King Charles will address the nation tomorrow morning at 7.30am
The King has paid tribute to those who fought and died in the Pacific and Far East for the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, saying their service and sacrifice 'shall never be forgotten'.
In an echo of the historic address delivered by his grandfather, King George VI, announcing the end of the Second World War on August 15, 1945, the monarch has recorded a special message to the Nation, Realms and Commonwealth to mark the occasion.
During the six minute audio broadcast, Charles will reference the experience endured by Prisoners of War, and to the innocent civilians of occupied lands in the region, whose suffering ' reminds us that war's true cost extends beyond battlefields, touching every aspect of life'.
The King's message, exclusively revealed by The Mirror earlier this month, was recorded last week in the Morning Room at Clarence House.
In the personally penned address, Charles will also describe how the heroes of VJ Day 'gave us more than freedom; they left us the example of how it can and must be protected', since victory was made possible by close collaboration between nations, 'across vast distances, faiths and cultural divides'.
His Majesty will also comment on how the selfless determination of our greatest generation demonstrated 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'.
The King's full message will be released at 7.30am in the UK tomorrow as commemorations take place across the world.
On August 15, 1945, King George VI spoke to the nation to herald the beginning of a new era for Britain and Europe, saying: 'Japan has surrendered, so let us join in thanking Almighty God that war has ended throughout the world, and that in every country men may now turn their industry, skill, and science to repairing its frightful devastation and to building prosperity and happiness.
'Our sense of deliverance is overpowering, and with it all, we have a right to feel that we have done our duty. I ask you again at this solemn hour to remember all who have laid down their lives, and all who have endured the loss of those they love.'
As part of national commemorations next week the country is set to fall silent for two minutes to honour the 80th anniversary of VJ Day.
The King and Queen will also tomorrow attend a service of remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, featuring a 400-strong contingent from the armed forces, a display by the Red Arrows and historic planes from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
Organised in collaboration with the Royal British Legion (RBL), the remembrance service will be attended by Second World War veterans, who Charles and Camilla will meet.
As part of the commemorations this year, the King, 76, in January travelled to Poland to commemorate 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. The monarch said "the act of remembering the evils of the past remains a vital task" as he met Holocaust survivors in Poland.
While VE Day, on May 8, 1945, marked the conclusion of the war in Europe, the fight against Japanese forces in Asia and the Pacific continued for three more months, involving thousands of British and Commonwealth troops.
During four days of commemorations in London, King Charles welcomed some of the last remaining WWII veterans and their families to Buckingham Palace for a special engagement to acknowledge their sacrifice.
At a concert in Horse Guards Parade he further echoed the words of his grandfather saying: 'His words echo down through history as all this week, and especially today, we unite to celebrate and remember with an unwavering and heartfelt gratitude, the service and sacrifice of the wartime generation who made that hard-fought victory possible.
"While our greatest debt is owed to all those who paid the ultimate price, we should never forget how the war changed the lives of virtually everyone.'
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Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
King Charles to lead commemorations to mark 80th anniversary of VJ Day
LONDON, Aug 14 (Reuters) - King Charles will lead British commemorations on Friday for the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, which marks victory over Japan and the end of World War Two, with famous buildings across the country lit up to mark the occasion. While fighting in Europe ended in May 1945, the conflict with Japan continued until it signalled its intention to surrender on August 15 that year after atom bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States. Charles will be joined by his wife Queen Camilla, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the Japanese ambassador and veterans for a National Service of Remembrance to pay tribute to those who were killed in the final three months of the war. There will be a flypast featuring historic military planes and a two-minute silence at midday. "Eighty years since our victory in the Second World War, we pay our respects to the many who fought, were captured, and made the ultimate sacrifice in the Far East," Starmer said in a statement. "Our country owes a great debt to those who fought for a better future, so we could have the freedoms and the life we enjoy today." At dawn military bagpipers will perform at The Cenotaph war memorial in central London, at Edinburgh Castle and the National Memorial Arboretum in central England where the service of remembrance will be held later, the government said. A piper will also perform at a Japanese peace garden to recognise the reconciliation between Britain and Japan in the decades since the war ended. On Friday evening, dozens of buildings and locations across the country including Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, the Tower of London, and the White Cliffs of Dover will be illuminated to mark the anniversary.
STV News
2 hours ago
- STV News
King vows sacrifices made by VJ Day heroes 'shall never be forgotten'
The King will pledge that the service and sacrifice of those who fought and died in the Pacific and Far East 'shall never be forgotten', in a message to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. The King's audio message to the nation, realms and Commonwealth echoes a broadcast made by his grandfather, King George VI, on August 15 1945, known as VJ Day. It stands for Victory over Japan Day and marks the surrender of Japanese forces, which ended the Second World War. In the six-minute message, the King will reflect on the horrors experienced by prisoners of war and the innocent civilians of occupied lands in the region, whose suffering 'reminds us that war's true cost extends beyond battlefields, touching every aspect of life'. Charles will describe how the heroes of VJ Day 'gave us more than freedom; they left us the example of how it can and must be protected, with victory made possible by close collaboration between nations, 'across vast distances, faiths and cultural divides'. He will say this demonstrated 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'. The message was recorded earlier this month in the Morning Room at Clarence House and will be released ahead of a Service of Remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, hosted by the Royal British Legion in partnership with the government. Subscribe free to our weekly newsletter for exclusive and original coverage from ITV News. Direct to your inbox every Friday morning. The King and Queen will attend the service and then meet Second World War veterans during a reception. The Prince and Princess of Wales are not expected to attend any public events to mark the anniversary as they continue their summer break with their three children. However, other senior members of the Royal Family will participate. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh will attend a service at the Scottish National War Memorial, Edinburgh Castle, organised by the Royal British Legion Scotland. The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester will attend the Far East Prisoners of War VJ Day 80th Anniversary Service at Norwich Cathedral, before joining a second commemorative service dedicated to the Children and Families of the Far East Prisoners of War in Suffolk. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
VJ Day 80: Remembering the brothers who died as Prisoners of War
Ahead of the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, historian Geoff Pugh has tracked down the graves of every person called Pugh who died in WW2 and WW1 including two brothers who were Japanese Prisoner of War. Ahead of the 80th anniversary of VJ Day the extraordinary bravery of two brothers who died as Japanese Prisoners of War is being remembered. Cuthbert Pugh and big brother Edward Pugh are buried in Myanmar. They are just two of the Pughs found by a man - called Geoff Pugh - who has tracked down every single 'Pugh' killed in both World War Two and World War One. He admitted the mammoth task became an 'obsession'. But on the eve of the 80th anniversary of VJ Day Geoff has now successfully tracked them all down. Not only has he found all 127 Pughs who died in WW2, he's found all 278 who died in World War One as well. He visited the Far East to pay his respects at the graves of two brothers held as Japanese Prisoners of War. Cuthbert and Edward are buried 5000 miles away in the same cemetery in Myanmar. They were from different regiments and died in different years. Geoff said: "It has become a bit of an obsession but I just wanted to pay my respects to all these men and women and make sure they will never be forgotten. Some of their stories are incredible." He said: "How do you select any individual from a list of 127 names, when every life is precious? However, two others that stand out for me are Cuthbert Martin Parkhurst and Edward Baldwyn, brothers who served in two different Regiments – The Royal Norfolk Regiment, and The Royal Engineers. "They both became Prisoners of War held by the Japanese and died within seven months of each other and are buried at Kanchanaburi War Cemetery. I don't know if they were held in the same prison camp, but this is doubtful. I visited this place in March 2019." Cuthbert died on July 12, 1943, aged 30. He was with the 5th Battalion of the Royal Norfolk Regiment. Edward died on December 10, 1942, aged 34. He was with 251 Field Park Company, Royal Engineers. Geoff added: "With the VE Day anniversary earlier this year I managed to find out that there were ten Pughs who died between March 1, 1945, and May 8, 1945. "The name of the Pugh who died nearest to VE Day was George Sydney Pugh. He was born on March 29, 1914, and died on May 1, 1945, just seven days before VE Day. He is buried at Kiel War Cemetery in Germany, and he served in 23rd Hussars Royal Armoured Corps. Geoff has dug deeper into George's story and found he'd survived the Normandy landings. His regiment then went on to help liberate Belsen. Geoff said: "He was one of four casualties who was killed on May 1, 1945. The others were Serjeant Christopher Patrick, Corporal George Edward Hoggart and Lance Corporal Benjamin Taylor. "They all served in the 23rd Hussars Royal Armoured Corps which was a Tank Regiment originally equipped with Shermans and Comet Tanks. They arrived in Normandy a week after D-Day and travelled to the Baltic area until the German surrender on May 8, a week after these soldiers were killed in action. Records show that the bodies were exhumed from their original burial site and re-buried in Kiel British Cemetery on December 10, 1947." Geoff added poignantly: "It was the 23rd who helped to liberate Bergen- Belsen Concentration Camp. It's such a tragedy they died so close to the end of the war in Europe and weren't able to celebrate victory.'" Geoff, 77, from Maldon, Essex, is a retired timber trader and a volunteer with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Geoff's dad reached the rank of major and met and fell in love with his mother after meeting her near Lille at the end of World War Two. They moved back to England after the war and he left the army despite being offered the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He and wife Esther, who is from Switzerland, have two daughters and four grandchildren and have travelled to various countries to see numerous Pugh graves and pay their respects. Incredibly Geoff's maternal grandfather actually died fighting in WW1. He said: "We always stop at his grave when we drive down to Switzerland. He's buried on the Marne - but obviously he's not a 'Pugh'." As part of his extensive research Geoff has discovered so many poignant stories from all over the world including Libya, Iraq and Egypt. He said: "There were sailors, soldiers and airmen. Each of them sacrificed so much. A few of them 'stick out' - there was one guy who had been fighting at the front in Europe and had returned home to Liverpool on leave. He had a one year old son. The family were at home when it was hit by a German bomb and they died." He found two women who had died and both the youngest and the oldest victims. He said: 'There were two women - Dora Cecilia Pugh who was just 20 when she died. She was in the Auxiliary Territorial Service and her cause of death remains unknown. The other was Rosemary Edith Pugh. She was 21 and with the Canadian Women's Army Corps. She died as a result of Lysol poisoning. Was her death a suicide? We will probably never know. "The youngest was Henry Francis Pugh. He was either 15 or 16 years old. He was a boy cook on SS 'Roumanie' a Belgian cargo ship which was sunk by German Submarine U-617 380 miles South West of Iceland in 1942. The oldest was Alfred Frederick Pugh. He was 59 and served in Essential Services Corps, South Africa." On his WW1 research he found there are 32 Pughs named on the famous Thiepval Memorial and 11 on the nearby Arras memorial. "That indicates they have no known grave,' explained Geoff. Claire Horton CBE, Director General of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission said: "We warmly congratulate Geoff on his extraordinary research and dedication in honouring the memory of those who served and died during the World Wars. His work is a powerful reminder of the human stories behind every name we commemorate. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is proud to care for the graves and memorials of more than 1.7 million men and women of the Commonwealth forces who lost their lives in the First and Second World Wars, and we also commemorate civilians in the Civilian Roll of Honour at Westminster Abbey. "We are proud to have a team of leading researchers and historians, whose work helps ensure that these stories are preserved and shared. Stories like Geoff's are exactly why our work matters - and why, through our For Evermore digital app, we are encouraging members of the public to share family histories and personal connections to those we commemorate, ensuring these memories live on for generations to come. We thank Geoff for helping to keep their stories alive." Geoff added: "It's so important that, as we approach the 80th anniversary of VJ Day we remember the Pugh brothers and all the other brave men and women who died. We owe them a great debt."
