There are many ways you can get involved with VJ Day, either outdoors while following social distancing guidance, or online.
Here’s a selection of some of things you can do and ways you can find out more:
Discover your WW2 history
You can use these online resources to discover your local and family Second World War histories and connections:
To help commemorate VJ Day, Ancestry is opening selected worldwide records and sharing expert advice to help you research the untold stories of the war. Discover more about your family’s history.
Share your WW2 history
Do you have a Second World War or VJ Day connection? Share it with us at ve-vjday75@dcms.gov.uk
On social media
Share your Second World War stories, family histories and messages of remembrance on social media. Use #VJDay75 to join the conversation now.
Find your local memorial
You can use these resources to find out more about memorials near you:
- IWM’s War Memorials Register allows you to search almost 90,000 UK war memorials and the names of more than 1.2 million people. To search for your local war memorials type in the name of your village, town or city and click search. You can narrow down the results by using filters which include, location, war commemorated and memorial type.
- Commonwealth War Graves lists more than 170,000 UK war graves across 13,000 different locations, searchable on its website, so you can find out more about war graves near you. Alternatively, you can download the War Graves App and use its “What’s near me” function to find sites near you.
If you find out more about your family’s history or your local community’s contribution and would like to share what you’ve learned, use #VJDay75 or email us at ve-vjday75@dcms.gov.uk
VJ Day in your home
- Use our dedicated toolkit for resources and branding for your activity, including social media graphics, posters to print and personalise and fun worksheets for the kids to colour in.
- Submit a couple of sentences, and a photo if you have one, to remember a loved one who fought during the world wars – or just to give thanks for everyone who fought for their country. These will be displayed on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s digital Wall of Remembrance.
- The Royal British Legion is asking you to share a story or message of thanks to those who served in the Far East on its interactive map. Explore the RBL’s website showcasing the broad contribution of the Commonwealth.
- The National Army Museum, the Royal Air Force Museum, the National Museum of the Royal Navy and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission have teamed up for a full programme of content for you to enjoy from your own home, including online talks, events and virtual tours.
- Contribute to Historic England’s digital project ‘VE to VJ Day: 75 Places that Witnessed the War”. From ordinary places that sheltered the Blitz-weary, to well-known sites of military might, the collection will feature stories of listed places that harbour wartime histories. The final collection will be revealed on VJ Day.
Other ways to get involved
- Join the Premier League Academies in marking VJDay 75 by sending paper cranes to Big Ideas, where they will be assembled into a paper wreath to be laid at the Children’s Peace Monument in the Hiroshima Memorial Peace Park.
- IWM will be sharing new digital public artwork from Es Devlin and Machiko Weston called “I Saw The World End” which will explore the dropping of the atomic bombs and aftermath of the Second World War. The IWM’s programme also includes Voices of War – audio compilations from IWM’s rich sound archive which will invite audiences to question what the end of the war to people around the world.
Learn more about the history of VJ Day
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- Download the National Memorial Arboretum and the Royal British Legion’s Children’s Activity Pack including fact sheets, word searches and drawings to colour in.
- The Royal British Legion’s Teaching Remembrance covers a range of Remembrance topics, with resources designed for Key Stages 2-4.
- BBC Resources for KS2: VE Day and VJ Day
- UK Parliament during WWII – its role, the decisions made and the laws passed for primary and secondary pupils.