Victory in the Pacific Day
On 15 August we mark the 76th anniversary of the end of the Second World War also known as Victory in the Pacific (VP) Day.
On this day in 1945, Australians across the nation took to the streets to celebrate the end of the war. However, for many, their celebrations were tinged with sadness as they remembered loved ones who would not return from the war.
While the war in Europe had ended some 3 months earlier, Japanese forces had continued to fight throughout Asia and the Pacific. Following the atomic bombs dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Japanese agreed to cease fighting. An official surrender took place aboard the USS Missouri on 2 September 1945.
During the Second World War, nearly one million Australians served abroad and at home and around 40,000 lost their lives, with many more wounded.
On 15 August, we pause to remember and pay tribute to all those Australians who served in the Second World War.
You can find out more about the Second World War, the surrender of Japan, and Victory in the Pacific Day on DVA’s Anzac Portal.
