· Melbourne
1945 – the Viewpoint of Japanese Veterans
Peter Williams draws on interviews with Japanese veterans to examine how servicemen experienced the end of the Pacific War, surrender and captivity.
Watch the conference recordingFighting to the Finish
Dr Peter Williams presented this talk at Fighting to the Finish: Australia in 1945 – Strategy, Victory and Legacy, held by Military History & Heritage Victoria at Caulfield RSL, Elsternwick, Melbourne on .
The presentation explores veterans’ differing responses to news of Japan’s surrender, their encounters with Australian troops and their memories of the war. The accompanying slides preserve individual accounts; these are veterans’ recollections, rather than a single account shared by all Japanese servicemen.
Japanese veteran interviews
Peter’s oral-history research also informs Japan’s Pacific War: Personal Accounts of the Emperor’s Warriors. The conference programme describes his interviews with 100 Second World War veterans while teaching in Japan.
For a separate discussion of that fieldwork, watch his 2024 WW2TV interview, “Interviewing Japanese Veterans”.
Conference sources
- Official programme (PDF): date, venue, speaker biography and session listing.
- Peter’s presentation slides (PDF).
- Organiser’s conference report and recordings.
For lectures, research and historical consulting, see Peter’s services or enquire about a talk.