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Marine Diary - Serving in the Far East

online resource
posted on 2024-06-05, 19:51 authored by Their Finest Hour Project Team

Bernard Bradley Stowe was a fitness instructor in the Marines, serving in the Far East in 1945. His diary records that on 11th May he was on a ship bound for India, and they celebrated VE day with a bottle of beer and corned beef.

On 16th August 1945, he records ships celebrating VJ day with rockets, sirens and searchlights. He had a feeling of 'unspeakable relief that the end has come', and hoped that he would soon be repatriated.

In September 1945 he was on the first ship to enter Singapore since it was occupied by the Japanese in 1942. Although their landing was not opposed safety could not be guaranteed. Japanese soldiers had looted before they left when Japan surrendered.

History

Item list and details

1. Photograph of Bernard Stowe (centre) with two colleagues 2. Bernard's Diary May 1945 3. Bernard's Diary August 1945 4. Bernard's Diary September 1945

Person the story/items relate to

Bernard Bradley Stowe

Person who shared the story/items

Anon

Relationship between the subject of the story and its contributor

Father

Type of submission

Shared at Ahmadiyyah Mosque Hall, Warwickshire on 7 October 2023. The event was organised by Leamington History Group.

Record ID

96896 | LEA072