John Eskdale: 'Some Japanese didn't know the war was over'

John Eskdale was sent to Japan at the end of World War Two, where he helped to clear Japanese forces from Hong Kong.

He also worked to maintain peace in Japan after VJ Day, but as he ventured further away from the major cities he came across people who hadn't realised the war was over.

"In the new territories there were Japanese who didn't know the war was over, or didn't want to know that the war was over," he said.

John joined the armed forces in 1940 and two years later earned his Green Beret in the Royal Marines.

We Were There aims to collect as many first-hand accounts as possible by 2025, the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two, to preserve veterans' accounts for future generations.

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