A two minutes silence was held and a wreath was laid when The Newton Abbot and district Burma Star Association marked VJ Day at Newton Abbot War Memorial on noon on Tuesday. The only seven remaining active members from the branch, representatives from the Royal British Legion in the town and Torquay, Marines and Newton Abbot deputy mayor Cllr Colin Allsop attended the ceremony. President of the branch, Sqdn Ldr Don Matthews, who has now lost his sight, laid the wreath. 'It is a very special day,' he said after the service. 'I'd like to thank St Dunstan's, a charity for blind ex-servicemen, for all they do.' Jim Stowers, chairman and secretary of the branch, who conducted the prayers at the ceremony, was pleased that so many people went along. 'This has been incredibly well attended and we are grateful,' he said. 'We've said that although there are now only seven active members, we will always come here on August 15 each year. The comradeship has lasted and it will continue.' Cecil Woods, welfare officer, recited the Kohima Epitaph.
