On this date in 1945, Japan surrendered to the British at former City Hall
A victory parade was held in Singapore
Seventy-nine years ago today (Sept 12), the Japanese officially surrendered to the British, bringing an end to their occupation of Southeast Asia.
This historic moment took place at the Municipal Building, later renamed City Hall, now part of the National Gallery. Two weeks earlier, on Sept 2, 1945, the formal surrender of Japan to General Douglas MacArthur took place aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. Ten days later, it was Lord Louis Mountbatten, the Supreme Allied Commander in Southeast Asia, who accepted the Japanese surrender in Singapore at 11.10am.
The ceremony was attended by high-ranking Allied officers, commanders, and four guards-of-honour, representing the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force, the Indian Army, and the Australian paratroopers. There was even a fleet band playing, while a 17-gun salute by the Royal Artillery echoed through the city. Mountbatten inspected the troops before heading into the chamber for the formal surrender.
