On the 13th August 2005 Cadet Tolson and I went to Orsett to be representatives for our Squadron.

    I was our standard bearer which means I held the Squadron flag and had to do a dip with it to respect those who gave their lives for us to be here today.

    The annual Burma Star Association VJ (Victory over Japan) Remembrance Parade in Orsett, at the War Memorial, had extra relevance this year as it marked the 60th Anniversary of the Japanese surrender in August 1945.

    This was the proper culmination of the celebration and commemoration activities this year to mark the 60th Anniversary of the end of WW2 in 1945 and the second and final act of specific remembrance of this, this year. Unfortunately this day did not received the publicity of the VE parade in May or the "official" day in July as decreed by the government. As membership of the Burma Star Association is only open to holders of the Burma Star or Pacific Star with Burma Clasp, this parade held far more significance than the general VE parade in May, the July one, as it gave the opportunity for this group of people to parade and remember their fallen friends and comrades and such is as important.

    Below is scanned picture of a leaflet as dropped over the Far East, by the RAF, advising prisoners of war in Burma and Malaysian Peninsula of the fall of Japan and some instructions to Japanese soldiers as to what would be expected of them. The RAF and others were assembling for an attack on Malaya and Burma, when news of the Japanese surrender came through. Mr G Tullett, who lent the leaflet to the CO, was serving in the RAF and stationed on the Cocos Islands, in the Indian Ocean in 1945, when the news came in. The leaflets were dropped from Liberators of 99 and 350 squadrons. This is an interesting and poignant document.