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Fusilier Museum lit up to remember the ‘Forgotten Army’ on 80th anniversary of VJ Day

Saturday, 16 August 2025 08:20

By David Murphy

Staff and Volunteers from the Fusilier Museum. Credit: Danny Crompton

Families gathered in Bury yesterday as the Fusilier Museum commemorated 80 years since VJ Day with community events and the launch of a new wartime exhibition.

The Fusilier Museum in Bury marked the 80th anniversary of Victory over Japan (VJ) Day yesterday, Friday 15 August, with a full day of tributes and activities, culminating in the launch of a new exhibition dedicated to the soldiers of the Far East.

The Forgotten Front Remembered, unveiled on Friday, explores the role of the Lancashire Fusiliers in the Burma campaign during the Second World War, a theatre often overlooked in favour of the European front. The exhibition includes rarely seen photographs, personal artefacts, uniforms, and several films, including one originally commissioned for the 75th anniversary in 2020. That project was never fully launched due to COVID-19 restrictions at the time.

Visitors were invited to explore stories from what came to be known as the ‘Forgotten Army’, a term that referred to the Allied troops who fought in Asia. The Lancashire Fusiliers, selected by Brigadier Orde Wingate to join the Chindits special forces unit, played a significant role in the campaign.

In addition to the exhibition, the museum hosted a lively celebration day for families. Children took part in arts and crafts, including medal-making and bunting design, while others dressed up in period uniforms inside the museum galleries. There were also object-handling sessions, face painting, and a ‘meet the object’ event led by museum staff in the Quartermasters Store.

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Fusilier Museum VJ Day 2025
Credit: Danny Crompton

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A short remembrance service was held in Gallipoli Garden to honour those who served and fell in the Far East.

At dusk, the outside of the museum was illuminated in red, white and purple in tribute to the Lancashire Fusiliers. The lighting display will continue across three nights, ending on Sunday evening.

Colonel Brian Gorski, Chairman of The Fusilier Museum, said:

“The Lancashire Fusiliers played a fundamental role in the Far East, so it is extremely important that we pay tribute to all those who contributed and ensured its success. We hope the new exhibition acts as a fitting tribute to the ‘Forgotten Army’ and is enjoyed by visitors old and new. The celebration day for families hopefully gave the local community a chance to get involved, and we’re proud to see the building illuminated in their honour once again.”

The Fusilier Museum is home to the collections of XX The Lancashire Fusiliers and the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, preserving over 300 years of military history. The new exhibition is now open, and children can visit for free with any full-paying adult throughout the school holidays.

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