VJ Day: Act of Remembrance at Haverfordwest Cenotaph
He said: "As county councillor for the Castle Ward and member of the Haverfordwest Branch Royal British Legion it was an honour to attend an act of remembrance and thanksgiving commemorating Victory over Japan Day at Haverfordwest Cenotaph, followed by a service at Saint David's Church, Prendergast, conducted by the Reverend Heather Cale."
VJ Day marks the anniversary of August 15, 1945, when Japan announced its surrender to the Allied forces, bringing the Second World War to a close.
While the news was met with relief and celebrations, the day also carried deep sorrow due to the heavy human cost of the conflict.
More than 90,000 British troops were casualties in the war against Japan, including 30,000 who died and 37,500 who were held as prisoners of war.
The Japanese government accepted the Allied surrender terms on August 14, following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Soviet Union's declaration of war on Japan.
VJ Day was declared the following day.
Celebrations erupted across the Allied nations, from New York to New Delhi, and from Manchester to Melbourne.
VJ Day continues to serve as a reminder of the cost of conflict and the importance of peace.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Rhyl Journal
6 hours ago
- Rhyl Journal
D-Day veteran celebrates 100th birthday at regimental museum
Jim Glennie turned 100 on Tuesday and a number of his family and friends gathered at The Gordon Highlanders Museum where he volunteers. Mr Glennie met the King earlier this year when he toured the Aberdeen museum, with Charles praising him as a 'great example to us all'. As an 18-year-old private, he was part of the invasion force which landed at Sword Beach on D-Day. He was later wounded in action and taken prisoner, spending the remainder of the war in Stalag IV-B. He and other soldiers made their own way back to Allied lines when their German guards deserted them as the Russians approached from the east. When Mr Glennie returned to Turriff in Aberdeenshire after the war, he became a welder. France has awarded him the Legion d'Honneur and earlier this year he was awarded the British Empire Medal in the King's Honours list. Friends and family gathered at the museum on Tuesday to celebrate, singing 'happy birthday' to the veteran. He was formally presented with his British Empire Medal by Aberdeen's Lord-Lieutenant, who is also the city's Lord Provost, David Cameron. The former soldier had earlier received his message from the King. John McLeish, chief executive of the The Gordon Highlanders Museum, said Mr Glennie was in good spirits. He told the PA news agency: 'Jim Glennie has volunteered at The Gordon Highlanders Museum for over 30 years. 'His military service is well documented but less well-known is the commitment and enthusiasm he brings to his volunteer role every Tuesday, week in week out. 'He is an important member of our team and, at the age of 100, his personality and generosity of spirit add to the wonderful camaraderie exhibited by team members. 'Watching Jim engaging with museum visitors is a sight to behold. He makes a regular museum visit very special indeed and, ultimately, he makes people smile! 'There were lots of smiles at the Museum today as we celebrated Jim's 100th birthday.' Charles toured the regimental museum in January, and upon seeing the King, Mr Glennie greeted him cheerfully and said 'long time no see!' The King told him about a portrait of Mr Glennie he had been shown at the museum, saying 'it looked terrific' and promising to send him a message when he turns 100 in August. The King said: 'You're a great example to us all, if I may say so, you really are.'
Western Telegraph
9 hours ago
- Western Telegraph
VJ Day: Act of Remembrance at Haverfordwest Cenotaph
Councillor Thomas Tudor, who represents Castle Ward and is a member of the Haverfordwest Branch Royal British Legion, attended an act of remembrance marking Victory over Japan (VJ) Day at Haverfordwest Cenotaph, followed by a service at Saint David's Church. He said: "As county councillor for the Castle Ward and member of the Haverfordwest Branch Royal British Legion it was an honour to attend an act of remembrance and thanksgiving commemorating Victory over Japan Day at Haverfordwest Cenotaph, followed by a service at Saint David's Church, Prendergast, conducted by the Reverend Heather Cale." VJ Day marks the anniversary of August 15, 1945, when Japan announced its surrender to the Allied forces, bringing the Second World War to a close. While the news was met with relief and celebrations, the day also carried deep sorrow due to the heavy human cost of the conflict. More than 90,000 British troops were casualties in the war against Japan, including 30,000 who died and 37,500 who were held as prisoners of war. The Japanese government accepted the Allied surrender terms on August 14, following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Soviet Union's declaration of war on Japan. VJ Day was declared the following day. Celebrations erupted across the Allied nations, from New York to New Delhi, and from Manchester to Melbourne. VJ Day continues to serve as a reminder of the cost of conflict and the importance of peace.
Press and Journal
11 hours ago
- Press and Journal
Happy 100th birthday to D-Day hero and Turriff legend Jim Glennie
Most of the old soldiers who took part in the D-Day landings in Normandy in 1944 are no longer with us. Yet, most Tuesdays at the Gordon Highlanders Museum in Aberdeen, the staff and volunteers relish the chance to say hello to their friend and colleague Jim Glennie. He has become a fixture at the venue where he has spent decades acting as a guide, a storyteller, somebody who even met and shook hands with a former enemy. The Turriff man has never regarded himself as anything special. But he was awarded the Legion d'Honneur in 2015 and a BEM in the most recent New Year Honours. And, today, he is celebrating his 100th birthday – the last of his generation from the north-east of Scotland who served the regiment with distinction. Jim was just 18 years old when he was involved in the D-Day campaign and witnessed scenes which were forever seared in his memory. By the end of the first day, more than 4,000 Allied soldiers had been killed, yet the advance continued unabated as they locked horns with their German opponents. As he once recalled: 'I could swim, but my pal Ronnie McIntosh and another boy Norrie couldn't, so I said I would help one of them to shore and then go back for the other. 'But when we landed, the water just came up to our knees. I put my foot on the sand and, as the water came flooding into the craft, there was a dead body next to me. 'But you weren't allowed to stop. The sergeant told us: 'Don't stop, go straight on!' 'We ran towards a field and someone shouted out: 'Hold it, there are mines!' The place was covered in them. 'You were scared within yourself, but you didn't show it. You just didn't know what you were getting yourself in for – it was very dodgy.' Jim and his colleagues made some progress, but he and his company were ambushed by Germans while they were making their way towards Caen. Several were killed or wounded, but Jim and others managed to take temporary cover in a roadside trench as German Panzer armoured vehicles approached. He said: 'The [Panzer] tanks came past and were just spraying us, but we managed to keep our heads down. 'I remember thinking: 'I don't like this' and I jumped out and ran up the road to try and get them when they came round a bend. 'So I was standing there, firing my gun and, all of a sudden, I felt shots hit me in my right arm and the gun just dropped out of my hand.' It was the end of his war. After recovering in hospital, Jim was transferred along with hundreds of other POWs to Stalag IV-B in Germany. His first day in the camp was his 19th birthday. In 2017 at the museum, Jim met Karl Hunnold, who was shot by Allied forces before being rescued by a Gordon Highlanders battalion. After shaking Karl's hand, he said: 'We have no grudges against each other.' The German nonagenarian had been invited to visit after his stepson Roland Goertz asked the museum to send his father a card ahead of his 91st birthday. As Jim once recalled: 'Although we can't speak to each other directly because of the language barrier, we can both understand each other because of what we've been through.' And responding through his stepson, Karl added: 'Being here and meeting Jim in the museum of the Highlanders who saved my life, brings very positive emotions.' Many of the troops who eventually returned home were reluctant to talk about their experiences. In multiple cases, they were suffering from undiagnosed PTSD. And they couldn't bring themselves to relive the slaughter and conflict which they had seen across Europe and further afield in front of their family and friends. However, the creation of the Gordon Highlanders Museum in 1997 offered the veterans an opportunity to tell youngsters about what they had gone through. And Jim is among those who has tried to spread the message about avoiding any repeat of the global hostilities which killed or injured myriad members of his generation. He's a much-loved figure at the museum and Grenville Irvine-Fortescue, the chairman of the Gordon Highlanders Association, explained the reasons behind his popularity. He said: 'Many are familiar with Jim Glennie's wartime exploits, but less so his extraordinary commitment and dedication in his support for the Royal British Legion here in Aberdeen. 'That is both as a member and its standard bearer for the Gordon Highlanders and his membership and support to the Aberdeen branch of the association. 'And, in particular, his special service as a museum volunteer for nearly 30 years. 'He is always cheerful with a great twinkle in his eye, and always has a very warm welcome to all whom he meets. 'His support to the museum has been magnificent and it is perfect that we are able to enjoy a very special day with him here in what has almost been his second home. 'I know all Gordon Highlanders will join me in wishing him a happy 100th birthday.' John McLeish, the chief executive of the museum, was equally effusive in his praise. He said: 'Jim is an important member of our team and his personality and generosity of spirit add something very special to the camaraderie exhibited by team members. 'Watching him engaging with museum visitors is a sight to behold. He makes a regular museum visit very special indeed and, ultimately, he makes people smile!' That is a fulsome testimony to a wonderful human being; somebody who lived through the worst of human behaviour, and was able to take something positive from it. Happy birthday Jim.
