In the spring of 1942, Percy was just sixteen and working long factory shifts producing generators for the Navy. With determination beyond his years, he forged a letter in his father’s name claiming he was eighteen, took the King’s Shilling, and was told to await his call-up papers.
What followed took him thousands of miles from home, through the unrelenting jungles of the Far East, and into the ranks of a force often overlooked: The Forgotten Army.
He was still in combat at the Irrawaddy River when news of VE Day reached them. While celebrations erupted across Europe, for Percy and his unit, the war was very much alive. It was during this campaign that Percy was wounded by a bullet and pulled from the front line with malaria and dysentery. In the field hospital, a matron reminded him how lucky he was. The man in the next bed had lost an eye and an arm.
Now aged 100 and living in RBVE Village, Percy has found the space to reflect and to write. What unfolds is a tale of quiet resilience, loyalty, loss, and the moments of camaraderie that endured even in war. He shares his story now, on the anniversary of VJ Day, so that, in his own words, “others might know”.
The Forgotten Army
The 14th Army, often referred to as the “Forgotten Army,” played a pivotal role in halting Japanese advances in Southeast Asia. Comprising soldiers from Britain and across the Commonwealth, including India, Africa, the Caribbean, and Gurkhas from Nepal, this force pushed through monsoon-soaked terrain and mountainous jungle to reclaim occupied territories. Their efforts culminated in the liberation of Burma and the eventual surrender of Japanese forces.
Teachings of the Second World War are less focused on the war in the Asia-Pacific. As a result, public awareness of the bitter fighting in the Far East, and the Commonwealth’s critical role within it, remains limited. This has left generations without fully understanding their communities’ connection to this conflict, or how their lives today are still shaped by its legacy.
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Royal Canadian Legion, US Branch #25 