Unseen WWII letters and diaries released for VJ Day's 80th anniversary
A powerful collection of wartime letters, diaries, and photographs – never before shared with the public – has been unveiled online today to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day.
Frank in uniform, dated January 1941.
Credit: The Watson Collection, Their Finest Hour, University of Oxford.The story is told through more than 2,600 scanned items, including diary entries, official documents, handwritten memoirs, photographs, mementos from captivity, and May’s letters – many never sent or intended for others to read.
Dr Matthew Kidd, who prepared the materials for publication, said: ‘The Watson Collection offers an unusually complete picture of wartime life, both overseas and at home. It is incredibly rich, honest, moving, and full of material that will be of interest to anyone interested in the human side of the war.’
The digitisation was funded by Andrew Watson, the couple’s son, who generously made the materials publicly accessible through the Their Finest Hour Online Archive. The collection is freely available to explore online from today.
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