VJ Day: Prime minister Boris Johnson writes letter to veterans

The prime minister Boris Johnson has praised the courage of military veterans who fought in the Far East of Asia during the Second World War.

In a letter to mark the 75th anniversary of Victory over Japan Day, Boris Johnson thanked soldiers, sailors and airmen for bringing an end to World War Two.

"You fought for freedom, brought the Second World War to its end, and restored peace and prosperity to the world.

"All of us who were born after you have benefited from your courage in adversity. On this anniversary, and every day hereafter, you will be remembered."

August 15 1945 marked the end of the war after six years of conflict involving many countries from around the world.

After the defeat of Nazi Germany in Europe, thousands of troops in East Asia fought on until Japan's surrender, with many not returning home until 1946.

"When at last you returned, you sometimes found that your experiences had been overshadowed in popular imagination by the conflict in Europe," the prime minister wrote.

"So in offering my thanks for your service, I would like to remember what you achieved."

Japan is a country that has changed a lot since the end of the Second World War and the prime minister says that modern cities in Asia, such as Tokyo, were made possible thanks to the war effort:

"You were the last to come home but your achievements are written in the lights of the glittering capitals of the dynamic region we see today."

The war with Japan began in December 1941 after an attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbour in Hawaii. Japan later declared war on Britain and the United States.

The fighting took place in jungles during drenching monsoon rains and on remote islands in very hot temperatures, at the time the Japanese were known as a tough and often brutal army.

Before victory in Japan, the British army suffered several defeats, including one in 1942 where troops had to retreat 1,000 miles across land from Burma to India.

Mr Johnson added: "These blows were so heavy that many feared they would break your will to fight on.

"But you survived the longest retreat in British history, marching almost 1,000 miles from Burma to India, and then you regrouped and reformed."

The prime minister also paid tribute to those who lost their lives fighting in the Far East:

"You know better than me the fearful cost: 50,000 British and Commonwealth citizens laid down their lives in the war against Japan. Of these, nearly half died in brutal prison camps.

"Yet this immeasurable sacrifice helped to change the course of history and lay the foundations of the success of South East Asia."