Veteran says horrors of war ‘should never be forgotten' on anniversary of VJ Day

Independent

2 days ago

A 99-year-old veteran who served in the Second World War and helped evacuate prisoners of war after VJ Day has said the horrors of war 'should never be forgotten', on the 80th anniversary of the Japanese surrender.
Albert Lamond took part in D-Day in 1944 as an 18-year-old seaman, a year after joining the Royal Navy, and also served in the Pacific in the lead up to VJ Day on August 15, 1945 when Japan announced its surrender to the Allied forces.
Mr Lamond was involved in D-Day as a signalman on HMS Rowley, part of the 3rd Escort Group, when it was deployed to rendezvous with battleship HMS Warspite as it travelled to Normandy to shell German troops.
HMS Rowley's role was to act as a first line of defence by circling HMS Warspite and it was expected that the sailors would sacrifice their lives.
Mr Lamond survived and a year later, on VJ Day, his role was to evacuate Allied prisoners of war from remote islands and transport them to Australia.
Mr Lamond, who was 19 at the time, described the PoWs as 'living skeletons' but said they were still able to smile when they were rescued.
He had a career on the railways after leaving the Navy, and now lives in McKellar House at Erskine Veterans Village in Renfrewshire.
Mr Lamond said: 'Sometimes it feels like yesterday. I can still see it so clearly – from D-Day to the long months that followed in the Pacific in the run-up to VJ Day. Those memories never leave you.
'By the time VJ Day came, I was heading towards the Philippines. We were preparing for more fighting when the news came through about the surrender. After years of horror, that was it, the war was finally over.
'I remember feeling an enormous sense of relief, but also a deep sadness for those who didn't make it home. We had seen the cost of war up close, the lives lost, the suffering endured, and I knew that for many families, the relief of peace was mixed with grief that would never fade.
'Our job wasn't over though, and orders changed. Instead of heading into battle, we were sent to evacuate Allied prisoners of war from remote islands and transport them to Australia for medical treatment.
'I will never forget the sight of those men we brought home – they were living skeletons. The sight of them moved the entire crew. Those men had been through unimaginable suffering, but still managed the courage to smile, to shake our hands, and to thank us. It was a humbling experience that I remember clear as day.
'For me, VJ Day will always be about more than the end of the war in the Pacific, it was the final chapter in a war that had shaped my young life.
'You never forget the war, never mind VJ Day, and you never forget the people you served with. The horrors should never be forgotten.'
His nephew Richard Copeland said: 'I grew up hearing these stories of danger, bravery, and moments that shaped the world.
'Albert didn't just serve in one part of the war, he saw it all, from the Arctic convoys to D-Day, and then on to the Pacific and VJ Day. To me, he's the embodiment of courage. When he would tell us all about those days, you could feel the weight of history in his voice.
'Although we were captivated, we also knew the harsh realities of what he had been through. Hearing him continue to speak about these moments keeps the war alive and not just confining them to pages of a history book.
'It's real, it's human, and it happened to someone I love. His memories shine a light on parts of the conflict people rarely hear about but should be remembered.
'Places like Erskine Veterans Charity do a wonderful job caring for veterans of all ages and conflicts, but they also carry the responsibility of making sure stories like Albert's are never lost.
'I'm so proud of him, not only for what he experienced but for also reliving the hardest moments of his life so that others can understand the true cost of war.'