Emperor to give orders to stop all fighting
15 August 1945
Japan has surrendered, unconditionally. This was announced in London, Washington, Moscow, and Chungking at midnight last night. Broadcasting the news at that hour Mr Attlee said: Japan has today surrendered. The last of our enemies is laid low.
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Manchester’s night of rejoicing
15 August 1945
For half an hour after Mr Attlee’s midnight announcement of the Japanese surrender the centre of Manchester remained quiet. The night-time ‘population’ of servicemen and girls and a few late travellers had not yet heard the news. The first indication of anything unusual was a flood of calls to the Manchester Guardian office asking if the news was really official at last.
In the meantime the news spread and groups of singing and cheering girls and servicemen began to appear on the streets. A motorcar went up Cross Street with people sitting on the roof, shouting, and waving a large union jack. The one motorcar was joined by others and crowds of people, middle-aged and children as well as young people, began to converge on Albert Square.
Many of the people who had been in bed or were about to go to bed when they heard the news dressed and came down to town. By a quarter to one Albert Square, which had been deserted 40 minutes before, was a solid mass of people, filling the square, standing on the air raid shelters, and sitting on the pedestals of the statues. A large section of the crowd, after unsuccessfully chanting “We want the mayor” for some time had their attention diverted by a soldier who climbed to the top of the large flagstaff in front of the town hall entrance and tied a union jack to the top. This feat was greeted with loud cheering, while a sailor proceeded to add a second flag, to a chorus of “All the nice girls love a sailor.”
In night attire
The crowd was finding other ways to amuse itself and one party, including a girl still dressed in her pyjamas, was vigorously dancing and singing Knees up Mother Brown. A Jeep, hidden beneath a mass of Americans, girls and children, drove back and forth through the Square, while fireworks were exploding continuously. There seemed to be little happening in Piccadilly, but here one met crowds of singing people, arm in arm, making their way to the town hall.
The Guardian, 15 August 1945. See the full page
Midnight scenes in London
The news of the Japanese surrender was received in the Thames-side districts by a medley of noise from ships’ sirens. Many people were awakened by continuous blasts and firework explosions. Across the Thames in Kent bonfires were blazing in a manner reminiscent of the nights of the blitz.
Sleep took wings and fled with the last clouds of war from the London suburbs. Lights blazed out long after midnight. An hour after the premier’s announcement the air was still echoing with the crack of fireworks. Hoots from river tugs sent the victory sign ringing out in reply to the “dot-dot-dot–dash” of the train whistles. Telephone operators were “flooded” with calls as soon as Mr Attlee had finished speaking. One trunk operator said: “We were soon working at midday pitch with the usual shortage of staff.”
About 30 or 40 American soldiers in the main hall of the American Rainbow Club in the West End of London listened to a midnight announcement by President Truman from Washington. They greeted it with cheers. “They have been celebrating for days,” said an American observer, “and most of them are pretty tired.” Outside crowds swayed in noisy welcome of the midnight declaration.
An enormous bonfire on Carfax blocked all through traffic from north, south, east, and west at Oxford. Thousands of people flocked the streets singing and dancing, and fireworks were exploding everywhere. Around the city from the many aerodromes multicoloured flares lit up the countryside for miles.
Crowds celebrating the end of the second world in Piccadilly Circus, London, 15 August 1945. Photograph: Central Press/Getty ImagesCrowds wail in Tokyo
15 August 1945
Wailing “Forgive us, O Emperor, our efforts are not enough,” a weeping crowd of Japanese bowed to the ground before the Imperial Palace in Tokyo yesterday after being told that an Imperial decision had been reached. A report of the scene broadcast by the Japanese news agency to its offices in the Far East was picked up in New York and quoted by Reuter. Without explaining what the Imperial decision was, the agency broke off its transmission in the middle of a sentence and asked editors to hold the report.
The Emperor’s message was addressed to the people gathered before the Niju-Bashi – the double bridge leading to the parade ground in front of the Palace, the nearest point to the Palace which the public is allowed to approach and where the people are accustomed to gather in times of crisis and celebration.
Americans’ joy: all-night celebration in New York
16 August 1945
Americans continued today to celebrate the victory over Japan with undiminished vigour. The rejoicing, which began last night at seven o’clock when President Truman announced the Japanese acceptance of the Allied terms, continued all night and is still going on.
President Truman declared today and tomorrow to be holidays for all employees of the federal government. Business houses throughout the nation closed today and probably many of them will do the same tomorrow.
New York’s Times Square, the traditional scene of great celebrations, was packed all night last night by a great crowd. They cheered, sang, and waved flags, and pretty girls were kissed by complete strangers and took it good-naturedly. Throughout the city motorcars roared through the streets with horns sounding and the occupants shouting, while tons of torn paper floated down from skyscraper windows in spite of preliminary pleas by officials that paper is still scarce and should not be wasted.
The demonstrations were much larger than when Germany capitulated. In Washington huge crowds gathered before the White House. Mr Truman and his wife appeared in the portico and greeted the throng.
Arranging to control Japan: unrepentant tone of Tokyo
16 August 1945
While General MacArthur is issuing orders to the Japanese to fly to Manila to sign the surrender and is preparing to take command of the forces that will shortly land in Japan, Tokyo journalists and broadcasters are declaring that Japan only lost the war because of the Allied superiority in material and civil and scientific power.
Japanese spokesmen all blame the Allies for their methods, and one paper says the “entire nation is burning with righteous indignation over the enemy’s outrages.” The Emperor denied that in starting the war the Japanese had any aggressive ideas. The Japanese envoys should, on General MacArthur’s orders, leave for Manila this morning to sign the surrender and receive instruction. It is thought that the signing ceremony may not take place till next week.
Men of the United States Third Fleet cheered the end of the war yesterday and then had to man their guns to shoot down about 16 Japanese planes which were approaching the American ships after the acceptance of the surrender terms. The British fleet shot down five. Admiral Halsey ordered that this should be done in a “friendly way.”
See also Editorial: problems of peace
London transfigured
17 August 1945
The floodlit spectacle of London is naturally much grander time than on the VE nights. From this building you see great illuminated flags waving and bright tops of towers that are lost in the darkness, and everywhere you look – north, south, east, and west – resplendent buildings rise like visions of the night.
St Paul’s, that we thought so often we were seeing for the last time, rises over the city, transfigured, something “not made by hands.” By some technique of floodlighting the peristyle and dome are like precious crystals and the cross high over the lantern gleams like pure gold. How one remembers St Paul’s glowing against the darkness with another glow, red and fiery, when Ludgate Hill was on fire and Paternoster Row was flaming. In the west the Abbey towers shine out and the Westminster clock tower was like a great ornament. Above it was the great bright flag on Victoria Tower.
AloJapan.com