VJ Day 2025 – For Your Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today
This short documentary honours The Royal Scots who served in the Far East during the Second World War — from the siege of Hong Kong to the jungles of Burma, and through years of brutal captivity as prisoners of war.
It tells the often-overlooked story of those who fought, fell, and endured — including the tragic sinking of the Lisbon Maru, where hundreds of British prisoners of war, including many Royal Scots, were lost.
Featuring first-hand testimony, historical insight, and newly uncovered accounts, the film marks 80 years since the end of the war in the Pacific.
Often overshadowed by the war in Europe, the Far East campaign demanded extraordinary courage, endurance, and sacrifice.
Some Royal Scots endured shipwreck, forced labour, and unimaginable hardship. Others never returned.
Their stories deserve to be remembered.
You can view the film on The Royal Scots YouTube Chanel here – https://youtu.be/IZltw7JHbaI?feature=shared
#VJDay80 #RoyalScots #WW2 #FarEastCampaign #LisbonMaru #BurmaCampaign #LestWeForget @royalscots1894
PRESENTATION OF TREES
On a crisp, clear morning on Saturday, 31 March 1984 former members of the Carrier Platoon 1st Battalion The Royal Scots assembled in the grounds of Lauriston Castle to gift twelve* trees to the City of Edinburgh, in memory of their comrades who were killed in action in Burma in 1943 and 1944.
Thanks to the initiative of George Rogers of Stichell, the trees, four each of Red Oak and Horse Chestnut and two each of Large Leaf Lime and Copper Beech, had been carefully selected and well positioned. To the accompaniment of pipe music by Lance Corporal Banner 1 RS, veteran members of the Carrier Platoon planted the trees with great thoroughness and care.
Major Dick Crockatt, who commanded the Carrier Platoon in Burma, had travelled up from the Channel Islands specially for the occasion. Major Crockatt planted the last tree on the north lawn, and the trees were accepted on behalf of the Edinburgh District Council by Mrs Moira Knox. All present then stood in memory of their fallen comrades.
The Roll of Honour of the Carrier Platoon: Lt AM Barnetson (A Coy) 03/04/1943; LCpl Eric Bracken REME 03/04/1943; Sgt E. D. Dawson 03/04/1943; Pte N. Hardaker 16/03/1945; LCpl Arthur Hepburn 22/04/1944; Pte George Hollock 03/04/1943; Cpl C. Ingram 13/07/1945; Pte J. Keenan 07/05/1944; Cpl J. McDonald 03/04/1943; Pte M. McGillvray 05/05/1944; Pte C. Mitchell 03/04/1943; Pte E. F. Rourke 03/04/1943; Pte J. R. Sandilands 03/04/1943; Cpl E. Sharkey 21/08/1944.
Former members of the Carrier Platoon present were: Major R. M. Crockatt, Mr Tom Allison, Mr Benny Doherty, Mr Jimmy Dolbear, Mr Ian Henderson, Mr Jeff Hodge, Mr Frank Murphy, Mr Benny Reid, Mr George Rogers, Mr Nobby Sanders, and Mr Jim Souness, with some members of their families.
The ceremony was followed by refreshments and an excellent lunch in the Lauriston Farm restaurant. Altogether it was a moving and memorable occasion in the splendid setting of the grounds of Lauriston Castle, with its magnificent views across the Firth of Forth.
The Thistle – May 1984
*Since the original planting, additional trees have been planted to bring the number up to 17. The cost of the memorial was borne by members’ subscriptions, but it is probably true to say that most, if not all, the trees were gifted by George Rogers, a former member of the Carrier Platoon. George has generously also given time and labour to ensure that the trees are properly planted and maintained, and his efforts deserve a wider recognition.
The Thistle – May 1997
Images of the Memorial can be found on the Imperial War Museum website – 1st Battalion Royal Scots in Burma WW2 | War Imperial War Museums
Jack Barnetson brother of Alex Barnetson is one of the WW2 Veterans interviewed in the Royal Scots Scottish Soldiers- World War 2 Memories here –
The Royal Scots Regimental Trust will hold a memorial service on Saturday 16 August 2025 at The Royal Scots Memorial Garden at Lauriston Castle, for more info see here – VJ Thanksgiving Service | The Royal Scots
The Lisbon Maru
The second draft of prisoners of war to be sent from Hong Kong to Japan was embarked on the S.S. Lisbon Maru on 25 September 1942, under the command of Lieutenant Wada.
Officers and other ranks, a total of 1,816, were all accommodated in three holds, with the Royal Navy in the front hold, the 2nd Battalion The Royal Scots, the 1st Battalion The Middlesex Regiment and the small units in the second hold just in front of the bridge, and the Royal Artillery in the third hold immediately behind the bridge. There was not quite enough room for all men to lie down at the same time. The men were allowed on deck for fresh air at prescribed periods. There were also some 778 Japanese troops, and a guard of 25 for the Prisoners of war, on board.
At 0700 hrs. on 1 October 1942, while the prisoners were waiting in the hold for morning roll call, the ship was struck by a torpedo fired from an American submarine off the coast of China.
While the ship was sinking, the prisoners were left to drown in the holds that were battened down. As the prisoners tried to escape, many were shot by the Japanese guards.
About three to five miles away were some islands towards which a swift current was running, but the islands appeared to be rocky and dangerous. Some men reached the islands, but many were lost on the rocky coast. Others were picked up by Chinese junks and sampans which put out from the islands. These Chinese treated the men with great kindness, giving them food and clothing from their meagre supplies and looking after them until the Japanese landing party came to recover them.
All the recovered prisoners were gradually reassembled at Shanghai. From an original total of 1,816, 970 answered their names, leaving 846 missing, who had to be assumed drowned. Of these some half-dozen had managed to escape with the aid of the Chinese.
Lieutenant G W Hamilton of the 2nd Battalion The Royal Scots said in 1945 that whilst he was a prisoner of war in Japan “the Japanese constantly wished us to denounce the Americans for having sunk the Lisbon Maru and indeed stated in their papers that we had done so. It is unnecessary to stress the absurdity of this falsehood. The Lisbon Maru was not marked in any way to indicate that she carried prisoners of war and was in every way similar to an ordinary armed transport.”
Of the 373 Royal Scots on board the Lisbon Maru 144 died. 33 subsequent died in captivity and 196 were liberated.
There is a 2024 film entitled ‘The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru’, a Chinese documentary about the sinking of the Lisbon Maru, produced and directed by Fang Li. Extracts from the film feature in The Royal Scots short VJ Day 2025 film here https://youtu.be/IZltw7JHbaI?feature=shared
For more information about The 2nd Battalion The Royal Scots and the Lisbon Maru including a list of all those killed please see the link below – Lisbon Maru | The Royal Scots
There is also a Lisbon Maru relatives and friends group on Facebook here – https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwicovH_4fSOAxWyxwIHHR1oAmMQFnoECBgQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fgroups%2F808843147375824%2Fposts%2F1256971282563006%2F&usg=AOvVaw1V3-sAepfUsjobpFgBLGej&opi=89978449
The 2nd Battalion The Royal Scots (2RS) arrived in Hong Kong in January 1938, having left England in 1926 for Egypt then successively China (Shanghai), and Quetta and Lahore in India.
A short film featuring a 2RS Sports Day in Hong Kong can be found here – https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Df1PnQUCi/?mibextid=wwXIfr
In the summer of 1940 nearly all The Royal Scots families, c40 in total, with the exception of one or two wives who were members of the Nursing Detachment of the Volunteers, were evacuated to Australia.
The Japanese attacked Hong Kong in December 1941.
The 2nd Battalion fought heroically but the result was inevitable and the whole Battalion had been killed, wounded or were captured by the time the Colony surrendered on Christmas Day.
A full transcript of the 2nd Battalion War Diary can be found here courtesy of Adam Bruce-Watt – https://www.royalscotskosbwardiaries.co.uk/_files/ugd/29af12_2127d42cd9e143f0a6c45941df00d62a.pdf
#VJDay80 #HongKong #RoyalScotsBulletin
Friday 15th August 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of Victory over Japan (VJ Day 80), and the end of the Second World War.
The Royal Scots Museum Outreach Team will hold a VJ Day 80 event at the Central Library in Edinburgh, the event will feature:
- A Family Research Area, staffed by: Museum research volunteers, National Records Scotland, Scottish Geneological Society and Commonwealth War Graves Commission- with access to:
- Regimental War Diaries
- Regimental Journal “The Thistle”
- Royal Scots WW2 Attestation Books
- Documents and Photographs from the RS Museum Archive
- and much more…
2. A small display of Royal Scots related Items and Memorabilia.
3. Display boards telling the stories of:
- 2nd Battalion The Royal Scots who at the outbreak of WW2 were serving on Garrison Duty in Hong Kong.
- The sinking of the Lisbon Maru.
- 1st Battalion The Royal Scots, who after the evacuation of Dunkirk in 1940 were reconstituted at Bradford and were responsible for a stretch of the Yorkshire coastal defences. The Battalion was then sent to India in 1942.
- Officers & Soldiers from the Royal Scots who served with specialist units in the Far East.
4. The Museum’s new 12-minute VJ80th film, including interviews with those Royal Scots who served in the Far East and their families.
The Family Research Area will run from the 12th – 15th August, 10am – 4.30pm.
Admission is FREE
