VJ Day services announced for Morecambe, Lancaster and Carnforth

Monday, 11 August 2025 09:00

By Greg Lambert @greglam72

Services will be held to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ (Victory in Japan) Day in World War Two.

A commemorative service will be held at the Morecambe Cenotaph on Friday August 15 at 11am.

This has been organised by the Morecambe & Heysham Branch of the Royal British Legion, the Bay Veterans Association, Morecambe Town Council and Lancaster City Council.

The service will be led by Fr Michael Childs of St Barnabas' Church and the Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire.

A local D-Day veteran, the Lancashire County Council Armed Forces Champion, the Lancaster City mayor, the Lancaster City Council Armed Forces Champion, and local Armed Forces Association standard bearers and veterans will take part in the ceremony.

Following the service, there will be a reception in Morecambe Town Hall which, due to the town hall capacity restrictions, will be restricted to VIPs, invited guests and Armed Forces veterans and their families, who will observe the national two minutes' silence at noon and then witness the formal signing of the Armed Forces Covenant by Morecambe Town Council.

A service will also be held in Lancaster at the Garden of Remembrance, Lancaster Town Hall at 10.45am on Friday.

"Everyone is welcome to attend as we pay our respects to those who sacrificed their lives fighting in the conflict that ended the Second World War," said a Lancaster City Council spokesperson.

A VJ Day service will also be held at Carnforth War Memorial on Friday.

The order of service is as follows

11:45am – Proclamation by the Town Crier

11:47am – Address by Town Mayor Roly Parker

11:53am – Prayer and reflection by Father Ryan

Noon – National two minutes' silence and Union flag lowering

VJ Day marks the end of World War II in the Pacific and signifies the surrender of Japan to the Allied forces on August 15, 1945, following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.