Burma veterans mark VJ Day

By Tristan Harris 23/08 Updated: 24/08 20:57

Buy photos » The standards were dipped to salute at the VJ Day commemorations. s

MORE THAN 100 people gathered at Bromsgrove’s Burma Campaign Memorial on Saturday (August 18) to commemorate VJ (Victory in Japan) Day.

There were also 20 Royal British Legion and regimental standards on parade.

They included the Burma Star standards from Bromsgrove and Wolverhampton and three standards from the Worcestershire and Mercian Regimental Associations to honour those from the 2nd and 7th Battalions which fought in Burma.

Ten remaining veterans from the Burma campaign and a Japanese prisoner of war were in attendance, along with families marking their fathers’ and grandfathers’ roles in the campaign.

The service was conducted by Padre Canon Graham Lyall of Worcester and the Rev Chris Wingfield, from Bromsgrove’s St John’s Church, gave special prayers for those servicemen and women who are currently on operations.

The Heroes of Kohima was played by Major (Retd) Bob Gardner TD of Tardebigge and a wreaths were laid.

Among them was Roy Hodge, the chairman of Bromsgrove’s Burma Star Association, Pam Stubbs, of the Birmingham Association of Far East Prisoners of War (FEPO), members of the Bromsgrove Royal Naval and Royal Air Force Associations and civic head, Coun Janice Boswell.

Royal Marine Cadet Sgt Claire Cardus and Sea Cadet Peter Jones from the Redditch and Bromsgrove Sea Cadets gave a poignant and touching rendition of the Last Post and Reveille and the parade was orchestrated by Patrick Smith, Chairman of the Bromsgrove British Legion.