2 days ago
- General
- Powys County Times
Powys town to hold events for VJ Day 80th anniversary
Llanfyllin is holding a day of commemorations later this week to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory over Japan Day which marked the end of World War Two.
Llanfyllin Town Council is holding a day of remembrance on Friday, August 15.
The commemoration will involve a series of events throughout the day, from wreath laying to a war memorabilia exhibition and a beacon lighting ceremony.
The wreath laying ceremony, planned to be held at the town's war memorial at 10.45am, will be led by Rev Hermoine Morris with representatives from the Royal British Legion, local organisations, veterans and dignitaries.
Llanfyllin Public Institute will then be hosting a war memorabilia exhibition from 1pm, inviting people to explore local wartime exhibits.
Finally, at 8.20pm, a beacon lighting ceremony will take place at Cae Bodfach community field. The ceremony will include words from Llanfyllin mayor Cllr Andrew Griffin, before lighting the beacon in what the council says will be a 'symbol of hope, unit and remembrance'.
A spokesperson for the council said: 'Join us in a day of remembrance, reflection and community as we commemorate Victory over Japan Day, honouring those who served and sacrificed in the Far East during World War Two.
'Let's come together as a community to mark this important national moment.'
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Earlier this year, Llanfyllin held a similar variety of commemorations to mark 80 years since VE Day, when Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945, bringing the war to an end in Europe.
VJ Day marks the day Imperial Japan surrendered in 1945, effectively ending the war worldwide just days after the United States dropped two atomic bombs on the country, killing between 150,000 and 246,000 civilians.
Days after the bombings, the Japanese government communicated its intention to surrender under the terms of the Potsdam Declaration, with Emperor Hirohito making the announcement over radio to the Japanese people.
In the UK, VJ Day is recognised as August 15, the day of the surrender announcement, while in the US it is September 2, the day the surrender document was signed on board the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
