The event, hosted by Epping Town Council, took place at the Jack Silley Pavilion in Epping and brought together relatives of those who had served in the Far East.
Councillor Janet Whitehouse, mayor of Epping and host of the event, said: “When I became mayor I was keen we should mark VJ Day as well as VE Day as the Second World War continued for another three months and is often called the forgotten war.
“We had lots of memorabilia that people had brought along – photographs, documents and medals – which showed what servicemen and civilians had experienced during the war.
“Residents shared memories and were pleased to commemorate their relatives.
“It was a wonderful way to celebrate this important event.”
Around 40 people attended the tea party, including Deputy Lieutenant of Essex Hugh Pegrum and Epping Forest District Council chairman Cllr Louise Mead.
The event included a talk by military historian Paul Hunt and displays of medals and wartime memorabilia.
Among those who attended were Hazel Gardner and her sister Pauline Moxham, whose father Warrant Officer Ronald Standen served with the Royal Air Force in Burma until 1946.
Ms Gardner said: “He didn’t speak much about it but he did tell us about snakes, leeches, walking through waist-high water with their kit over their heads and the terrible rains that were out there – dysentery and malaria.
“They were told not to speak when they came back from the war and tell anyone what they had been through.”
Another attendee, Susan Carter, spoke about her father Charles Fitch, who served with the Royal Artillery and was wounded in action.
Ms Carter said: “He always showed me the bullet mark where it went in and came out.
“He was sent out for a little recovery but then he went back into the army.”
Of the 40 attendees, 24 were residents who gathered to remember 15 relatives who served in the Far East.
Two granddaughters who attended the event said it was a “moving and memorable afternoon” that made them feel proud of their grandfather and his place in history.
