we know it would never have existed.

And yet people are moaning and groaning about a bit of lockdown,quarantine etc due to Covid..Those brave people earned us the freedom we enjoy today,,BUSBY.

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[joe and sue]

You wont regret going, but you cannot leave without feeling humble. The stand of trees that is the Merchant Navy memorial, every tree represents a Ship Lost. Each ship would have had up to 40 men and women, back in them days. Engine crews Rarely survived.

There is a CL just off the A38, we used, you can actually walk to the Arboretum from there I am told. We went in by car as SWMBO, needs her scoot.

Hi Pete, on our list for this year, should have been there in May,
Can you let us have the name of the CL please.
My Father survived HellFire Pass, he was a RASC fire engine driver in Singapore and as such did not get out.
Although he returned home, he was always suffering from his injuries, but woiuld never tyalk about it, like so many others.
We owe them all a great deal, no matter what race, colour or religion. .
WE must remember what they did for us

 

[7735]

The prisoners suffered unimaginable inhumanities at the hands of the Japanese. 75 years on we should also remember that the Japanese paid an extremely high price with the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with an estimated death toll of 300,000 + mostly innocent women and children.
spongy

 

[joe and sue]

The prisoners suffered unimaginable inhumanities at the hands of the Japanese. 75 years on we should also remember that the Japanese paid an extremely high price with the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with an estimated death toll of 300,000 + mostly innocent women and children.
spongy

Unfortunately that is the price of war, remember how many innocents died in the Blitz, and the indiscriminate blanket bombing carried out by the Germans, and the British bombing of Germany, and the murder of the Jews by the Nazi's.
I lived with the aftermath of the Japanese atrocities, as my Father was one who survived HellFire Pass and came home, but he lived a tormented and shortened life because of it.
As for these Students who are claiming that their lives have been "ruined" because of lower than expected results, at least they have a second chance, while so many of those who made those sacrifices to give them their freedom, did not get that.
We must remember those who fell in 2 world wars to overcome tyranny.

 

[ChrisL]

The prisoners suffered unimaginable inhumanities at the hands of the Japanese. 75 years on we should also remember that the Japanese paid an extremely high price with the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with an estimated death toll of 300,000 + mostly innocent women and children.
spongy

I'm afraid I find it difficult to find any sympathy for the Japanese civilians, the 300,000 you mentioned seem relatively insignificant compared to the 6,000 000 civilians killed by the Japanese in the countries they invaded, not counting the abuse and deaths suffered by allied POW's. My father served in the RAF over Burma, he was lucky never to have been taken prisoner, but he was fortunate, many of his friends were not.

 

[rangi]

At Falmouth Grammar , we had a history/maths teacher, at times during the lesson, he used to make these horrible sucking squelching sounds. We used to giggle behind our hands and outside the classes we would mimic him.
It was only in later years when I read his OBIT. that I found out he'd been a POW in the Jap hands, they had split his tongue.

Realised then what utter little shits we'd been.

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[2657]

You wont regret going, but you cannot leave without feeling humble. The stand of trees that is the Merchant Navy memorial, every tree represents a Ship Lost. Each ship would have had up to 40 men and women, back in them days. Engine crews Rarely survived.

There is a CL just off the A38, we used, you can actually walk to the Arboretum from there I am told. We went in by car as SWMBO, needs her scoot.

I have visited many Commonwealth War Graves and memorials in France but never visited the Arboretum, a must for next summer when back in the UK.
I realise that many on this forum probably think of me as a guardianista, pinko,liberal lefty, which I undoubtedly am but I have immense respect for our armed forces, the two are not mutually exclusive.
My generation is extremely fortunate in that we have not been 'tested' in the way that my Father's and previous generations were, and this in no way disrespects anyone that volunteered after the end of conscription.

 

[bobnick]

On a similar theme. I honestly believe that all schools in UK and Europe should do a 1 full day field visit to Auschwitz- Birkenau at some time. Say 13 to 16 year old's.
If you have not been you should.

 

[busby]

On a similar theme. I honestly believe that all schools in UK and Europe should do a 1 full day field visit to Auschwitz- Birkenau at some time. Say 13 to 16 year old's.
If you have not been you should.

Plus Orador sur Glan,, BUSBY.

 

[PeteH]

Hi Pete, on our list for this year, should have been there in May,
Can you let us have the name of the CL please.
My Father survived HellFire Pass, he was a RASC fire engine driver in Singapore and as such did not get out.
Although he returned home, he was always suffering from his injuries, but woiuld never tyalk about it, like so many others.
We owe them all a great deal, no matter what race, colour or religion. .
WE must remember what they did for us

If it`s still There:- Mr R Brown, Willowbrook Farm, Alrewas, Burton on Trent, Staffordshire. [Tel: 01283 790217]. 6 acre level site, wc, shower, el pts, open Jan-Dec

The access can be a Bit "hairy" as it`s directly off the A38 Dual carriageway. (here:-
52.737881, -1.730116

 

[7735]

I'm afraid I find it difficult to find any sympathy for the Japanese civilians, the 300,000 you mentioned seem relatively insignificant compared to the 6,000 000 civilians killed by the Japanese in the countries they invaded, not counting the abuse and deaths suffered by allied POW's. My father served in the RAF over Burma, he was lucky never to have been taken prisoner, but he was fortunate, many of his friends were not.

I am not looking for sympathy for the Japanese civilians although they probably deserve it if only because Hiroshima and Nagasaki were not bombed by the Americans because they were “ saved” as targets for the atom bombs so that the effects of a nuclear bomb and radiation could be studied.
spongy

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[joe and sue]

If it`s still There:- Mr R Brown, Willowbrook Farm, Alrewas, Burton on Trent, Staffordshire. [Tel: 01283 790217]. 6 acre level site, wc, shower, el pts, open Jan-Dec

The access can be a Bit "hairy" as it`s directly off the A38 Dual carriageway. (here:-
52.737881, -1.730116

Thanks, will look at it, we have an 8.3 mtr tag, so could be interesting!!

 

[ChrisL]

because they were “ saved” as targets for the atom bombs so that the effects of a nuclear bomb and radiation could be studied.

I admire your compassion Spongy, although i think it's misplaced, I have reserved mine for the several hundred, thousand (estimates vary) victims of Japan's unit 731 that's the biological and chemical warfare department of the Japanese military, before and during WW2. If you are not familiar with them, you can read about their "research" here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit_731
Not forgetting of course the Korean "comfort" ladies and what they had to suffer, I have a lot of compassion for what happened to them, both during and after the war.

I personally see no point in judging the events of 75 years ago by the morals of today. Maybe if you had seen the suffering of so many millions at first hand as our parents did, you might have a different point of view, but regardless lets hope we never see things like that again.

 

[rangi]

I have visited many Commonwealth War Graves and memorials in France but never visited the Arboretum, a must for next summer when back in the UK.
I realise that many on this forum probably think of me as a guardianista, pinko,liberal lefty, which I undoubtedly am but I have immense respect for our armed forces, the two are not mutually exclusive.
My generation is extremely fortunate in that we have not been 'tested' in the way that my Father's and previous generations were, and this in no way disrespects anyone that volunteered after the end of conscription.

Got it in one! my cyber friend

 

[The general]

On a similar theme. I honestly believe that all schools in UK and Europe should do a 1 full day field visit to Auschwitz- Birkenau at some time. Say 13 to 16 year old's.
If you have not been you should.

I think Bergen Belsen would be enough for the youngsters