Overview

• Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, visited Royal Marines veteran James “Jim” Wren at Old Sarum Manor Care Home in Salisbury on August 12 to hear his firsthand account of Pacific service.
• Wren recounted surviving the torpedoing of HMS Repulse in December 1941, his capture in Singapore and three and a half years as a prisoner of war in Sumatra.
• He was joined by four generations of his family, underscoring the multigenerational impact of his wartime experiences.
• The meeting sparked renewed calls from veterans and supporters for HMS Repulse’s anchor to be permanently displayed at the National Memorial Arboretum.
• Buckingham Palace confirmed that King Charles will broadcast a pre-recorded VJ Day address and attend a service at the National Memorial Arboretum on August 15; Sophie and Prince Edward will mark the anniversary at Edinburgh Castle.