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Monday, 3rd December, 1945

This is an entry in a year-long project to post-blog the demobilisation experience for British servicemen at the end of the Second World War. See here for an introduction to the project and here for a brief overview of the demobilisation process.

The fight between Commonwealth troops and Indonesian insurgents has become a full scale war. Gurkha units of the 1st/16th Punjabs in Bandoeng in west Java have been engaging irregular Indonesian guerrillas armed with rifles, grenades, machine-guns and mortars, reports the Times. The Gurkhas are supported by Sherman and Stuart tanks, and - in one of the many ironies of the messy post-war recolonization of the Dutch East Indies - Japanese gunners are now firing on Indonesian strong-points under British direction. P-47 Thunderbolts and rocket-firing Mosquitos attacked the insurgents' headquarters yesterday morning. The British authorities are claiming that atrocities have been committed against their men; the bodies of 22 English and Indian soldiers who had crash-landed in a Dakota transport aircraft on November 23rd were discovered buried along the river bank near the town of Bekassi yesterday, twelve miles outside Batavia. Their limbs were hacked off and spears had been plunged into their chests.

Also in the Times: there is bad news for some servicemen on the brink of demobilisation - the service chiefs have announced that all discharges will be suspended over the Christmas holiday owing to transportation difficulties.

Tuesday, 4th September, 1945

This is an entry in a year-long project to post-blog the demobilisation experience for British servicemen at the end of the Second World War. See here for an introduction to the project and here for a brief overview of the demobilisation process.

The first 500 liberated British prisoners of war in Japan, all in "comparatively good health," sailed for home yesterday on board HMS Speaker, reports the Times. Meanwhile, Sir Arthur Power, commander-in-chief of the East Indies fleet, landed in Singapore last night with a detachment of Royal Marines. Royal Naval personnel have taken control of Penang.

In a broadcast last night emphasizing Britain's continuing heavy global commitments despite the victory against Japan, Mr. Attlee (c/o the Times) called for the public's patience despite demands for faster demobilisation:

We mobilized the whole of our resources to fight the war, and in no field where we more highly mobilized than that of manpower. Statements have been made from time to time with regard to demobilisation. I think some of those were over-optimistic ... [the Bevin scheme] has been generally accepted as based on fair principles ... I am certain that we should make a great mistake if we departed from it. It is quite easy to cite particular instances of where it appears that some individual may be released, but it is extremely dangerous to interfere with a broad scheme on account [of such cases] ...

None of which is likely to satisfy men such as Frederick Hindle, writing in the Manchester Guardian. “It is quite obvious that a serious storm is blowing up on demobilisation. That it should be possible for a public demonstration to take place in the fortress of Gibraltar is significant [must find out about this!]. What is suspected is that the Ministry of Labour is not strong enough to fight Army and Air Force Ministries … the promised release of civilian directed workers has added a further injustice in the eyes of the Service men who feel, rightly, that these civilians will secure the plums of vacant industrial jobs.”

Monday, 3rd September, 1945

This is an entry in a year-long project to post-blog the demobilisation experience for British servicemen at the end of the Second World War. See here for an introduction to the project and here for a brief overview of the demobilisation process.

Onboard USS Missouri, anchored in Tokyo Bay, representatives of the Japanese nation signed the instrument of unconditional surrender yesterday in the presence of General MacArthur and other Allied leaders (c/o the Times). On ships of the British Pacific Fleet accompanying the Missouri, the order went out to splice the mainbrace in celebration; after witnessing the venerable 'sunset colours' ceremony, visiting Admiral Halsey, an honourary member of HMS Duke of York's wardroom, bought six rums for Admiral Fraser and his colleagues. Royal Marine landing parties have occupied Yokosuka naval base. The Second World War is over.

There remains, however, an "immense task" for Allied forces in the Far East, notes the Times. "No war can ever have been concluded with the forces of the vanquished so widely dispersed and isolated as are those of Japan today ...

Roughly speaking, it has taken four months in Norway to repatriate half of a German army consisting originally of 300,000 men. How long will it take to send home the last of the Japanese soldiers from the Pacific islands, from the Netherlands East Indies, from Burma, Siam, and French Indo-China, from China and Korea? ... we may make up our minds that the aftermath of war in Asia and the Pacific is going to be a long one.

In happier news, the Times also reports that the stream of what it calls "joy cables" from freed prisoners in the Far East to their families at home is continuing. 500 had been received by Saturday at the Edinburgh office of Cable & Wireless, and more are expected this week.

Friday, 31st August, 1945

This is an entry in a year-long project to post-blog the demobilisation experience for British servicemen at the end of the Second World War. See here for an introduction to the project and here for a brief overview of the demobilisation process.

Flying his pennant from the light cruiser HMS Swiftsure, Admiral Sir Cecil Harcourt led a joint British and Australian fleet into Hong Kong yesterday to accept the Japanese surrender of the Crown Colony, three years and eight months after its capture, reports the Times. "The tragic episode in the life of the colony which began with its fall on Christmas Day 1941 thus comes to an end ... the curtain which for so long shut off Hong Kong from the rest of the world will be lifted."

End of month accounting: on June 30, 1945, there were 4,653,000 men and 437,200 women in His Majesty's armed and auxiliary forces.

During August, 1945, 88,629 men and 25,292 women were released under the Class A scheme; 6,492 men and 9 women were released under the Class B scheme; with 111,437 men and 30,232 women being released in total (including miscellaneous discharges on compassionate and medical grounds).

Overall, since the start of demobilisation, 220,441 men and 74,256 women have been discharged from HM Forces.

Data from Fighting With Figures: A Statistical Digest of the Second World War (HMSO, 1995).

Thursday, 16th August, 1945

This is an entry in a year-long project to post-blog the demobilisation experience for British servicemen at the end of the Second World War. See here for an introduction to the project and here for a brief overview of the demobilisation process.

Despite the worldwide celebrations that greeted yesterday's news of the Japanese surrender, sporadic fighting continues throughout the Far East, reports the Times. Isolated pockets of Japanese troops, out of communication with their headquarters, continue to skirmish desultorily with Allied soldiers in Burma; Spitfires dropping leaflets with news of the surrender were met with anti-aircraft fire over Moulmein. The Red Army's offensive in Manchuria continues apace.

Government schemes for the resettlement of disabled ex-servicemen are yielding too high a proportion of failures, according to a survey published yesterday by the policy think tank Political and Economic Planning, says the News Chronicle. The Ministry of Labour's Disablement Rehabilitation Officers are singled out for particular criticism by PEP; "the wrong type of people" are being appointed to the job. The survey recommends abolishing the Ministry of Pensions and transfering its responsibilities to the Ministries of National Health and National Insurance [this didn't happen until 1968].

Wednesday, 15th August, 1945

This is an entry in a year-long project to post-blog the demobilisation experience for British servicemen at the end of the Second World War. See here for an introduction to the project and here for a brief overview of the demobilisation process.

"Japan has surrendered," notes the Times soberly. All allied armed forces have been ordered to suspend offensive action following the Japanese emperor's broadcast to his people early this morning (London time). Negotiations to determine what precisely happens next are being handled courtesy of the Swiss diplomatic mission in Washington.

Modern Woman has advice for the careful handling of returning husbands and fathers, c/o Dr. Harold Dearden:

Active service engenders a craving for change and excitement. It encourages habits of extravagance and a tendency to live, as it were, from day to day. Its whole atmosphere is no abnormal as to be calculated to unsettle the best type of fellow and make the routine and tedium of a civil environment seem a burden almost too wearisome to be born …

Mothers must take all reasonable precautions lest the child come to regard his father as an interloper, as someone who deprives him of the company of his mother, usurps his unique position in her eyes and, in addition, to make matters still worse, is encouraged by her to exercise authority over him ...

Monday, 13th August, 1945

This is an entry in a year-long project to post-blog the demobilisation experience for British servicemen at the end of the Second World War. See here for an introduction to the project and here for a brief overview of the demobilisation process.

In Singapore, FEPOW Captain Ronald Horner continues his diary: “People very irritable, having bottled up likes and dislikes for months, this extra strain finds them venting their spleen when previously they would have held themselves in … this is farcical … as there’s no intimation from the Nips, we have to carry on as usual.”

Back in Britain, the Ministry of Labour made a formal announcement on Saturday (reports the Times) warning the public not to anticipate dramatic alterations in the military release arrangements in light of Japan's surrender:

It is understandable that the news ... should have given rise to speculations regarding the rate of demobilization. But until the war in the Far East is definitely over, and until the government have had an opportunity of reviewing the whole manpower situation and the requirements of the fighting services, it is impossible to announce whether any change can be made.

Sunday, 12th August, 1945

This is an entry in a year-long project to post-blog the demobilisation experience for British servicemen at the end of the Second World War. See here for an introduction to the project and here for a brief overview of the demobilisation process.

Lieutenant Sidney Beck writes in his War Diary from occupied Germany: “There is much confusion here. Some of our men in age groups 1-26 were posted to other units not going to SEAC. They left us on Friday and had many tearful farewells all round … however they came back yesterday as their new units refused to accept them for the time being … what we are to do with the men in the weeks to come, I do not know. We have no vehicles, no equipment to practice on or to maintain, and our resources in this village are quite small. We have no direction either – I suppose the CO is equally at a loss to think of things to do.”

In Singapore, FEPOW Captain Ronald Horner records the dramatic news of victory in his own diary: "An air of complete quiet today … somehow one can’t help but feel anti-climax, a sweeping victory would in many ways have revenged Feb 42 … in the meantime we wait and hope that there will be no hitch.”

Saturday, 11th August, 1945

This is an entry in a year-long project to post-blog the demobilisation experience for British servicemen at the end of the Second World War. See here for an introduction to the project and here for a brief overview of the demobilisation process.

As the world digests with relief the news from Tokyo yesterday (see left), Eighth Army veteran H.W.F. Charles writes to his mother from Austria: "[The press rumors in UK about demob and leave schedule] have caused a tremendous lot of confusion at home, raised many false hopes and are actually being the cause of dissension between the men out here and the relations who have not seen them for years. The official army newspapers have taken the matter up on behalf of the many personal complaints they have received, quite often from men who are being asked by their relations ‘don’t you want to come home’? Our newspapers accuse yours point blank of publishing unofficial rumors and prophesies in such a way as to imply an ‘official’ atmosphere about them – all with the sole objective of selling their papers.”

Three servicemen, led by John Dempsey, an ex-POW who was captured along with the rest of the 51st Highland Division at St. Valery in June 1940, have formed a copycat Vigilante group and occuped a spacious mansion in Fife. Dempsey came home to find his wife and three children living in an attic room. "We looked for a home for months," he said to Daily Mail reporters. "I was surprised that such a house as this should be empty when so many are living under bad conditions."

Friday, 10th August, 1945

This is an entry in a year-long project to post-blog the demobilisation experience for British servicemen at the end of the Second World War. See here for an introduction to the project and here for a brief overview of the demobilisation process.

Yesterday's second atomic bomb attack on the port of Nagasaki receives surprisingly low-key attention in the national press; far more attention is given to the rapid Soviet advances in Manchuria.  The Times does however ponder the future of military aviation in light of the pioneering new ordnance, making the hair-raising claim that "the new weapon is so small and light ... that in future the emphasis in bomber design is likely to be on the small, fast aeroplane ... the British-made de Havilland Mosquito was adapted to carry a 4,000 lb. bomb, so it has ample capacity to carry several of the new type of atomic bomb." [In reality, Little Boy weighed 8,900 lbs, and yesterday's Fat Man 10,200 lbs.; The estimate the Times has been given is about ten times too small].  

"'Ex' men are not finding it easy to settle into civilian life for several reasons," writes Garry Allighan of the Daily Mail. "They experience - or think they do - a general tendency to be segregated into a community separate and distinct from the permanent civilians ...

Whether that feeling is justified or not, its existing is menacing to a 'Civvy Street' that should lead to national prosperity. Blame for this attaches to both sides ... if each can see each other's point of view, the trouble may be remedied.

When the 'ex' man gets home he finds himself facing two problems: the change in himself: the difficulty of adapting himself to civilian conditions with which years of service life has made him unfamiliar ...

Lieutenant-Colonel T.M. Main of the RAMC adds: "Boredom, isolation, and loneliness have been fought by creating mental pictures of the old, lost life: of the familiar scenes, the favourite seat by the fire, working in the garden, darts in the 'local,' Saturday night at the pictures, the tumult of home - forgetting that the reality of that idealised life included a soap-sudded atmosphere on washing day and dirty dishes in the kitchen sink every day ... now he comes back. And that dream is punctured by the sharp-pointed facts. He must be helped away from the cynicism of a lost illusion."