A service was held on the Minster Green round the town’s War Memorial in Wimborne at the weekend to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of VJ Day and the end of World War ll.
After opening welcomes from the rector of Wimborne Minster the Rev’d Canon Vanessa Herrick and the Mayor Cllr Shane Bartlett, Bruce MacFarlane read the BBC announcement of the end of the war. This was followed by a short address given by the chaplain to Wimborne Royal British Legion the Rev’d Alan Davies. Father Kenneth Noakes from St Catherine’s Roman Catholic Church led the prayers following which the Reveille was sounded by Mark Adams. Marianne Moores from the Royal British Legion Women’s Section read from Eccliasticus before the “roll call” of Wimborne’s 33 World War ll fatalities were read out by Terry Fuller, Royal Military Police and Geof Haywood and Anthony Ward both of the Royal Marines Association.
Mark Adams sounded the Last Post with the dipping of the Standards before David Hoyle, Remembrance Co-ordinator said the Exhortation and after the wreath laying the Kohima Plea.
Wreaths were laid by the Lord Lieutenant for Dorset, Angus Campbell; the High Sherriff of Dorset, Mrs Jennifer Coombs; Dorset County Council Chairman, John Wilson; East Dorset District Council Chairman, Steve Lugg and the Mayor of Wimborne Minster, Shane Bartlett. Other Civic Leaders from across the county also laid wreaths along with Lieutenant Colonel Tim Lerwill from the Rifles and Ian Faulkner, Chairman of Wimborne BID. The service concluded with prayers lead by the Rev’d Robert Jones, Baptist Minister.
Around 150 people gathered on and around the Minster Green and in the High Street for the service.
A reception followed in the Wimborne Royal British Legion hosted by the mayor during which there was a performance by the Land Girls.
