Meet the 100-year-old VJ Day hero who witnessed Japan’s official Second World War surrender
A 100 -year -old World War II veteran who witnessed the official ceremony pointed out the surrender of Japan, talked about his memoirs 80 years after the end of the conflict.
Reg Draper was a store assistant at HMS Duke of York, Royal Navy Battleship HMS Duke of York, which set sail on the coast of Japan in August 1945, when the country surrendered.
Among the memories he spent at sea, a daily Tot Rom arrangement for each member of the crew and Queen II. Elizabeth’s future husband is the worst of a hockey struggle.
West Yorkshire, Leeds, growing in Leeds, Mr. Draper, the crew, Japan’s surrender news of the captain cheered, he said.
“All the ships gathered in the Gulf of Tokyo with the American ship, USS Missouri, and Missouri, where they signed the peace agreement.
“Then we all went back to Australia and went and celebrated – we went to Tasmania and everyone got four days on Hobart.
“Everyone wanted to take us to their homes and had a few dances in the dance hall.”
When Mr. Draper went to USS Missouri to help his friend, the official photographer of the ship, he witnessed the first hand signing of the Japanese delivery certificate instrument.
The 80th anniversary of the victory in Japan is marked on Friday with a souvenir event organized by the Royal British Legion at the National Memorial Arboretum.
Mr. Draper plans to watch the ceremony on television from his home in Elton.
18. On his birthday, he volunteered for the royal navy and said that the worst part of participation was to remove all teeth after determining that the medical examination had problems with the gums.
He completed his education at the Butlins Holiday Camp in Skegness and was sent to HMS Ambrose at a submarine base in Dundee, Scotland, before serving at HMS Duke of York.
One of his duties about the ship was to rational the rum to take a tot of 11:00.
He said he was served cleanly to the chefs and small officers, and would be irrigated for the rest of the crew.
Draper I have been drunk since I could do it since I could do it, ”Draper said.
When asked that this did not contribute to his long life and contributes, 100 -year -old: “Well, that’s the only thing I put in.” He said.
When Mr. Draper carried out convoy to Russia to offer materials to Russia and sailed to Sydney, Australia before joining the East Indian Islands fleet in 1945, he served in HMS Duke of York.
He said: ık We started to go to the islands, we threw the Japanese from the islands. ”
Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945 after dropping atomic bombs to Hiroshima and Nagasaki cities at the beginning of the month.
Mr. Draper said: ık We haven’t heard much about it until the captain came to the captain. ”
HMS Duke of York accompanied the two royal navy as the first lieutenant of Edinburgh’s deceased Duke Prince Philip, including HMS Wheelp.
Mr. Draper said that Philip, who came to the ship when the ship was placed, had a permanent memory.
He said: “We made deck hockey on the quarter deck and the deck hockey was the murder.
“He overturned me once and hit me when he returned, he still has a trace, he gave me a influence with his hockey bar.
“He just came to see me to see how I was. They just put a stitch and it was good.”
Years after the war, the couple came together again when Mr. Draper was on the royal navy reserves and trained the sea students in Wirral and Cheshire for the Duke of Edinburgh.
He said that Philip saw his medals and remembered that he was a part of the crew accompanying his ship, but he did not mention Hockey games.
Mr. Draper, Japan’s return journey from Japan to 21 years of age, and there are more than 2,000 people on board because they are hosting prisoners of war.
The father of the two, who continued to work as an insurance seller, said it took time to return to dry land.
He said: “When we passed through the Bay of Biscay at once, the springs of the ship were 24ft up, 24ft down, and it was hard to go like this.
“You get used to it. Especially if you are hammock, it shakes you to sleep.
“One of the most comfortable sleep I have!”
