VJ Day: WWII 'Forgotten Army' Memorial Given Listed Status

A Second World War memorial dedicated to the "Forgotten Army" has been given special protection to mark the 75th anniversary of Victory over Japan (VJ) Day.

The Chindit Memorial in Victoria Embankment Gardens, central London, has been Grade II listed by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on the advice of Historic England.

The Chindit Special Forces fought in Burma (now known as Myanmar) in 1943 and 1944 and, after years of Allied setbacks, helped to turn the tide of the war against Japan in the Far East.

To mark the 75th anniversary of VJ Day on Saturday, a military delegation will lay a wreath at the memorial.

It is part of a series of commemorations happening across Whitehall and the UK, honouring the men who served in the Far East during the war.

Named after Chinthe, a mythical beast which stands guard outside Burmese temples, the Chindit Memorial takes the form of an ornate bronze statue of the creature supported on a tall Portland stone plinth.

The Chindits included troops from the UK, Burma, Hong Kong, India, Nepal, West Africa and the US.

They engaged the Japanese behind enemy lines in Burma and were trained to navigate through extremely difficult jungle terrain.

Heritage Minister Nigel Huddleston said: "As we come together this weekend to mark 75 years since VJ Day, we must not forget the sacrifices of the Second World War generation.

"It is a fitting tribute to all who served in the Far East that we are protecting and preserving sites so that future generations can learn about this important period of our history."

Major General Orde Charles Wingate, a British Army officer who was born in India to a military family, formed the Chindits.

He was killed in active service in Burma in 1944 and the Chindits were disbanded the following year.

The memorial was unveiled by the Duke of Edinburgh in 1990 and there is a separate further memorial to the Chindits in the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

On the front plinth of the memorial is the blue enamel crest of the Chindits Association, as well as a portrait of Maj Gen Wingate and inscriptions explaining the role of the Chindits.

While fighting in Europe stopped on VE Day, 8 May 1945, it continued in the Far East until VJ Day, 15 August 1945, when Imperial Japan surrendered, effectively bringing the conflict to an end. 

Claudia Kenyatta, director of regions at Historic England, said: "We are surrounded by surviving physical evidence of the Second World War, from former air raid shelters to statues and plaques; however memorials that commemorate the Allied forces fighting in the Far East are surprisingly rare in England.

"We are pleased that the memorial to the Chindit Special Forces in Burma has been listed.

"Seventy-five years on, it's important that we remember them."

Two Grade I listed churches in Cambridgeshire have also been re-listed with new information linking them to the Second World War and the Allied victory in Japan.

Cover image: The Chindit Memorial in Victoria Embankment Gardens, London.