The end of the Second World War was celebrated across the world and military parades in British territories were a common way of marking the end of the conflict. The part played by the all volunteer Indian Army cannot be underestimated and it is doubtful Victory would have been possible in the Far East without the support of the men and resources of Imperial India. Today we have a selection of photographs taken at the Victory Parade in Ernakulum, a district of the state of Cochin on the Malabar coast. Cochin was one of the Princely states of India and ruled by the Maharaja of Cochin who pledged fealty to the British Crown. These images show a mixture of British and native troops parading, including many sailors of the RIN, reflecting the coastal nature of the region. The Headquarters of the Royal Indian Navy in Southern India was at HMS Chinkara on Willingdon Island on Lake Kochi and it is likely the men from this base who are captured on film here: