BBC to mark the 80th Anniversary of VJ Day

BBC News

4 days ago

The BBC will mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day with a wide-ranging slate of special programming across television, radio, online and archive and reporting from BBC News, reflecting on the end of the Second World War and the often-overlooked conflict in the Far East.
Tim Davie, Director-General of the BBC, says: "The 80th anniversary of VJ Day is a moment to honour the courage and sacrifice of all who served in the Far East during the Second World War. Through powerful stories and testimonies across our coverage, the BBC is proud to be able to pay tribute to these men and women and ensure that their service, bravery and fortitude are remembered."
The centrepiece of the coverage will be a live commemorative event, VJ Day 80: The Nation's Tribute, broadcast on BBC One and iPlayer from the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. This event, produced by BBC Studios Events on behalf of the Royal British Legion and supported by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), will be attended by some of the last surviving Second World War veterans of the campaign in the Far East and the Pacific.
Also on BBC One and iPlayer, The One Show will be live from the National Memorial Arboretum for a special episode sharing powerful stories from veterans. Antiques Roadshow will present a special VJ Day edition filmed at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, hosted by Fiona Bruce.
BBC News will mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day with extensive coverage across TV and digital platforms. BBC Breakfast and the News at One will feature live reports from the National Memorial Arboretum and moving interviews with veterans and their families. The News at Six and Ten will also be presented live from the Arboretum on 15 August, with special features running throughout the week. Online, the BBC News website will host a dedicated live page with rolling updates. In the lead-up to the day, Rachel Burden presents VJ Day 80: We Were There, sharing powerful first-hand testimonies from the last surviving veterans as part of the BBC's ongoing 'We Were There' project.
BBC Radio 2's Jeremy Vine Show will mark VJ Day with reflections on the final stages of the war and the voices of veterans who fought for Britain against Japan. BBC Radio 4 will deliver an extensive season, including Kavita Puri's three-part series The History Podcast: The Second Map, Archive on 4: Exposing Hiroshima, the audio drama Drama on 4: Hersey's Hiroshima, Book at Bedtime with Tim McInnerny reading Kazuo Ishiguro's An Artist of the Floating World, and a special edition of Any Questions? from the REME Museum. BBC Radio 5 Live will provide live coverage of the commemorations at the National Memorial Arboretum and observe the national two-minute silence. Matt Chorley will also broadcast a special programme live from the historic Cabinet War Rooms, with exclusive behind-the-scenes insights from the wartime headquarters.
BBC Sounds will launch The History Podcast: The Second Map as a three-part boxset. Presented by award-winning journalist Kavita Puri, the series uncovers untold stories of Britain's war against Japan through remarkable first-hand testimonies, including from veterans, POWs, and their descendants. The podcast explores the resilience, heroism, and hidden histories of those who lived through and fought in the war on the Asian front.
Newsround will help younger audiences understand the significance of VJ Day with special explainers on the war in the East and the national commemorations.
BBC Archive will surface rare footage, photography, and audio from the BBC's historical collections, including digitised material from the Burma campaign and first-hand reports from Hiroshima.
Through this rich and varied programming, the BBC invites audiences to reflect on the courage, sacrifice, and resilience of the 'forgotten army' and all those affected by the war in the East -ensuring their stories continue to be remembered and passed on for generations to come.
VJ Day on TV and BBC iPlayer
BBC One
VJ Day 80: The Nation's Tribute
To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Victory over Japan – VJ Day - and remember those who served in the Far East and the Pacific, the BBC will broadcast a special programme live on BBC One and iPlayer, on Friday 15 of August between 11:30am - 1:00pm from the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.
On this significant anniversary and with some of the last remaining VJ Day veterans in attendance, the event produced by BBC Studios Events on behalf of the Royal British Legion and supported by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), will pay tribute to their extraordinary bravery and acknowledge the sacrifices made by so many for our freedom. It will also include a national two-minute silence.
Mark Atkinson, Director General of the Royal British Legion, says: 'We are incredibly proud to be leading the nation on the 80th anniversary of VJ Day with our Service of Remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. It will be a very poignant occasion for the Second World War veterans who served in the Far East and Pacific who will be with us on the day, alongside the families of those who served and lost loved ones. It is an opportunity for everyone across the country to watch live on BBC One as we reflect and remember, starting with a national two-minute silence.'
Staged at the foot of the iconic Armed Forces Memorial, this commemoration will feature personal testimonies and poignant reflections from veterans who remember leaving home for a far-off unknown country and an unknown enemy and being part of a 'forgotten army.'
While Europe celebrated the surrender of the German forces on VE Day, a bitter war was being waged thousands of miles from home in the malaria ridden jungles of the Far East and the Pacific. After three long months, the war finally came to an end but for many there were mixed emotions. Those who had fought were largely forgotten by those at home and after they returned many were unable to speak of what they had suffered and seen on the brutal battlefields or in the Prisoner of War camps. There was relief and joy but also sadness at the human cost.
The Second World War in South East Asia was fought by one of the most diverse forces in history with troops drawn from across the British Empire and in particular pre-partition India and Africa. Over 40 languages were spoken by this multi-national force which was instrumental in bringing the war to an end, and this diversity will be a central theme threaded throughout the commemoration.
Broadcaster Paddy O'Connell, whose father proudly served in the Second World War, will provide historical context through commentary and key moments of the conflict will be reflected through readings and musical performances by special guests. Films throughout the broadcast will feature veterans, some giving first hand personal accounts for the first time.
There will also be traditional military remembrance moments including The Last Post performed by The Royal Marine Buglers, a piper's lament performed by The Brigade of the Gurkhas and a tribute from the Red Arrows and a traditional Second World War flypast.
Accessible commentary for the blind and partially sighted will be provided by Jane Hill via iPlayer and Red Button.
The One Show
On Thursday 14 August, The One Show will be looking ahead to the events marking VJ Day with a special live from the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. They'll also be sharing powerful stories from veterans including that of Corporal Birdhoi Limbu, who served with The Brigade of Gurkas – an elite unit often deployed on the front lines or behind enemy lines in the fight to stop Burma from falling into Japanese hands. His family know little about his time with the unit, now his son Daisling – a former Gurkha himself – has turned to the curators at the Gurkha Museum in Winchester to uncover his father's role in the campaign and, most importantly to track down his long-lost military medals. What they discover goes far beyond their expectations, not only have the missing medals been found, but previously unseen archives have come to light, revealing the vital part Birdhoi Limbu played in the events leading up to VJ Day.
Antiques Roadshow VJ Day Special
Antiques Roadshow marks the 80th anniversary of VJ Day with a special episode filmed at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, featuring interviews with veterans and the families of those who took part in the victory over Japan.
The episode features interviews with two veterans of the conflict, both aged 100 - Naval Officer Bill Redston, who narrowly escaped death in both Normandy and Burma (now Myanmar), and Private Joseph Hammond, who travelled from Ghana to join the Fourteenth Army and was involved in some of the most ferocious fighting of the conflict.
The episode also features a poignant interview with 96-year-old Michiko Hattori, who survived the atomic bomb detonated over Hiroshima by the USA on 6 August 1945.
Members of the public share moving stories and cherished items that provide a personal insight into what is often referred to as the 'Forgotten War', including several objects made by Prisoners of War, such as a food bowl carved out of a coconut, a fly swat made from old boot leather and an intricate chess set crafted by a soldier who was forced to work on the notorious 'Death Railway' between Burma and Thailand.
Fiona Bruce meets the children of veterans who fought on opposing sides at the Battle of Kohima in 1944, which proved a turning point in the war. Bill Harriman hears the gruelling story of a member of the Chindits – a special operations unit for the Allies who went deep behind Japanese lines – and Siobhan Tyrrell is moved to see a pair of baby shoes, one of which the infant's father carried with him as a good luck charm through the jungles of South East Asia.
VJ Day across BBC News
BBC Breakfast and BBC News at One
BBC Breakfast and the BBC News at One will be honouring the men and women who fought and served in East Asia. We'll hear the stories of those who are still alive, and we'll be live at the National Memorial Arboretum where the main service will take place.
BBC News at Six and Ten
On Friday 15 August, BBC News at Six and Ten will be presented from the National Memorial Arboretum as the day is marked in the UK and around the world.
In the run-up to the day itself, they'll be running a series of interviews with veterans, and those who took part in the VJ Day celebrations.
BBC News website
The BBC News website will cover special events at the Arboretum with a dedicated live page updated throughout the day.
VJ Day 80: We Were There - Wednesday 13 August, 9pm on BBC Two
As the nation marks the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, the BBC has gathered first-hand accounts from our last veterans – many now more than 100 years old. Rachel Burden traces their stories from the invasion of British Malaya to the horror of Hiroshima and Japan's surrender in August 1945. Former prisoners of war forced to work on the notorious Burma Railroad speak about their brutal treatment and the punishing conditions they endured. Rachel speaks to one woman who was a 10-year-old child prisoner in Singapore as well as servicemen who had fought in Europe but were then deployed to India and the Far East for the final months of the Second World War.
The "We Were There" project by BBC News has captured the testimony of war veterans throughout the 80th anniversaries of the Second World War since 2019 to form an archive of their voices for future generations.
VJ Day on Radio and BBC Sounds
BBC Radio 2
The Jeremy Vine Show will be marking VJ Day on BBC Radio 2 on the Friday 15 August, reflecting on the end of the war and bitter fighting in the Far East that culminated in atomic bombs being dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He speaks to the broadcaster Kavita Puri and hears the voices of veterans who fought for Britain against Japan in what has been described as the forgotten conflict.
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 will unearth personal voices from the Second World War's Asian front, including never-before-heard archival recordings and new testimony from the war's last remaining veterans in The History Podcast: The Second Map, presented by award-winning journalist Kavita Puri (Three Million).
Archive on 4 will shed light on the astonishing forgotten story of the journalist who defied the US military to publish the first eyewitness report from the ruins of Hiroshima after the atomic bomb - and the campaign to conceal the truth about the horrifying effects of radioactive fallout that followed. Coinciding with the 80th anniversary of VJ Day on Friday 15 August, Any Questions will be broadcast from REME Museum (Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Museum).
Meanwhile two-part audio drama Hersey's Hiroshima brings to life journalist John Hersey's searing account of the bombing of Hiroshima and its aftermath, drawing on interviews with survivors, and for Book at Bedtime, Tim McInnerny reads Nobel Prize-winner Kazuo Ishiguro's classic 1986 novel, set in post-WWII Japan.
The History Podcast: The Second Map (from Friday 15 August) – Award-winning journalist Kavita Puri presents a three-part series uncovering Britain's role in the war against Japan, featuring never-before-heard testimonies from veterans, civilians, and their descendants.
Archive on 4: Exposing Hiroshima (Saturday 2 August) – The extraordinary story of reporter Wilfred Burchett, who defied U.S. censorship to reveal the devastating effects of the atomic bomb.
Drama on 4: Hersey's Hiroshima (Sunday 10 August) – A two-part audio drama bringing to life John Hersey's landmark account of the Hiroshima bombing, voiced by a distinguished cast.
Book at Bedtime (from Monday 4 August) – Tim McInnerny reads Kazuo Ishiguro's An Artist of the Floating World, set in post-war Japan.
Any Questions? (Friday 15 August) – Special broadcast from the REME Museum to mark the anniversary.
BBC Radio 5 Live
Over on BBC Radio 5 Live, the network will mark the occasion with special coverage of the commemorative event being held at the National Memorial Arboretum, as well as taking part in the national two minute silence.
Matt Chorley will broadcast a special show live from the Cabinet War Rooms - the former secret, underground British headquarters in the basement of a purpose-built government building, known today as Churchill War Rooms. Broadcasting on Wednesday 13 August, almost exactly 80 years after its doors were closed following Japan's surrender at the end of WW2, Matt and a host of special guests will have incredible behind the scenes access to the site which includes Churchill's bedroom, kitchen & the BBC's broadcast room.
VJ Day on BBC Sounds
The History Podcast: The Second Map
A new three-part podcast to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day unearths the forgotten voices from the Second World War's Eastern front, including never-before-heard archival footage and new testimony from the war's last remaining veterans. Listen to all episodes on BBC Sounds from Friday 15 August and live on BBC Radio 4 starting on Monday 18 of August.
Created and presented by Kavita Puri, the multi award-winning journalist behind Three Million and Partition Voices, the brand new series hears remarkable testimonies from British, Indian, and Japanese soldiers who were there, as well as former prisoners of war, and civilian internees. It also includes new accounts from descendants across Britain, uncovering their family members' long-buried stories of heroism, imprisonment, and survival - from the jungles of Burma to an epic battle on a tennis court that helped shape the fate of the British Empire.
We may know about Pearl Harbor and how the war against Japan ended with the US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But in popular memory, what happened in between is less well-known. Even at the time, the 14th army - which fought at the pivotal battles of the Burma campaign, and made up of almost a million men, was known as the 'forgotten army'. Yet it was a war that many thousands of Britons fought in, as well as hundreds of thousands of British colonial subjects.
Kavita Puri, presenter of The Second Map, says, 'The war against Nazi Germany has come to dominate the collective memory of World War II, but we forget the war against Japan. Many people have heard of Pearl Harbor, and some will have heard of the US retaliation at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but this wasn't just an American war. There are thousands of homes in Britain where a family member was part of this story. Take Yavar Abas, who is 104 years old – just one of the incredible veterans I had the privilege of hearing from for this podcast. It's been eighty years since VJ Day, and we don't have long left to honour those who fought on the Eastern front, and to make sure their voices are not forgotten. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories of heroism, resilience and heartbreak.'
Daniel Clarke, Factual Commissioning Editor at Radio 4, says, ''As we approach the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, it is a privilege to present this new series from multi award-winning journalist Kavita Puri, which includes never-before-heard accounts from Britain's war against Japan, from those who were there. Thank you to Kavita and the team for another eye-opening podcast, telling important stories which are extraordinary, and which deserve to be heard. For those who enjoyed the award-winning Three Million, this new series is not to be missed.'
Listen to the trailer for The History Podcast: The Second Map on BBC Sounds
VJ Day across Children's and Education
Newsround
Newsround will feature explainers on VJ Day, the war in the East, as well as the national commemorations taking place. Coverage will also include Newsround presenters speaking to UK children about their relatives who fought in the British Army of India on the Burma Front.
BBC Archive
To commemorate the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, BBC Archive have curated content from across TV, Radio, Written and Photo collections to feature in special programming. Highlights include contemporary audio announcements, news, and personal testimonies, which can be heard as part of The Second Map, a Radio 4 VJ Day documentary from Kavita Puri and Ellie House, as well as in two new episodes of Witness History, a World Service production. A film from the BBC Northern Ireland Archive, containing first hand footage of the Burma Campaign, has been digitised and made available as well as a trove of never-before-seen images from the Written Archive, which capture the final days of fighting in the Pacific Theatre and the first few months of life post-war in Hong Kong, China, and Japan.
TD
Follow for more