'After VE Day, we were set to fight Japan for years'

A FORMER head of the Royal Navy in Scotland has recalled how he spent VE Day fearing the war would continue for years in the Far East.

- By Sarah Ward

Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Baird, 100, said sailors were anticipating the conflict with Japan would go on.

Despite hearing radio broadcasts of VE Day celebrations in England, Sir Tom said his war continued until August 15, 1945, when Japan surrendered, days after atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

He returned to the UK that September, and said there were no celebrations when he arrived back home.

Sir Tom said:

“I was on board HMS Rapid on VE Day. From May 8, when war with Hitler finished, we were in the Indian Ocean. We weren’t expecting to come back for a few years or so.