This letter from Fred is to his brother Bob. It is postmarked “2nd September, TOKYO BAY”. The letter was kept by Bob (my father) and I found it when my mother passed away, amongst all her photographs and Bob’s medals.
Fred was a Colour Sergeant Major in the Royal Marines – his ship was HMS Duke of York. At the time of the letter, York was attached to the US Pacific Fleet and so was moored in Tokyo Bay on the day of the formal Japanese surrender which took place on board the USS Missouri. Earlier in the war, the Duke of York carried Churchill across the Atlantic to meet President Roosevelt soon after Pearl Harbour.
Bob served in the 2nd Battalion Queens Royal Regiment – he saw service in North Africa and was Mentioned in Dispatches for bravery. He was then shipped over to India for jungle training to become a Chindit. He was in the second Chindit expedition (Operation Thursday) – marching over 500 miles with columns 21 and 22 (unknown which exact column Bob was in). They were to secure the landing strips deep in the Burmese jungle in order to allow the remainder of the force to be flown in.
Bob was back in the UK when he received the letter from Fred. Bob had recently become engaged to Joan Mary Gloster (my Mum). Joan had served in the ATS during the war, stationed in Birmingham.
