Reg shares his memories of the day Japan surrendered

Reg Draper still remembers the smell of the salty sea air, the distinctive taste of Navy rum and the time he took a hockey tackle from Queen Elizabeth II's future husband.

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At just 21 years old, the Leeds lad found himself standing on the edge of history as news came through that Japan had finally surrendered, marking the end of the Second World War.

Eight decades on, his voice echoes the memories of the past as he recalls the moment the crew erupted into cheers with relief that the bloodshed was over.

And as the world stops to remember the deadly toll of the conflict, Mr Draper has spoken of his memories after witnessing the signing of the Japanese instrument of surrender document firsthand.

He was a stores assistant on Royal Navy battleship HMS Duke of York, which was sailing off the coast of Japan in August 1945 when the country surrendered.

Recalling the day, Mr Draper said: "All the ships mustered in Tokyo Bay with the USS Missouri, which was the American ship, and it was on the Missouri where they signed the peace treaty.