Family history of service: How WW2 deployment to Far East inspired next Navy career
The 80th anniversary of the Allied victory over Japan – VJ Day – is marked on 15 August.
Thousands of British and Commonwealth servicemen fought on for three months after the war in Europe ended, alongside their American, Russian and Chinese allies.
BFBS Forces News reporter Tim Cooper has been to meet an officer in the Royal Navy, whose grandfather was serving in the Far East when the war came to an end.
Lieutenant Commander Chris Shaw serves on the Royal Navy's HMS Defender and HMS Diamond and is also the officer in charge of the Type 45 refit support group.
He followed on from his grandfather, Able Seaman Leonard Oxley, who joined the Royal Navy in 1943 at the age of 18 and was first deployed to Australia during the Second World War as part of the British Pacific Fleet.
"His role as an armourer was to make sure that the weapons were fitted to the aircraft as they were building them and repairing them, so that whenever they were required – if they had lost an aircraft in action – they were resupplied from a forward operating base, which was Ponam Island," said Lt Cdr Shaw.
These kinds of stories, which his grandfather shared of his wartime experience, were an incentive for him to join the Navy.
"He was demobbed in 1946, but his stories inspired [me] a 13-year-old young chap to join the Navy – I joined at 16, in 1991, and I've now currently served 34 years."
The end of the war in the Far East came as a direct result of the nuclear bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
A truly horrendous world event, but it did prevent what would have been an arduous and deadly invasion by the Allies of mainland Japan.
AB Oxley was stationed at Ponam Island in Papua New Guinea when he heard the announcement that the Japanese had surrendered.
"When he was out there, they had... a correspondence where they used to get, like a newsletter, and they called it the Jungle Echo," he said.
Lt Cdr Shaw has kept a precious yellowed copy of the newsletter.
"There's… an entry which was dispatched to everybody through the Jungle Echo, which announced the surrender of the Japanese, back in 1945.
"It was a sense of elation, but also of understanding that we were able to finish the war as we had… as he was serving out there... they were still fighting, when the UK were actually, celebrating VE day."
Even after Japan had surrendered, the deployment was not yet over for his grandfather, who eventually served for three years.
"They had a lot of work to do, namely recovery of service personnel, who were being used in Japan, and to make sure that they were safe," he added.
"He didn't get back to home waters until 1946."
Lt Cdr Shaw says the upcoming 80th anniversary of VJ Day is a time for remembrance.
"We have to honour the service and we have to remember… not only those who are still alive now and we thank them for their service, but also to just remember loved ones who never returned, or over the 80 years have sadly passed away, because if it wasn't for their effort, we wouldn't have been in the position which we are today."
His grandfather also showed a keen interest in supporting his military career.
"He had a bit of a glint in his eyes when he used to tell me his stories, because it was a recollection of what he'd done and he was immensely proud," he said.
"All my family was very proud of me joining the Royal Navy, but he had that particular bond and loved the little stories and tales which I'd get up to on my deployments, and he enjoyed having that connection again.
"The Navy is a global operator and has always been a global operator for hundreds of years, so we're just doing exactly the same as what my grandfather did back 80 years ago, and that's one of the things of being in the Navy and being a service person, is that we operate without fear or favour to do our best globally."
Despite his already long service, Lt Cdr Shaw says he has no intention of retiring just yet, still inspired by AB Oxley.
"I've got a few more years left in me so, hopefully, I'll leave the service with the same ethos and the same values as what my grandfather did... 80 years ago," he added.
Events to mark the end of the Second World War after Victory over Japan Day will take place across the country.
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