Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives During the Second World War

Facts about this day

• World War II was one of the deadliest international conflicts in history. A total of 60 to 80 million people were killed. Civilians comprised about 50-55 million of these deaths while military troops comprised 21 to 25 million.
• Several countries chose to remain neutral during World War II. These included Estonia, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
• The observance aligns with Victory in Europe (VE) Day – celebrated on May 8 – which marks the end of World War II in Europe. It was on this day in 1945 when Nazi Germany officially surrendered to the Allied forces.

In the News and Trending in Australia for Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives During the Second World War

Top things to do in Australia for this observance

• Visit one of the many war memorials around the world. Some popular memorials include the National World War II memorial in Washington, DC or the Cenotaph in London, United Kingdom. Another popular memorial is the Mamayev Kurgan (The Motherland Calls) in Volgograd, Russia.
• Visit Camp Pell, the former US Army training base turned tourist attraction in Victoria that was used during the Second World War to prepare soldiers for combat in the Pacific. Camp Pell is located in the suburb of Parkville in Melbourne.
• Visit Kokoda Trail Memorial Walkway in Sydney, which commemorates the Australian soldiers who fought and died in the Papua New Guinea campaign during the Second World War.

References and related sites