Thought for the Week: Spare a thought for the forgotten army
A fortnight ago, a friend and I visited the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.
It is a 150-acre site planted with thousands of trees and dedicated to remembering those who have sacrificed their lives in the service of humanity in the main since 1945.
The centre piece is a series of curved walls – a sculpture with 16000 names engraved upon it, and room for 15000 more.
Around the grounds are hundreds of other memorials to a variety of groups, including the police service.
Part of the reason my friend wanted to visit was because his father fought in western Burma, so the Southeast Asia memorial area was of special interest.
Our guide showed us some original rails from the Burma railway which the allied POWs were forced to build, and we learned of the thousands of prisoners who perished in unmarked Japanese merchant ships sunk by British and American forces as they were transported as slave labourers to northern Japan.
Those who fought against the Japanese had to continue fighting after the war in Europe ended and celebrations had begun. They are sometimes called the forgotten army.
They will be remembered on Friday, August 15 this year as we celebrate the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, the end of the war in the East.
In Churches throughout the country and in many parts of the world, prayers will be said in thanksgiving for those who, “gave their today”.
Martin Parrott, Associate Priest, Holy Trinity and St Jude's, Halifax