THE annual service of remembrance at the commemorative rose garden in Orsett took place on Saturday, 12 August.

The service marks VJ Day which falls on Tuesday, 15 August. It was led by Rev Sue Man and attended by represenatives of local service organisations and ceremonies were conducted by veteran Mike Ostler, who also read the Kohima Epitaph.

Also present were borough deputy mayor Cllr Qaisar Abbas, Lord John Petre the 18th Baron Petre and former Lord Lieutenant of Essex, local RAF padre Maureen McPherson and Rod Oakley, chair of Grays Thurrock Royal British Legion.

A guard of honour was mounted by 1582 Stanford-le-Hope Squadron RAF Air Cadets.

The Rose Garden was created in 1983 at Orsett Hospital.

The service takes place at the Burma Star Rose garden in Orsett Village which was originally part of Orsett Hospital and was restored at the centre of a housing development when the hospital was demolished. The garden was dedicated on 30 October 1983 in memory of members of the Thurrock Branch of the Burma Star Organisation and of all those who served in Burma 1941-45.

The memorial stone's final inscription is now full following the addition of the name of Albert England, a D-Day veteran from Corringham who then served in Burma, and who was a founder member of the local branch and a great Thurrock community stalwart. He died in January 2021.