Saturday’s special service 

VETERANS groups and military associations remembered the prisoners of war and those who lost their lives in the Far East at a special service on Saturday.

The VJ Day commemoration marked 11 years since the New Journal unveiled the memorial in Mornington Crescent funded by donations from our readers.

Retired sergeant major Chris Maynard presided over the ceremony and read the Kohima address before police stopped traffic during the minute’s silence.

Major Michael J Kinnear, commanding officer at The Salvation Army Chalk Farm Corps, played The Last Post and Reveille.

A wreath was laid by Camden mayor Nazma Rahman, Detective Inspector Christ Soole, representing the police, and Anthony Truett from the Birmingham Association of Far East Prisoners of War.

The New Journal had campaigned for a meaningful memorial to those who had been kept as PoWs in countries including Burma and Japan.

Tonia, the daughter of Tony Garizio, who unveiled the monument along with Lord Viscount Slim in 2012, also attended the event.

Mr Garizio was captured aged 21 during the fall of Singapore in 1942, worked on the Burma railway and was eventually sent to the Japanese copper mines.

The Islington Veterans Association were in attendance along with Kentish Town Fire Brigade and reps from the Royal Artillery association.

Edwards Private Security looked after security on site.