V-J Day – 80th Anniversary Thanksgiving Service

Suzanne and I were honoured to be at the ’80th Anniversary of Victory in Japan’ Day Service of Thanksgiving at Guildford.

It was a poignant reminder of the sacrifice made by so many in the Pacific field of combat which ultimately led to the surrender of the Japanese forces and the end of the Second World War. The service was led by The Very Reverend Bob Cooper, Dean of Guildford, who also gave a very thought-provoking sermon on both the personal sacrifices made and the necessity of the terrible decision to use atomic weapons to shorten the conflict.

The service was attended by the Lord-Lieutenant, his wife Sarah, the Vice Lord-Lieutenant and a number of Deputy Lieutenants, the deputy Mayor of Guildford, the deputy Chair of Surrey County Council and both my and the Lord-Lieutenant’s cadets. Colonel (retired) Patrick Crowley MBE DL addressed the congregation on the Victory in Japan Day 1945, and the Act of Remembrance was spoken by Brigadier Paul Evans OBE DL before the Last Post was sounded and a two minute silence observed.

Brigadier (Retired) David Neal then said the Kohima Epitaph before the National Anthem and the Blessing by The Bishop of Guildford.