Formby Remembers the Forgotten Army at Historic Harington Barracks For VJ Day
- 18 hours ago
- 4 min read
A moving Formby VJ Day Remembrance Service was held in Formby yesterday, Saturday 22 August, as veterans, civic representatives, members of the Royal British Legion and local residents gathered to remember those who served and sacrificed their lives in the Far East during the Second World War.
Organised by the Formby Branch of the Royal British Legion and its Women’s Section, the ceremony took place at the existing Chindit Memorial on Proctor Road, on the historic site of the former Harington Barracks.
Importantly, this was not the site of the new Chindit memorial planned near the Harington Road shops, which has recently received planning permission but has not yet been completed.
The Proctor Road location has a particularly powerful connection with the men being remembered. During the Second World War, soldiers were stationed and trained at Harington Barracks before leaving Formby to serve in the Far East, including men who subsequently fought as Chindits in the Burma campaign.
The existing plaque at Proctor Road commemorates the Chindits and members of The King’s Regiment who were stationed at the barracks, and the site has long been a focal point for Formby’s VJ Day commemorations.
Yesterday’s service was attended by the Mayor of Sefton, Councillor Jennifer Corcoran, who is serving as Mayor for 2026/27.
Those attending also included serving and former military personnel, with full ceremonial and regimental uniforms, standards and a marching band adding to what was an incredibly dignified and poignant occasion.
What is VJ Day?
VJ Day, or Victory over Japan Day, marks the surrender of Japan in August 1945 and effectively the end of the Second World War. In Britain it is commemorated on 15 August, the date Japan’s surrender was announced. It is particularly important in remembering the thousands of British and Commonwealth personnel who fought in the often-overlooked Far East campaign, including Burma.
Although VJ Day is officially commemorated on 15 August, Formby’s local VJ Day Remembrance Service was held this year on Saturday 22 August at the historic Harington Barracks site on Proctor Road.
For Formby, that remembrance has an especially local significance because of the soldiers who passed through Harington Barracks before being sent thousands of miles from home.
Yesterday’s ceremony began with the marching on of the Standards shortly before 11am.
Following a welcome from Rev Julie Butcher, Michelle Miller read a VJ Day poem before prayers were led by Rev Butcher.
At 11.09am, Paul Hughes of the Formby Branch of the Royal British Legion delivered the Exhortation, followed by the traditional response:
“We will remember them.”
The Last Post was then sounded before those gathered observed a solemn two-minute silence, followed by Reveille.
One of the most poignant moments came when Major Roy Bevan MBE delivered the Kohima Epitaph:
“When you go home tell them of us, and say
For your tomorrow, we gave our today.”
The National Anthem and blessing followed, before wreaths and remembrance crosses were planted at the memorial.
The sight of the poppy wreaths and individual wooden crosses beneath the Chindit plaque was a powerful reminder that behind the history, dates and military campaigns were individual men, families and lives changed forever by war.
Special recognition for Major Roy Bevan MBE
There was also a particularly lovely and very well-deserved moment during the ceremony when Major Roy Bevan MBE was presented with a special Certificate of Appreciation.
Major Bevan has spent many years recording and preserving the history of events organised by the Formby Royal British Legion, documenting ceremonies and occasions through his photographs and videos.
His work has created an invaluable visual record of Formby’s acts of remembrance and ensured that moments which might otherwise have been lost with the passing of time have instead been preserved for future generations.
The Formby Royal British Legion wanted to formally recognise everything he has done, and the presentation provided an opportunity to thank him for his dedication and commitment.
It was a wonderful moment within an already very special ceremony.
The service concluded at around 11.30am with the marching off of the Standards.
The significance of the Proctor Road location should not be underestimated. The existing memorial stands close to the former entrance to Harington Barracks and commemorations have been held there for many years. Historical records from Formby Civic Society confirm that the plaque commemorates the Chindits and 1st King’s Regiment stationed at the barracks and that this was the entrance to the former military site.
It also comes at an important time for Formby’s military heritage.
As Formby Bubble recently reported, plans are progressing for a new and much more prominent Chindit memorial near the Harington Road shops, close to where the barracks parade ground once stood. That memorial is a separate project and has not yet been erected.
Yesterday, however, remembrance returned to the original Harington Barracks site on Proctor Road – a place where some of the very men being honoured once stood before leaving Formby to face unimaginable conditions thousands of miles away.
It was a beautiful, respectful and deeply moving ceremony and a wonderful example of Formby continuing to remember those who gave so much.
After the ceremony, everyone was invited to the Pinewoods Pub in Formby to celebrate with Major Roy Bevan MBE and what a great turnout it was!
Lest We Forget. 🇬🇧
.jpg)
Comments