VJ80 at Droxford – Free Exhibition
Saturday 16th August 2025 from 10:30 am to 3pm
St Mary's and All Saints' Church, Droxford SO32 3QL (on the A32 north of Fareham)
What was life like for the people involved in WW2 in the Far East?
Focusing on the forces of Britain, the British Dominions and the then British Empire, this exhibition commemorates the war in the Far East through their voices.
Why did people fighting the Japanese in Burma see themselves as ‘The Forgotten Army’? What did the end of the war mean for them?
Despite the impression given by many movies, British troops made up only 20% of those people in the Far East campaigns; the majority were from India, Nepal (The Gurkhas) and both West and East Africa. The picture above of Gurkha and Indian troops inspecting captured Japanese ordnance is much more representative.
Who were The Chindits and how did their 2 operations help to turn the tide of continuous Japanese advance? How did the RAF make a major contribution to these operations and the subsequent advances?
How many Victoria Crosses were awarded to Gurkhas fighting in the Far East?
Why have the battles of Kohima and Imphal been voted as the British Army’s greatest?
Supporting the Royal British Legion
Produced by the Droxford and District Branch of the Royal British Legion, this commemoration has been very generously supported by the Gurkha Museum.
You may be interested in their summer exhibition: Victory in 1945, details of which are here.