V.J. Day signing in Tokyo

This story has been taken from an interview with the author, Andrew Andrews, and has been used with his permission. Elizabeth Rice conducted the interview and Mark Jeffers transcribed the story.

I was sent back to Devonport after fighting in the Battle of the Atlantic and was transferred onto the Duke of York, which set off and went round most of the world; Hong Kong, Malta, Australia, we travelled everywhere.

We got word then that we had to go to Tokyo to get the VJ papers signed and there were only two ships there, an American ship and the Duke of York. There were only 2 Irish people who knew anything about it. We made arrangements with the Yankees and ourselves that we’d get up very early the next morning and go into Tokyo and get the papers signed.

The next morning we got up and the Yankee ship was already away, so we proceeded up into Tokyo through the canal. We arrived up at the signing spot and the Yankee ship was sitting there. We dropped anchor beside her but unfortunately they had the papers and all signed and that was the end of the war.

Churchill put in the end of his book about the work the British fleet had done and how they proceeded to go up to Tokyo and get the papers signed. That was really fantastic because there were only two ships that went in, the American ship and the Duke of York.

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