Commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII
On 15 August 2025, South Australians joined the nation in commemorating Victory in the Pacific (VP) Day, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII (1939-45) for Australians.
It was 15 August 1945 when the War’s end was announced in an historic speech by Prime Minister Ben Chifley following Japan’s acceptance of the Allied Nations’ terms of surrender.
Around one million Australians served in WWII including nearly 55,000 South Australians – almost half of the state’s population at that time. Sadly, 3,363 were killed.
Annually, VP Day is also a time to remember Australia’s war efforts from 1942 to 1945 in the Pacific region, including in Singapore, Borneo, Malaya, Papua, New Guinea and New Britain.
Conflicts in WWII meant some 40,000 Australians didn’t return home to their families. Over 17,000 of them lost their lives while fighting in the war against Japan, some 8,000 of whom died in Japanese captivity.
On the 80th anniversary of the War’s end, Veterans SA invited the South Australian community to share in the stories of those people within our communities whose work has honoured the service and sacrifice of ordinary South Australians during the War.
