Gloucester's Burma Star Association holds last service

The service is being held at the city's war memorial on Park Road

The last service of Gloucester's Burma Star Association is being held at the city's war memorial, to mark the 70th anniversary of VJ day.

It was set up in 1951 for veterans from all three services who fought in Burma during World War Two.

In Gloucester, the association has just five surviving members.

Veteran Frank Baldwin, 90, from Mitcheldean, said he would be thinking of his mates at the final service and asking "what was it all for?".

In 1943, the South East Asia Command was formed under Lord Louis Mountbatten.

The men fought some of the fiercest battles of the war in order to prevent Japanese expansion.

Mr Baldwin, who served in Burma between January and November 1944, said he was "pushed into the army" at the age of 17.

"I saw men die with fright in the jungle," he said.

"We'd go days without food - 99% of people who served in Burma had tummy trouble and it was from starvation.

"During the monsoons you were wet through 24 hours a day, and I suffered from malaria which I've still got today."

On 14 August 1945 the Japanese surrendered after the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The next day was celebrated as VJ Day.

"It's remembering the ones that have fallen and remembering the blokes that died out there," said Mr Baldwin.

"But I've got to ask myself what did they die for - and I can't answer that question."