Victory over Japan Day, or VJ Day, marked the formal end of the Second World War when Emperor Hirohito announced Japan’s surrender on 15 August 1945 - exactly 80 years ago today. For Britain it was the conclusion of six years of global conflict that had brought bombing raids, rationing and separation into everyday life. In Brighton the news spread quickly, and by early evening the town centre was thronged with people eager to take part in a final wartime celebration. After years of blackouts and restrictions, the streets were suddenly alive with light, noise and movement, as locals embraced the moment with the same gusto they had shown three months earlier on VE Day.
The backdrop to Brighton’s celebrations was still visibly shaped by the war. The seafront had been fortified for much of the conflict, its beaches fenced and mined, piers partially dismantled, and coastal waters patrolled against the threat of invasion. Even in August 1945, ordnance still washed ashore, and the task of clearing wartime defences was only just beginning. Yet on VJ Day night, these reminders of danger faded into the background as bonfires flared along the shoreline. At the bottom of West Street, just yards from the beach, a huge blaze was fed with anything combustible, while other fires sprang up on the shingle itself, sending sparks into the Channel air.
In the heart of the town, thousands jammed the streets from the Clock Tower to the seafront, singing, dancing, clapping and cheering. Fireworks appeared from nowhere, buses and cars attempting to pass were swarmed with revellers, and the air filled with the shrill of whistles and the beat of improvised drums. The atmosphere was one of unrestrained release, a communal letting-go after years of anxiety and hardship.
Eighty years on, today, Brighton is marking the anniversary with a Service of Reflection at St Helen’s Church in Hangleton. According to the council, the service will honour the thousands of Allied POWs and civilian internees who endured immense suffering during the Asia-Pacific conflict’. Personal testimonies from local residents, either recounting their own experiences or those of relatives, will form a heartfelt part of the commemoration - all told a quieter, reflective event far removed from the wild, good-natured chaos of that night in 1945. Here is a first hand account of that day, recorded by a young Tony Simmonds in his diary.
‘We decided not to go out as early in the evening as we did on V. E. Day but at 7.15 we trooped out heading for the Clock Tower. Even by 8 o’clock the fun exceeded even that on V. E. Day. Where all the fireworks came from remains a mystery - never before have I seen so many people jammed together in two streets. It was impossible even to guess how many shouting, singing, dancing clapping uproariously happy people were there. Every bus or car daring to invade the area was banged and rocked and “fireworked”. No bus left the area without its boards being missing - still they make a nice bonfire.
The first big bonfire was lit in a patch of waste land near the Prudential - on this was dumped all the material used to begin a fire at the top of West Street - a fire soon put out by Police. I think I led the “Boos” that followed this action. Still the other bonfire soon made up for it. Denny and I now went off again up to the Clock Tower giving repeated blasts in our whistles - what hooligans - but still, even old men were blowing whistles and shaking rattles and every old dear was waving a flag. Then about 11.30 the fun really began.
A huge bonfire was lit at the bottom of West Street, every moveable piece of wood in the area was dumped on this fire. The Sports Stadium, the Odeon, Sherrys and the Harris Grill were all stripped of their advertisement boards - time and time again. The police tried to stop it but they hadn’t the slightest chance against such a crowd. Then the N[ational] F[ire] S[ervice] arrived. In course of ten minutes, every moveable article on the lorry was dumped onto the fire - from hose pipes to doors. As a retaliation one Fireman drenched the crowd with showers of water.
The fire was as high as the buildings when Denny and I left at 12.30. On the way home we saw other huge bonfires on the beach and smaller ones in almost every street - and around each bonfire danced hilariously happy people - men, women and children. That ended the most glorious evening of my life - the crowds weren’t riotous - on the whole very little damage was done - but just supremely happy that the greatest of all wars was over.’
Images from this diary as well as the photograph above (which actually dates from 18 August 1945) are used courtesy of Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove. Further information about Simmonds and his diary can be found at Victory in Europe Day and in my book, Brighton in Diaries.
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