VJ Day 2020
Posted on 23rd Apr 2020 by Sarah Gray
Due to the current Coronavirus crisis the Royal British Legion has decided to cancel their plans for VE Day commemoration. They have sent out the following message about VJ Day 2020:
“Please be reassured that the RBL remains committed to the successful delivery of the VJ 75 commemorations at the NMA in August and we continue to develop an innovative programme alongside DCMS & the MoD. Sadly, we have had to cancel the related overseas tours. This has caused me particular disappointment as we had managed to develop a series of quite wonderful itineraries for the 50+ veterans that had been keen to travel. The fact is that recent developments made the early booking of tour resources impractical and therefore cancellation was the only option. On the positive side, all of the affected veterans will be invited to the NMA event.
It is quite impossible to assess how the situation will continue to develop. All that we can do is respond positively to the advice of HMG. In every instance, we will do our utmost to keep you abreast of developments and to provide our veterans and their families with the quality of events that they so richly deserve.”
We suggest that everybody follows the Royal British Legion’s website www.britishlegion.org.uk for further information regarding the event in August. There is an option on the website to book tickets for this event. We request that everyone wishing to attend register themselves and their carers if required, rather than relying on HQ to do it for you. If VJ Day events go forward as planned by the Royal British Legion at the National Memorial Arboretum, the Trustees and Council of the Association plan to hold a service at the ‘Burma Star Grove’ sometime on Saturday 15th August. This will be in addition to the National Service being organised by the RBL. Unfortunately as we do not have the proposed time of the National Service yet, we are unable to let you know when this will be. Once timings have been agreed we will post these on the Association’s and the Memorial Fund’s websites.
With regards to the FEPOW Service at St Martin’s in the Field, currently we presume that this service will have the same directions from HMG as the TRBL service at the National Memorial Arboretum. We will be in regular contact with the Rev Pauline Simpson and keep you informed via the BSA website.
If you don’t have Internet access please ask a member of your family or a neighbour to help. I realise that you can’t visit neighbours at the moment but a phone call to a family member should hopefully get you registered.