Royal family releases 1945 throwback snap of Prince Philip from when he was First Lieutenant aboard HMP Whelp that saved Japanese PoWs at end of WWII to mark 75 years since VJ Day
- Prince Philip, 99, was aboard HMS Whelp when Japanese surrendered in 1945
- He saw the surrender take place 200 yards away with a pair of binoculars
- Royal Family shared black and white picture on their official Instagram account
The Royal Family have released a black and white picture of a young Prince Philip from when he was First Lieutenant aboard Navy destroyer, the HMP Whelp that saved Japanese prisoners of war in 1945.
They shared the picture to mark today’s 75th anniversary of of Victory in Japan day writing: ‘Did you know that The Duke of Edinburgh was on active service in Tokyo Bay when the Japanese surrendered on VJ Day?
‘His Royal Highness joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1939.
Royal Family have released this black and white picture of Prince Philip in 1945 who was aboard HMS Whelp when the Japanese surrendered in Tokyo Bay
‘Following active service during the Second World War in HMS RAMILLIES, HMS VALIANT and HMS WALLACE, he served in HMS WHELP as First Lieutenant.
‘On VJ Day, the Ship’s Crew in HMS WHELP helped to recover Prisoners of War.’
The Duke of Edinburgh recalled his experiences of the historic day in Tokyo Bay in a BBC interview recorded in 1995.
‘I suppose I spent longer in [HMP] Whelp than in any other ship and I was first and second in command from beginning to end,’ he said.
‘And it took me all the way from Scapa Flow to Tokyo and back again.
‘Being in Tokyo Bay with the surrender ceremony taking place in a battleship, which was 200 yards away. You could see what was going on with a pair of binoculars,’ recalled the Duke in a 1995 interview
‘Being in Tokyo Bay with the surrender ceremony taking place in a battleship, which was 200 yards away. You could see what was going on with a pair of binoculars.
‘It was a great relief. I remember from there we went on to Hong Kong and [had] the most extraordinary sensation when we sailed.
‘We suddenly realised we didn’t have to darken ship anymore, we didn’t have to close all the scuttles, we didn’t have to turn all the lights out.
‘All these little things built up to suddenly feeling that life was different.’
The HMS WHELP took onboard a number of emaciated Prisoners of War that had been held by the Japanese.
The Duke described the emotional moment they collected the released PoWs.
The HMS WHELP took onboard a number of released Prisoners of War that had been held by the Japanese who were emaciated
‘These people were naval people. They were emaciated and they sat down in the mess [hall],’ he said.
‘They were suddenly in an atmosphere which they recognised.
‘And our ships company also recognised that they were fellow sailors as they gave them a cup of tea.
‘It was an extraordinary sensation because they just sat there, both sides, our own and them, I mean just tears pouring down their cheeks.
‘They just drank their tea, they really couldn’t speak.
The Duke of Edinburgh features in the DCMS ‘Then and Now’ project, which recognises a small sample of individuals who served and supported the war effort until the victory over Japan.
Images appeared on big screens across the country to mark today’s 75th anniversary of VJ Day.