80th VJ Day service is poignant moment for veteran

Charlie Richards was part of an elite fighting force dropped far behind enemy lines in Burma

A World War Two special forces veteran says a service to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory over Japan Day will be "a really poignant moment for those of us left".

Charlie Richards, 104, from Kettering, Northamptonshire, is one of 33 Far East and Pacific war veterans attending the service at the National Memorial Arboretum.

The Royal British Legion event will be attended by the King and Queen and honours British, Commonwealth and Allied veterans of the conflict in South East Asia.

Mr Richards said: "I want to represent all those who saw action in the Far East and remember those who never made it home."

These included "my best friend and comrade, Son Johnson, who was killed in action in Burma," he added.

He said he wanted to "remember those who never made it home"

Mr Richards is one of the last surviving Chindits, a unit which fought deep behind behind enemy lines in Burma between autumn 1942 and summer 1943.

He served with the 7th Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment and spent months ambushing Japanese supplies and communications, while pulling along reluctant mules and heavy equipment.

Victory over Japan Day commemorates 15 August 1945 when Japan surrendered, bringing World War Two to a complete end.

The veterans, who range in age from 96 to 105, are the guests of the Royal British Legion at the National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas, Staffordshire.

About 1,500 guests will attend the service, which will begin with a two-minute silence and include flypasts by the Red Arrows and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight's Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster.

Veterans will share first-hand testimony of the conflict, with many not having shared their story before registering to take part in the 80th anniversary commemorations, according to the Royal British Legion.

Mr Richards said: "I am so proud to attend the Royal British Legion's national event, and I think it will be a really poignant moment for those of us left.

"It will be such a special day for me and my family."

The service will be broadcast live on BBC One from 11:30 BST.