The event, held on 15 August, the date Japanese forces surrendered in 1945, brought together war veterans, local politicians and clergy, and members of the public. Among those attending was the Lord Lieutenant of Lanarkshire, Lady Susan Haughey, who laid the first wreath at the war memorial.

The Far East campaign, often called the Forgotten War, lasted from December 1941 to August 1945 and saw British, Allied, and Commonwealth forces face brutal conditions, both on the battlefield and as prisoners of war. Many thousands never returned home.

The Remembrance Service was led by North Lanarkshire Provost Kenneth Duffy and South Lanarkshire Provost Margaret Cooper, with readings, music, and a wreath-laying ceremony followed by a minute’s silence.

Speaking at the service, Provost Duffy said: “Eighty years on, we stand here not just to remember history, but to honour real people, fathers, sons, brothers, and friends who endured horrors we can scarcely imagine. Their courage and sacrifice happened on the other side of the world, but the impact was felt in every town, village, and street here at home.

“Today is about gratitude. It’s about saying, in the clearest way we can, ‘we haven’t forgotten you.’ And as long as we keep coming together like this, we never will.”

The ceremony concluded with closing remarks from Provost Cooper and a benediction, leaving those present to reflect on the sacrifices made eight decades ago in one of the most gruelling chapters of the Second World War.