East Anglian Burma veterans hand Standard to Duxford museum

Burma campaign veterans from East Anglia handed over their Standard to the IWM Duxford

Soldiers from East Anglia stationed in Burma during World War Two have formally transferred their Standard to the Imperial War Museum at Duxford.

It will be displayed in the Forgotten War display along with other items relating to the Burma Campaign.

Veteran Jimmy Kemp presented the Standard of the Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Essex Borders Branch of the Burma Star Association.

Former soldiers attended the hand-over service at IWM Duxford on Saturday.

The branch has had a long association with the museum Mr Kemp said.

The campaign in Burma during World War Two was crucial to the Allies but dubbed the Forgotten War by the soldiers who fought there

"Now that the branch is ceasing formal duties, we have decided to Lay Up the Standard," he said.

"We always wanted it to be part of the collection at IWM Duxford, because of our long association with the museum.

"This is a very poignant moment for us."

Martin Boswell, museum curator, said: "When plans were laid to discuss the construction of a permanent gallery at the museum to commemorate the war in the Far East these veterans were among the first to offer active help and to provide objects for display, giving the most important resource of all; their approval.

"Opened in 1999, the Forgotten War exhibition at last redressed the balance, with many a Far East veteran then pleased to see that at last their deeds and sacrifices were in the public domain."

Diminishing veteran numbers of the Burma Star Association forced the retirement of the Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Essex Borders Branch