VJ veterans, military personnel, members of the Royal British Legion, MP Dan Jarvis and civic dignitaries gathered at Darton Church yesterday for a memorial service to mark the 70th anniversary of VJ Day.
It was organized by local man and VJ veteran, Reg Humphries who was born in Burma and evacuated with his mother in 1942 while his father stayed to fight the Japanese.
About 200 people attended All Saints Church in Darton yesterday for the service led by the Revd Jonathan MacGillivray, priest in charge of Darton and Cawthorne,.
“What started as a simple family memorial service for Reg just grew and grew,” said Jonathan.
Earlier in the day the vicar, Jonathan and Reg both appeared on BBC Radio Sheffield to talk about the inspiration behind the service.
Mr Humphreys said he wanted to particularly commemorate a battle involving the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry and Duke of Wellington's regiments.
Many of the soldiers went to Imphal and Kohima Barracks in York. Only 76 out of 900 from the regiment made it alive, Mr Humphreys said.
He recalled being evacuated from Burma as a small boy: "My mother and I were taken to India in Army lorries which came to collect the other wives and children.
"The terror came when we were strifed and bombed by Japanese aeroplanes on the jungle tracks."
He said his father came home two years later from the jungle, "withered and starved".
Wreaths were laid at Darton War Memorial after the service.