Harborough ceremony to mark the 75th anniversary of VJ Day has been cancelled

A ceremony in Market Harborough to mark the 75th anniversary of the defeat of Japan in the Second World War has had to be cancelled.

The powerful emotion-charged service was due to have gone ahead at the town’s War Memorial on The Square at 11am on Saturday August 15.

But the Royal British Legion (RBL) and Royal Naval Association are being forced to call off the commemoration of Japan’s historic surrender amid the Covid-19 threat.

Stewart Harrison, 73, chairman of Market Harborough’s RBL branch, told the Harborough Mail: “It’s very sad and it’s a great shame.

“It was absolutely crucial that we remembered and saluted those heroes who fought and died fighting the Japanese in the Second World War.

“But sadly we have no choice in the current climate to call this off – and we totally understand that.”

The army and RAF veteran added: “The amazingly brave men from right across the Empire as well as Britain belonged to the iconic 14th Army.

“They came to be dubbed the Forgotten Army because they were fighting a very cruel, bitter enemy 10,000 miles away on the other side of the world.

“Many of those lads didn’t get home to see their loved ones for years as they lived and fought a terrible foe in the most horrific conditions imaginable.

“But we will not forget them today.

“Both the men and women who died, making the ultimate sacrifice for king and country, and the men and women who made it back home will never ever be forgotten.”

Stewart, of Naseby Square, Market Harborough, was set to have been joined at the short ceremony by Cllr Phil King, leader of Harborough council, and Cllr Stephen Bilbie, the authority’s chairman.

“The Rev James Pickersgill, of St Dionysius Church, was to have led us all in prayers.

“We’d have had a bugler playing the Last Post and the Kohima Prayer would have been recited,” he said.

“Instead I’ll just lay a wreath at our War Memorial at 11am on Saturday alone and pay my respects on behalf of the Royal British Legion and the public.

“Many people still think the war ended on VE Day on May 8, 1945 when Germany surrendered.

“It didn’t.

“Our heroic servicemen and women continued to fight and to die day in day out until the Japanese finally surrendered themselves on August 15, 1945.

“Japan was a huge ally of Nazi Germany.

“And by 1945, some 365,000 British and 1.5 million Commonwealth troops were deployed in the Far East.

“It was a massive effort.

“We must also never forget the pre-partition Indian Army of 2.5 million soldiers, who volunteered to fight alongside us.

“The British and Commonwealth forces were formed into the 14th Army – which spoke at least 40 different languages.

“As well as our courageous soldiers, airmen and sailors, we will never forget the savage treatment of our PoWs either.

“Thousands died building roads, mines, bridges and railways - the most notorious being the Burma-Thailand railway, known as the ‘Death Railway’.

“A shocking 15,000 PoWs and 80,000 labourers suffered horrible deaths building that railway alone.

“So I’m imploring everyone across Harborough to please take a minute or two at 11am on Saturday to remember and honour those who gave their todays for our tomorrows.”