VE / VJ Days Sound File Transcripts

Mayor of Dunedin's VE Day speech (mp3, 90k) Ref: MUCDR124, © Sound Archives

The mayor of this city is very fortunate in having a very helpful city council and a very efficient staff, and I want to thank them also. But I also want to thank the university students for their great help during the last two or three days {applause}. They've imparted a bit of hilarity and fun into the proceedings, which have added greatly to the enjoyment of the Dunedin public.

Broadcast from the VE Day parade in Dunedin (mp3, 150k). Ref: MUCDR125, © Sound Archives

{Sound of bagpipe band playing}

That's the Dunedin Highland Pipe Band that you can hear playing and their just turning down towards the Octagon now. It has often been said that Dunedin is the dour Scotch city, but there's been nothing of dourness about it on this occasion as the people have let themselves go properly. It started on Tuesday and the enthusiasm is still running high. On Tuesday the streets were littered with confetti and coloured papers of all sorts. There's been a great display of bunting…

John Allingham describes signing of the Japanese surrender (mp3, 537k). Ref: TXCDR 2798 © Sound Archives

We were escorted up a deck to a deck that was set aside for the ceremony and there quite a large party had assembled and kept being added to as others arrived. Everybody was chatting there – seemed to be only admirals and generals – and the main theme of conversation was, this is the day we've been waiting for. At about a quarter to nine, the main signatories were lined up behind the table that had been set out for the actual signing and the aides were lined behind the signatories. On the left were what seemed to be three or four rows of what seemed to be mainly generals and admirals and on the right were the press and cameramen on a specially built staging. Just in front of the table was left clear for the Japanese delegation.

In the line of the United Nations signatories were the following: Admiral Nimitz, for the United States, a Chinese general from China, Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser from the United Kingdom, the Russian general was next and then General Blamey from Australia. General Le Clerc from France was next with Colonel Cosgrave of Canada, Admiral Helfrich from the Netherlands and Air Vice-Marshal Isitt from New Zealand.

Just before nine o'clock the Japanese arrived, 11 altogether – four generals, three admirals and three governments – all headed by the Government signatory. The uniforms were very shabby indeed and the government ministers were in morning suits and top hats. They lined up in two rows with the government signatory, Shigemitsu, in front and stood there absolutely wooden without a flicker of an eyelid. Approximately at nine, General MacArthur came out of Admiral Halsey's cabin and spoke quietly into the microphone. It was just a short, simple speech and one could see that it was a great moment for him. When he had finished he called on the Japanese to sign the two copies that lay on the table. The foreign secretary then came to the table and produced the authority from the Emperor and from the Government of Japan and spread these papers – which were covered with Japanese lettering – on the table. He then signed – using his own pen – and was followed by the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, who also signed with his own pen – obviously and American make. General MacArthur then called generals Percival and Wainwright to assist him and he signed for the United Nations. He was followed by the United Nations representatives in turn and each of them gave the two pens – they used a different pen to sign each copy – to their aides at the table with them. When New Zealand's turn came there were no pens left and so the Air Vice-Marshal had to use his own pen and so I as his aide missed out. The proceedings then being declared closed by General MacArthur, he returned to Admiral Halsey's cabin and was followed by the signatories. The Japanese took their copy of the surrender document and departed, still as impassive as ever.

Listen to the fun and games of the VJ Day parade in Dunedin :

Parade (mp3, 406k)
Nuclear float (mp3, 480k)

Ref: TXCDR 2798, © Sound Archives

CLIP 1: Parade

{drunken mumbling}

Radio announcer (RA): Hello everyone, here we are situated in Prince's Street, just in front of the City Hotel and around me are thousands of people milling around, all down Prince's Street. And here now up come the Varsity band just passing, the St Kilda band has just gone past, and a procession of girls – there are thousands of people ranging right down from the Post Office right up Prince's Street and as far as the eye can see down George Street. And here now is the Varsity band who are playing their number.

{very drunken band playing}.

We have now the leader of the Varsity band, how are you? Are you enjoying the celebrations?

Student: 'Very Much' {laughter}

RA: Right, can you give us a tune?

Student: {unintelligible}

RA: Well we had that before – can we have something else? Is that the only tune you can play?

Student: 'To the Shores of Tripoli '

RA: Good-oh – let it go boys

Student: To the Shores of Tripoli, To the Shores of Tripoli, one! two! {very off-key playing and some random whistle blowing}

RA: Thank you boys, that was grand...

You can't see a vacant space in Prince's Street here, the crowd are absolutely jamming right across the road and right into the verandahs. They're right across the footpath, it's a terrific crowd here today for these victory celebrations on August the 15th 1945

PARADE CLIP 2: Nuclear Float

And here comes a car up the street gaily decorated with girls on it. I don't know exactly what it is, but there's some great big device on it and we'll see it when it comes a bit nearer…

[Someone in the crowd] 'How's it going Peter?'

RA: Very good, and how's yourself ?– I'm not Peter though. Never mind, it doesn't matter very much – every body calls everybody else different names today.

And this car is coming up with these girls – it looks like one of the factories to me. We're going right along the street with the microphone, right down the centre of Prince's Street. We're in front of the Strand Theatre now and this car's held up with the traffic. Girls are - on the front of it, there's a chap decorated as a nigger with a red cardigan on and black-stripped pants. Another chap in a Pero's [?] uniform – and about 15-20 girls on the truck. An they have a huge great atomic bomb! That's what it is, an atomic bomb on the truck. And they're going to blow up Hirohito. They're in the right mood for it here today too in this Prince's Street, Dunedin. We're away down...Prince's Street now – we have a long lead of cable – and here they come ringing their bells and bashing their plates. And they recognize the microphone.

RA: Hello girls, where are you from?

Girls: The DSA!

RA: The DSA – and they've got their red, white and blue on and they're mouth organs, and they have this huge atomic bomb on the back, it's a beauty! ….

They're just going past me and throwing streamers over the top of me and this atomic bomb has on it the pin-up girls of the [?] Supply, Dunedin. I'm getting strangled with this cable as they pull me back. It's got from something to Hitler on it, and Hirohito –but I can't see just what it is – and oh! The cable got caught round a hook on a motorcar and I nearly go dragged along Prince's Street!