VETERANS of one of the Second World War’s most important allied victories gathered at York Minster to remember the thousands of comrades who lost their lives.

The Duke of York was among the dignitaries to attend the Battle of Kohima memorial service and a wreath-laying in the Dean’s Gardens today.

The service marked the Battle of Kohima in North East India, which was fought from April 4 to June 22 1944, and was described by the late Earl Mountbatten as "probably one of the greatest battles in history".

Nearly 4,000 British and Indian soldiers lost their lives when Allied forces halted the advance of the Japanese army in Asia. The fight ultimately proved to be the turning point of the Burma Campaign.

The service was conducted by the Rev Jonathan Gough, the Deputy Assistant Chaplain General, 15 (North East) Brigade.

One of those who made the trip to York was 92-year-old Roy Welland, from Colchester, a veteran of the battle against the Japanese in Asia.

He said: “I have been coming here for the past 20 years. The service was absolutely marvellous and was a very worthy tribute.”

Fellow Kohima veteran, Ron Brown, 90, OBE, drove himself up from Farnham in Surrey to attend the day.

“This is the third time I have been to the service,” he said. “It was a very fitting memorial and the service itself was very moving. The singing was good - everything was very good and all in the wonderful setting of this cathedral.

“If God will let me then I will definitely be coming again.”

The Duke of York met the veterans before moving outside for the wreath-laying service and a minute’s silence.

Bob Cook, of the Kohima Educational Trust and curator of the Kohima Museum at Imphal Barracks in Fulford, said: “It is important that Kohima is remembered because it was the turning point of the war in the far east.

“Until Kohima the Japanese had never had a defeat and after Kohima they never had a victory.”

Although the Japanese advance through Asia was halted, Mr Cook said the victory, in June 1944, came at a high price, with 4000 British and Indian deaths, as well as an estimated 7000 Japanese casualties.

The Minster became synonymous with the commemoration of the battle after 2nd Division, who fought there, came home to North Yorkshire and began holding services to remember their fallen comrades.

Meanwhile four members of York Sea Cadet Corps were among 15 sea cadets from across the region selected to form an honour guard for the Admiral of the Sea Cadet Corps and Prince Andrew.