WITH no official celebrations in Knighton or Presteigne to commemorate the end of the war with Japan, veteran Mr Edward (Ted) Steel of Castle Road, Presteigne decided he would put on an official celebration to celebrate 70 years since the end of the war with Japan.

On Saturday afternoon Ted invited friends and veterans to his home which he had decorated with flags and covered all the outside grounds for an outstanding party, supported by his wife Claudia.

Some of the veterans from the call up days were (from left) Roger Bright from Knighton who was called up into the RAF in 1949.

Arnold Cottle from Knighton who served in the Navy from 1942, three years of that time on HMS Lowestoft and at the end of the war took the surrender of German U boats and then went on to evacuate the RAF from north Borneo to Singapore.

The host Ted Steel who was in the Royal Arms Service Core as an ambulance driver and also in the air ambulance, he also served in Alexander and Palestine and from 1945 to 1948 in Egypt where he was blown by a land mine.

John Morgan from Knighton still in his Home Guard uniform from when he served in the Llangunllo home guard during the war.

David Symonds from Norton who served in the 23 Para Field Ambulance doing 37 jumps with no spare parachute serving in Jordan and Egypt.

Roy Williams from Knighton who served in the RAF at Shawbury in charge of ordering aircraft parts.