Mersey Reporter - #Merseybites #News

TO commemorate the 80th Anniversary of VJ Day (Victory in Japan), the Formby Branch of the Royal British Legion will hold a short service on:- Saturday, 16 August 2025, at:- 12:00 noon. The service will take place at the Harington Barracks Chindit Memorial Plaque, located on the wall of the electrical substation on Proctor Road, Formby.

The event serves as an official tribute to the soldiers who were billeted at the former Harington Barracks during the Second World War. Many of these men, including those from the King's Regiment in Liverpool, left this site to fight in the Far East Campaign and never returned.

Ken Ward, Chairman of the Formby Branch of the Royal British Legion, explains the significance of the event:- "This is Formby's Official 80th Anniversary of VJ Day event. In World War 2, soldiers from the Kings Regiment in Liverpool, plus others, were billeted on this site, the former Harington Barracks, and many left from here to fight in the Far East Campaign and never returned. We invite you to join us outside the substation for 2 minutes silence to remember and to give thanks for the freedom they gave us all those years ago."

Sadly, due to costs and the fact that many Formby Royal British Legion members will be in Liverpool, no official service will be held at the Village War Memorial on Friday, 15 August 2025.

VJ Day, which officially occurred on:- 15 August 1945, marked the surrender of Japan and the true end of the 2nd World War. While Victory in Europe (VE) Day is often a larger focus of remembrance, the Burma Campaign was 1 of the most grueling and challenging theaters of the war. It was in this unforgiving jungle environment that the special operations units known as the Chindits earned their reputation for bravery.

The Chindits were a British, Indian, and Gurkha Special Forces Unit that had been formed for long range penetration behind Japanese lines, in Burma. The name:- "Chindit" is a corruption of the Burmese word for a mythical lion like creature, the:- "Chinthe," whose statues guard Buddhist temples. Led by Major General Orde Wingate, they endured harsh conditions and fierce fighting to disrupt Japanese supply lines. The memorial plaque in Formby specifically honors their contribution.

The plaque reads:- "13th King's Regiment were stationed here, before moving to India in 1942. They marched into Burma in 1943, with Burmese, Gurkha, and British units supported by the RAF. 1st Kings Regt were flown into Burma in 1944, with Indian, Nigerian, Gurkha, and British units supported by the RAF. & USAAF., the Chindits, Mayanmar (Burma). The boldest measures are the best."

For more information on the Kings Regiment and the memorial, you can visit the King's Own Museum online:- KingsOwnMuseum.Com.

Additional information about the Chindits and the Burma Campaign can be found on the Imperial War Museums website.

In an interesting turn of events, rubble from the old Harington Barracks, which was demolished after World War II, is currently being removed from Freshfield Beach. This is part of a dune restoration project being carried out by the National Trust.

8 decades on, we still remember those who gave their lives to help preserve the freedoms we often take for granted. At the going down of the sun and in the morning. We will remember them!