Southampton's veteran families are sharing stories as Victory over Japan Day commemoration events take place
The original whistle of the Queen Mary ship which brought soldiers home has sounded today in Southampton to commemorate veterans
Last updated 18th Aug 2025
Victory over Japan Day events have taken place across the county today to commemorate those who served.
Southampton's heard the original whistle from the Queen Mary ship which brought over 22,000 soldiers home.
Frank McGoldrick's father was on the ship as it returned to Southampton and he heard the whistle earlier today.
He said: "I've got my father's boarding card for his original trip on the Queen Mary.
"I've got it here today to tell you what deck he was assigned and which berth.
"It only took about five days, so they soon came across that Atlantic.
"But to think that I can stand there and listen to the whistle that my father heard when he came off that boat all those years ago?
"That will be very special."
Mr McGoldrick researched into his father's wartime experiences after not knowing anything.
He found that his father, Francis McGoldrick, was a gunner in the Royal Artillery, conscripted at age 19, and sent to the Far East at age 20.
Mr Goldrick's father spent years as a prisoner of war as a coalminer in Japan after being captured in Java, now Indonesia.
He survived the war and was taken back to Southampton on the Queen Mary, before returning to Manchester.
He added: "He never spoke about it, like all the others.
"I only found a few momentos in an old biscuit tin in his wardrobe after he died.
"I started, about 20 years ago, my research, and I've been able to find his whole trip.
"I actually spoke to two veterans from his regiment, who've sadly passed away now, but I did have the opportunity to speak to them, and they told me some anecdotes.
"So yeah, it's been a real privilege and experience to follow it through.
"I just hope people can remember this and what war can mean to a lot of people with the devastation it can create."
The events today have also included wreath laying at the Repatriation Memorial in Town Quay Park, and will later have an RAF Lancaster flyover.
James Baillie, Lord Mayor for Southampton, said: "In Southampton, we had a huge part to play in the Second World War.
"From the design of the Spitfire to millions of troops going through Southampton.
"In particular, for VJ Day, over 22,000 troops came back to the UK through Southampton.
"It's really important that we mark that because those troops are often referred to as the 'forgotten army' because there was all the celebrations of VE day, yet loads of troops were still stuck abroad, serving and in captivity.
"So it's really important that we remember them and the sacrifice they made as well."
Veterans and veterans families were earlier invited to board the Queen Mary II for a meal and to share their stories ahead of the original whistle sounding.
Walter Tuttlebee and his wife, Helen Tuttlebee, were invited onboard.
Mr Tuttlebee's father was called up in January 1941, and was assigned to anti-tank regiments.
His father's ship was diverted to Singapore to help defend the major British military base, an island at the southern tip of Malaya, where they were met by Japanese bombers.
Mr Tuttlebee's father was there for just over a month before Singapore surrendered on 15th February 1942, where he became a Prisoner of War for the next three and a half years.
He says most of his father's war was spent in Changi Prison where he was sent to be part of a "tunneling party" as a Prisoner of War.
He said: "He had a very good friend there who made a bracelet for him and a little badge that he brought back, saying 'to my pal'.
"Many of them needed a pal to survive, if they got ill, they needed someone to look after them, and he obviously had a pal called Stan.
"In August 1944, he received a photograph from my mum, the first photograph he had seen of my brother, who'd been born after he'd arrived in Singapore.
"For a good bit of that time, he was missing and presumed dead because they didn't know what had happened.
"The Japanese didn't provide lists of prisoners of war for quite some time."
Mr Tuttlebee told us how important he feels VJ Day is.
"It's important that they're not forgotten.
"When they came back, the war in Britain had ended six months earlier.
"More than that because he didn't get back until October, and the war ended in August.
"By that time, new government, new Prime Minister, they just wanted to get things moving, rebuild, and so they arrived back and they weren't really celebrated as they could've been."
Commemorations will continue tomorrow with a veteran parade and wreath laying.