Bradford events to mark 80th anniversary of VJ Day
"I hope as many people as possible will attend the events or take time to stop what they are doing and take part in the national two minutes silence at noon on Friday," he added.The service of Remembrance in Bradford will take place at Bradford Cenotaph at from 11:45 BST.Led by Reverend Canon Ned Lunn from Bradford Cathedral and attended by the Deputy Lord Mayor of Bradford, it will include the national two-minutes silence.VJ Day falls more than three months after VE Day, when fighting stopped in Europe following Germany's surrender.An estimated 71,000 soldiers from Britain and the Commonwealth died fighting in Japan, including upwards of 12,000 prisoners of war held in Japanese captivity.Joanne Dodds, Bradford Council's Armed Forces Champion, said: "Everyone is welcome to attend any of the events to show support for the Armed Forces veterans."VJ Day is a time to remember the courage, resilience, and sacrifice of those who fought for peace and freedom."
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Glasgow Times
2 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Veteran, 99, says there are ‘not many of us left' ahead of VJ Day anniversary
Dougie Shelley, who joined the Royal Navy aged 17, served as a seaman gunner on the Arctic convoys and was later posted to the Pacific and Australia. He said he was out in the Far East at the end of the war and described those who survived to celebrate as 'lucky fellas'. Mr Shelley, who lives in a retirement housing complex in Southend, Essex, said he will turn 100 next month. Dougie Shelley joined the Royal Navy aged 17 (Family handout/PA) 'Yep, an old, old sailor of 100 years old,' he said. 'There's not many of us left, mate. We've sailed the seven seas.' He continued: 'At the end of the war we were out in the Far East but we came into Hong Kong, and that's where it was at the end of the war. 'We went into the China Fleet Club. Boy, did we have a lovely time. 'My god, all those lucky fellas.' He served on several ships including the HMS Milne, which he described as 'the biggest ship the Royal Navy ever built' at the time. 'And boy what a ship,' said Mr Shelley. His carer Paul Bennett, who served in the Army and met him at a local veterans club in 2016, said he will watch Friday's VJ Day memorial service on TV with Mr Shelley. Mr Bennett, 77, said he spends two hours with Mr Shelley each day and does his shopping, cleaning, laundry and other tasks for him. 'I do it out of respect for him and his service,' said Mr Bennett. 'He was in the Arctic Convoys in the war. 'He was in the (HMS) Milne and the (HMS) Armada.' Mr Bennett said Mr Shelley 'spent his life as an able seaman, he never got promoted or anything – failed his bosuns exams because he had eye trouble'. 'He tells me he got sunk twice when he was in the Arctic and managed to survive both sinkings,' he said. 'Then he was there on D-Day in the Milne supporting the chaps going off to land in craft ashore in Normandy and he was a gunner keeping the skies clear of enemy aircraft and all that sort of thing. Dougie Shelley turns 100 in September (Stefan Rousseau/PA) 'So, he's done his bit. 'He always says to me he misses the people he served with. 'The problem of course now is there's none of them left.' Mr Shelley, who has no known surviving family, followed his brother and uncle into the Royal Navy. Mr Bennett said: 'His claim to fame is he lied about his age to join the Navy and got in, and he said it was the best time of his life. 'He left the Navy in 1947, did a few jobs, then went back into the Merchant Navy for some years.' He said Mr Shelley worked on ships taking so-called Ten Pound Poms to Australia and also had jobs in security and as a driver for the Ministry of Defence. One of Mr Shelley's roles on the HMS Milne was as the 'rum bosun', Mr Bennett said, and Mr Shelley would sound a pipe and call 'up spirits' before the daily rum ration was given out.
Glasgow Times
2 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Veteran says horrors of war ‘should never be forgotten' on anniversary of VJ Day
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. Albert Lamond in his Navy days (Erskine Veterans Charity/PA) '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.'
Leader Live
2 hours ago
- Leader Live
Veteran says horrors of war ‘should never be forgotten' on anniversary of VJ Day
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.'
