Staffordshire tribute to 'Forgotten Army' unveiled

The Arboretum tribute is dedicated to the Chindits who fought in the 1943 Burma Campaign

A memorial to what was known as the "Forgotten Army" of World War II has been unveiled at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

The Chindits were the British India Special Force that served during the Burma campaign in 1943 and 1944.

Several of the veterans attended the ceremony.

A bronze statue was unveiled at the site representing the unit's emblem of the Chinthe, a mythical Burmese beast that was half lion and half eagle.

The consecration ceremony marked the 70th anniversary of the veteran's fight.

It was designed to symbolise the need for close air-to-land co-ordination.

The carving of the pattern for the statue took two-and-a-half years to complete.

Statue designer Roger Neal said: "I had never carved anything before.

"I see this statue as being a temple of spirit and soul, representing all of the Chindits, to guard over their spirits."