Britain marked Victory over Japan Day on 15 August 1945 after Japan accepted the Allied terms for surrender. Three months after VE Day ended the war in Europe, the fighting of the Second World War was finally coming to an end.

For British and Commonwealth forces serving in Asia, the war had continued after Germany’s defeat. Fighting against Japan was still taking place, while thousands of Allied prisoners remained in Japanese captivity. Preparations also continued for further operations if Japan resisted.

The final weeks brought rapid change. The United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima on 6 August and another on Nagasaki on 9 August. Japan then moved towards accepting the Allied demand for surrender.

At midnight in London, as 14 August became 15 August, Prime Minister Clement Attlee announced the news in a radio broadcast. The government declared a two-day national holiday beginning with VJ Day.

Celebrations followed across Britain. Crowds gathered in central London, including around Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace. King George VI addressed Britain and the Empire by radio. The scenes recalled VE Day, although the crowds were generally smaller.

For many people, the news also meant waiting. Prisoners held by Japan still had to be reached and released. Servicemen stationed across Asia and the Pacific could not simply return home when the surrender was announced. Japanese forces across the region had to receive orders and surrender locally.

Japan formally surrendered on 2 September aboard the American battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. In Britain, however, 15 August became VJ Day, marking the end of the country’s six years of war.