Dorchester, Events & Entertainment | Posted on August 14th, 2025 | return to news

VJ Day80 to be marked in Dorchester

Dorset Council is organising a service at the Memorial Area outside County Hall in Dorchester on Friday 15 August.

Tomorrow, Friday 15 August, marks the 80^th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in WW11 and to commemorate this, a service will be held at 10.50am at the Memorial Area outside County Hall in Dorchester.

Across the county, services will be held in towns and villages to mark the end of the War.

During the event, Dorset Council will pay respects to Veterans, Associations, Reserves, Cadets and serving Armed Forces, to reaffirm the shared commitment to preserving the memory of the immense human cost of the conflict, those men and women across the UK and Commonwealth who continued to fight and serve.

The Service will begin with the raising of the VJ 80 Flag followed by a welcome speech and introduction by the chairperson of Dorset Council, Cllr Stella Jones.

The Rev John Yarrien, superintendent minister, Dorset South and West Methodist Circuit will lead the service with Royal British Legion past County Chairman, Mr Grant Parrott as Master of Ceremonies. He will invite wreath layers to lay their wreaths following the Act of Remembrance.

Cllr Stella Jones said: “We are honoured to welcome a host of guests including family members of Burma Veterans, some of whom will be travelling from other parts of the country to be a part of this poignant service and who will also lay wreaths, as well as others who will also lay wreaths.

“We also welcome Bovington Military Wives’ Choir who will perform hymns during the Service and a beautiful medley of Vera Lynn songs from the era.”

Members of the public are welcome to attend. The Ceremony will be live streamed on the Dorset Council Facebook page.

County Hall will be lit up in red, white and blue colours each evening from 15 to 18 August.