Veterans mark 70th anniversary of VJ Day

Edward Cogdell, 97, called it “one of the greatest days of my life.”

More than 1,000 people were at the event on Saturday, hosted by the Royal British Legion, in the grounds of Westminster Abbey.

A total of 350 veterans and their relatives were joined by David Cameron and got to speak to Prince Charles and Camilla.

Meeting the Queen meanwhile as part of the celebrations was George Reynolds, 97, from Newport.

Mr Reynolds was just 18 years old when he joined the Royal Artillery regiment in March 1937.

But after working as a signaller during the early years of the war in India, he was captured at the fall of Singapore in February 1942 and sent to some of Taiwan’s most notorious PoW camps.

He spent nine months at the Taihokm PoW camp, before being moved to Kinkaseki to work in the copper mines, until the camps were liberated in 1945.

Mr Cogdell, known as Ted, from Two Locks in Cwmbran, travelled to London with his granddaughter, Edwina Hole.

He and hundreds of veterans gathered on Horse Guards Parade for a Drumhead commemoration, before marching from Whitehall and through Parliament Square to Westminster Abbey on the weekend.

Along the route they were supported by military bands, and the final part was lined by serving military personnel.

Mr Cogdell - who was recognised for his service with the Royal Artillery with the Arctic Star in August 2013 - fought with the 55th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment.

Mr Cogdell described how despite the war had ended in Europe, fighting continued in Burma.

He said: “Most of us had been out there four years and being that far away from home for that many years was hard.”

He said he was heading home when the atomic bomb was dropped.

Mr Cogdell said it would take five days to get back to the UK by ship and he was passing Gibraltar when it happened.

He said: “I got the bus home to Pontrhydyrun, near Griffithstown, and there was bunting up, and I thought this can’t be for me as no one knew I was coming home.

“I was then told it was the VJ celebrations.”

Mr Cogwell’s seven years of service took in the Battle of Britain, Sri Lanka, and India. He also served 250 miles north of the Arctic Circle in Norway in 1940.

After the war was over, Mr Cogdell worked at the Panteg steel works.

The trip to London also led to a reunion, as Mr Cogdell said that while waiting for a taxi at Paddington Station, he was spotted by Connie King - also from Cwmbran - the widow of Mervyn King, who also served in Burma.

Tributes were paid to thousands of Allied soldiers, sailors and airmen who sacrificed their lives as a service was held at St Martin-in-the-Fields church in central London.

Mr Cogdell’s granddaughter Ms Hole said: “I was proud of my grandad and all the veterans, I was so glad I was there to see the forgotten army finally get the recognition they deserved- it really was a fantastic day.”