VJ DAY was commemorated on Saturday when Maldon Royal British Legion Chairman Ron Baker laid a posy of red and white flowers at Maldon's war memorial.

VE Day (Victory in Europe) celebrated the end of the war in Europe in May,1945, but many thousands of soldiers were still left fighting the war in the Far East.

Victory over Japan came at a heavy price and Victory over Japan Day (VJ Day) marked the day of Japan's surrender on 15 August, 1945 - finally ending the Second World War.

Mr Baker, 94 and a former marine, laid the flowers after an 11am two-minute silence following a brief ceremony at the war memorial in High Street, Maldon. He was accompanied by Deputy Lieutenant Wing Commander Glenn Mayes.

Two members of the Maldon Armed Forces and Veterans Breakfast Club, Stewart Bayford and Stig Morgan, acted as Gate Guardians with the Royal British Legion (RBL) standard presented by Peter Stilts.

A spokesperson for the RBL said: "The rain added an extra poignancy – nothing in comparison to the terrible conditions experienced by those interned as Prisoners of War during the Far East World War Two conflict."