VJ Day 80th anniversary: King hails veterans' courage and sacrifice
VJ Day, or Victory over Japan Day, is commemorated on 15 August each year and marks the date in 1945 when Japan surrendered to Allied forces, bringing World War Two to an end after nearly six years.An estimated 71,000 soldiers from the UK and the Commonwealth died fighting in the war against Japan, including upwards of 12,000 prisoners of war held in Japanese captivity.Events to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VJ Day will conclude with a reception for veterans at Windsor Castle later in the Autumn.
Actress Celia Imrie narrated the story of the war in the Far East at the service, as the experiences of those who took part in it were told in person and on screen.Royal Navy veteran Alfred Conway, from Lincolnshire, watched as his great-grandchildren laid a wreath on the Burma Thailand Railway memorial at the Arboretum.And George Durrant, who served in the intelligence corps, appeared on stage with his great-granddaughter as he urged people not to forget the sacrifices made by his comrades.There was also a tribute from poet Sir Ben Okri focusing on the contributions of soldiers who had enlisted from countries in the British Commonwealth to fight in Burma (now Myanmar).The event concluded with a flypast by historic World War Two-era aircraft including the Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster bomber.
In a six-minute audio message released before the service, the King vowed that those who fought and died in the Pacific and Far East "shall never be forgotten".He started by reflecting on the moment 80 years ago that his grandfather, King George VI, announced to the nation and Commonwealth that the war was over."For the millions of families gathered around their wireless sets, and for their loved ones still serving far from home, it was the message a battle-weary world had long prayed for," the King said.He said he was speaking in the "same spirit of commemoration and celebration as we honour anew all those whose service and sacrifice saw the forces of liberty prevail".The King also spoke of the British, Commonwealth and Allied forces who continued to fight for months after the war in Europe had ended.The soldiers became known as the "Forgotten Army", because people in Britain were more focused on events in Europe, where fighting had ended in May. He talked about the prisoners of war who endured horrific conditions in Japanese captivity - and all the "grievous hardships" faced by innocent civilians of occupied territories."Their experience reminds us that war's true cost extends beyond battlefields, touching every aspect of life - a tragedy all-too vividly demonstrated by conflicts around the world today."The King also acknowledged the "immense price" paid by the citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where more than 200,000 people died as a result of the US atomic bombings in August 1945 - some from the immediate blast and others from radiation sickness and burns afterwards.He said it was a "price we pray no nation need ever pay again".The King added: "But in recalling so much suffering, we must not lose sight of how great was the cause and how sweet the victory."He also cited the collaboration across faiths and cultural divides, saying: "Together they proved that, in times of war and in times of peace, the greatest weapons of all are not the arms you bear, but the arms you link. "That remains a vital lesson for our times."He said the "courage and camaraderie displayed in humanity's darkest hour is a flame that shall blaze for eternity - a beacon that honours our past and guides our future".The Prince and Princess of Wales also praised the "courage, sacrifice, and resilience" of those who fought in the Pacific and Far East in a message posted on social media, adding: "We owe an enduring debt to the generation who gave so much."
VJ Day commemorations began on Thursday with a sunset ceremony at the Memorial Gates in Green Park, in central London, which paid tribute to Commonwealth personnel who served and died in the Far East.As dawn broke on Friday, British military bagpipers played the lament Battle's O'er in the Far East section of the National Memorial Arboretum and at Edinburgh Castle - as well as in Nepal, Brunei, New Zealand, Japan and aboard HMS Prince of Wales, currently at sea in the Far East.A piper also performed at a Japanese peace garden in west London to reflect the reconciliation which has taken place between the UK and Japan in the decades since the war ended.
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