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Storm Clouds |
Mobilization |
Fall of France |
Battle of Britain |
Pacific War |
Hong Kong |
Conscription |
Dieppe |
Spartan | Battle of
the Atlantic | Sicily |
Italy |
Overlord | Falaise |
France 44 |
Holland |
Germany 45 |
VE |
VJ
August 14th 1945 was the day it finally
ended. Victory over Japan day. The war was expected to
end after the dropping of 2 atomic bombs on the Japanese
cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki but no one was sure
what the Japanese might do and few knew that there were
no more bombs for the foreseeable future.
Although Canadian
participation in the Pacific war did not really begin
until December 7th, 1941, by 1945 the war really
extended back to September 1939 to most Canadians. A
large scale transfer of military personnel was under way
with thousands of Canadian sailors, soldiers and airmen
departing Europe and travelling across the Atlantic,
across Canada and then being dispatched for new duties
in the Pacific war.
Service men and women celebrate in
Ottawa
Crowds spill out on to the streets in
Toronto
Many of the sailors in
Halifax when the riot broke out after victory over Japan
was announced, were on their way to fight Japan, so
their joy was magnified not only by the final victory
but also by the fact that they would not have to fight
in the Pacific.
The long, costly and divisive, with conscription,
conflict was over and it was time to get back to work
and build a new peaceful world. The one last, final
outburst of joy was a spectacular victory celebration
and many of those who are still alive today can tell you
exactly where they were on VJ day.
This day also marked the release of many
prisoners of war who had been held by the Japanese for 3
1/2 years in inhumane conditions including many of the
over 10,000 Canadians who had been captured in Hong Kong
during the original Japanese attacks in 1941.
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