York's 100-year-old D-Day veteran marks VJ Day

Ken Cooke led a two-minute silence and presented a reading

York's last surviving D-Day veteran has marked the 80th anniversary of VJ Day by visiting a restored railway locomotive named after the regiment he served in.

Ken Cooke, who fought in Europe during World War Two, recently celebrated his 100th birthday. He travelled to Barrow Hill near Chesterfield to lead a two-minute silence, and present a reading.

VJ Day, or Victory over Japan Day, is commemorated on 15 August each year, and marks the date in 1945 when Japan surrendered to the Allied forces, ending the war.

Mr Cooke, who visited the Normandy beaches in May to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, said he would "continue to represent comrades who didn't come home".

Ken Cooke holding a photo of himself aged 18

As part of a commemoration service Mr Cooke read the dedication written on the Kohima Epitaph: "When you go home, tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow, we gave our today."

The surrender of Japan on 15 August followed the end of the war in Europe three months earlier.

An estimated 71,000 soldiers from Britain and the Commonwealth died fighting in the war against Japan in the Far East, including upwards of 12,000 prisoners of war held in Japanese captivity.

D-Day veteran Ken Cooke enjoyed a week of celebrations for his 100th birthday

Speaking at Friday's commemoration service at the Barrow Hill Roundhouse Railway Centre, Mr Cooke remembered a previous VJ Day anniversary in London, where he had marched alongside men who had fought in the Far East.

"The tears in their eyes as they walked past, you wouldn't believe it. It really upset me," he said.

"They were the first in the parade, then we followed behind. The Mall was full of marching people, it was a spectacular occasion, I'll never forget it."

Mr Cooke's trip to the heritage centre followed a week of celebrations at home in York to mark his 100th birthday.

One partygoer described him as someone who brings "a brightness to people's lives whatever he's talking about, he's just so happy to be around".

Another said: "He is inordinately special and lives his life to the mantra that every day is an adventure.

"He looks forward to everything with great enthusiasm and rarely says no to any opportunity to do something of interest."

Mr Cooke took control of a Class 37 diesel locomotive

The veteran's trip to Chesterfield included visiting a restored locomotive named after his former infantry regiment, the Green Howards, officially known as The Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment).

After viewing the engine, to his surprise, Mr Cooke was given the controls of a Class 37 diesel locomotive, which he drove along the full length of the centre's demonstration line.

The driver supervising him described him as "a natural" and said as far as he knew was "the first centenarian to drive a diesel locomotive".

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