VICTORY OVER JAPAN DAY
Although war in Europe ended in May 1945, the war in the Far East continued for several months until shortly after the dropping of two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in the wake of which, on 15th August 1945 Imperial Japan surrendered. This effectively ended the Second World War and Saturday, 15th August this year marks the 80th anniversary of VJ Day. However, the surrender document was not signed until 2nd September 1945. The war therefore officially ended aboard the battleship USS Missouri on that date, and 2nd September is therefore the date commemorated in the United States as well as in Japan where it is officially called ‘The day for mourning and praying for peace’.
In 2003 Weaverham History Society recorded the voices of men and women living in the village and, in 2004, the society published a book called ‘An Oral History’ based on some of these recordings. In it Jean Hornby recalls “VJ night at the end of the war in August 1945 there were big celebrations in the village. My sister-in-law Rosie was there with George Moss and we had a band. This night was special, all dancing and singing. I had never seen anything like this.’’ It should be noted that Jean was not home for the village VE Day celebrations in May as she was still serving in the ATS. We assume there were similar celebrations in Hartford.
Once again Churchill ensured there would be enough beer in the capital to celebrate and that red, white and blue bunting was unrationed. As the population celebrated in cities, towns and villages there were some who would not return home from the Far East for some time and others who would never return.
Although the Second World War officially began on 1st September 1939 when France and Britain declared war on Germany following the invasion of Poland by Germany it should be noted that although neither had declared war on the other, Japan, aiming to dominate Asia and the Pacific, had already been at war with China since 1937.
The Second World War involved over 30 countries and 100 million military personnel and estimates of the total number of fatalities vary between 60 and 85 million. Although 11-17million of these deaths were a result of Nazi racist policies, most of those who died were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. Civilian deaths were a result of massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated starvation and disease and the only use of nuclear weapons in war.
Of those who died 20 million were military personnel of whom 23 are remembered on the Weaverham Memorial and 20 on the Hartford Memorial although others may be remembered on other local memorials or on C.W.G.C. graves in local churchyards.
Edward Groves served in the Far East and is one of those listed on the village war memorial in St Mary’s churchyard. He was the son of Alice and ICI labourer, Harry Groves. Edward had four older siblings: Elizabeth, Violetta, Clara and Stephen Leonard. In 1936 Edward married his sweetheart Marie Critchley in Northwich. In 1939 they were living at The Bungalows, Weaverham whilst Edward’s father, now a widower, was living in Sandy Lane.
Edward, who was now gunner 1121155, 158th Field Regiment Royal Artillery served in India during the second World War. He died 1st July 1942. He was 27 years old. His widow, Marie, remarried in 1944 and lived with her husband, Alfred Long. in Longford, Warrington, Lancashire.
Edward is at rest in Delhi War Cemetery, India.
Private George Roberts, 14410099, King’s Regiment (Liverpool) also served in the Far East and is remembered on the Weaverham village memorial. George was the son of Walter and Lilias (nee Redford) Roberts of Church Street, Weaverham. He was born on 19th October 1924. George never knew his father who died the year that George was born. George had three older siblings: Louisa, Robert and James. Their mother married William Jewkes in 1928 and the family lived at 6, Nicholas Rd, Weaverham. Lilias and William had two more children, Margaret and Jean.
Geoge served in Burma and was only 19 when he died on 10th June 1944. He is at rest in the Taukkyan War Cemetery, Burma.
Another man who served in the Far East and did not live to celebrate VJ Day was Sergeant George William Ernest Clarke, 577331, 6th Royal Norfolk Regiment.
He was 24 when he died, a prisoner of war of the Japanese, on 18thJanuary 1942. He was the son of William John and Isabel Susanna (nee Grimes) Clarke and husband of Edith Annie Clarke (nee Gerrard) the daughter of boot maker/repairer of 153 David Street, Northwich. Edith was living in Weaverham when her husband George died. George is commemorated on the Singapore Memorial, Singapore, but is not mentioned on our village memorial. His widow later married Leonard Millington.
Ordinary Seaman Edward Ashton D/JX565396 Royal Navy died on 26th December 1943 as a result of an accident whilst serving on H.M.S. Patroller. He was the 18 year old son of Edward Goulding and Emily of Weaverham Cheshire and is at rest in Springvale War Cemetery Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. His mother wrote a letter to the sister who nursed him whilst he was dying with a ruptured liver in Melbourne. This was sent to Weaverham History Society following the death of the nursing sister a few years ago. Thanks to Andrew Pope we were able to return the letter to Edward’s family.
Major Reginald Swinnerton Sykes 93738 of the 54th Infantry Bigade Group, Royal Army Service Corps was born in Liverpool on 31st March 1913. He was the son of Reginald and Adeline May (nee Swinnerton) Sykes. Reginald was the second of their two children as they already had a daughter, Margaret Mullin.
Reginald was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant on 29th July 1939. Later, in the following year (1940) he married Maureen Wilson Gray in Liverpool and set up home at The Laurels, Beech Road, Hartford. When Singapore fell in February 1943 Reginald was taken prisoner by the Japanese. He was 31 years old when he died on Sunday, 3rdDecember 1944. Major Reginald Swinnerton Sykes is remembered on the County Memorial Hartford and is buried in Chungkai War Cemetery, Kanchanaburi, Thailand. His C.W.G.C. grave.reference is 9. l.15.
We will remember them as well as those who gave their lives in other areas of conflict during WWII. We would also ask you to remember the impact that leaving, missing and returning home has on service men and women and their loved ones and to think about the scale of the service and sacrifice made by the entire Second World War generation both those who survived and those who died.
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM
We recommend the following books for those who wish to learn more about the men remembered on local memorials
- ‘Our Sacrifice: The 32 men of Cuddington and Sandiway who gave their lives in World War One and World War Two’ by Jill E. King -available online
- ‘In Grateful Memory – Hartford War Memorial 1914-1919 and 1939-1945’ by Harry Carlisle BEM, BSc (Hons) available from action-group@orchard.weaverham.org.uk (£10)
- ‘We Gave Our Today For Your Tomorrow – Weaverham War Memorial’ by Harry Carlisle BEM, BSc (Hons) available from A&A Newsagents Northwich Rd, Weaverham or action-group@orchard.weaverham.org.uk (£12)