An appeal has been made for photographs of service personnel that served in World War Two has been made to help put together a commemorative VJ Day video.

Brian Ives, Shotley & Erwarton British legion branch chairman made the request ahead of Saturday's commemoration service at St Mary's church, Shotley.

Mr Ives said: "We know about the fallen, but would also like any copies of photographs of anyone from Shotley who served. We know there were many from the Suffolk Regiment that were in the Far East.

"Ideally they would be digital scans and sent 600ppi minimum for quality."

Families of WW2 veterans, especially those that served in Singapore, or were Far East prisoners of war, are welcome to the Shotley service is part of wider VJ Day commemoration but due to current Covid-19 restrictions numbers are limited.

Please contact Mr Ives at [email protected] to confirm your place or to send photos.

Saturday's service is part of a national two minute silence at 11am, which will be the focal point of the commemorative service at the National Memorial Arboretum and will be led by the Prince of Wales.

The commemorations will pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of the thousands of Armed Forces personnel, civilians and family members who contributed to victory in the Far East, and in recognition of the horrors they endured.

A small number of veterans and descendants of those who fought in the Far East will be able to attend the service whilst others will be able to follow the proceedings on BBC One from 0930. The Legion has worked in partnership with UK Government and the BBC to stage the socially-distanced commemorations at the NMA and is providing support every step of the way to those veterans who have chosen to attend to ensure that any attendance needs they may have are fully met.

Alongside the events taking place on August 15 the Legion has launched an interactive map[.L] on its website to encourage people to learn more about this period of the Second World War that is sometimes overlooked.

Members of the public can read stories and personal accounts from those who experienced the conflict first hand and can contribute to the map by leaving their own messages of thanks to the Second World War generation. To ensure as many contributions as possible are reflected and acknowledged, the Legion is inviting stakeholders and partner organisations across the sector to share the call for stories and invite people to add their own memories and messages.

Throughout all its VJ Day 75 activity the Legion will be acknowledging the contribution of the Commonwealth forces, who came from across Europe, Africa, Asia, North America and Australasia to form one of the most multicultural forces in history. Much of the UK's modern day multiculturalism can be traced back to this period and the Legion is taking this opportunity to ensure that all who served and sacrificed are properly recognised.

Please contact Mr Ives at [email protected] to confirm your place or to send photos.