Actress Celia Imrie narrated the story of the war in the Far East at the service organised by the Royal British Legion, as the experiences of those who took part were told in person and through films shown on a screen.

George Durrant, who served in the intelligence corps, appeared on stage with his great-granddaughter as he paid tribute to a fallen comrade, saying he was present"not as a hero but as someone who witnessed the price of freedom".

Royal Navy veteran Alfred Conway, from Lincolnshire, watched as his great-grandchildren laid a wreath on the Burma Thailand Railway memorial at the Arboretum.

There was also a tribute from poet Sir Ben Okri to the contributions of soldiers who had enlisted from countries in the British Commonwealth to fight in Burma (now Myanmar).

The Queen appeared to wipe away a tear as veteran Yavar Abbas, originally from Lucknow in India, went briefly off-script"to salute my brave King, who is here with his beloved Queen in spite of the fact that he is under treatment for cancer".

The 105-year-old added that he hoped it would bring"comfort" that he had been free of cancer for 25 years.