Cherk Klutse writes: VJ Day &#8211; The Forgotten Army

15th August 2020 marked the 75th anniversary of what has become known as VJ (Victory over Japan) day. This was the day when the emperor Hirohito spoke to the Japanese nation and directed an end to the war.

This was a few weeks after the atomic bombings, and the formal surrender occurred on the 2nd of September aboard a US battleship anchored off Tokyo. This succinct account recounts massive and momentous happenings in history, not least of which was the end of the Second World War.

Why is this significant to Ghana and Africa? A number of key reasons. Thousands of young African men were drafted into the British Army and served primarily in this theatre of war – primarily with the 14th Army in India and Burma (now Myanmar). The regiments including the Kings Rifles and the Royal West African Frontier Force served with distinction and were instrumental in this victory over Japan. Their battle honours, as celebrated by their successor formations including the Ghana army, the Nigerian army, The Sierra Leonean army and the Gambian army bear testimony. Indeed, this why many facilities in the Ghanaian military bear names like Arakhan and Burma.

It is also important to note that many of the men who fought in these regiments (including Sergeant Adjetey and his colleagues), came back home, and bolstered by their experiences, were at the forefront of Independence struggle.

The 14th Army, (led by Viscount Slim) in which these men fought, gained the tragic moniker of the ‘Forgotten Army’. The African troops of the 14th Army, sadly still are ‘forgotten’. In the reportage and commentary of this day, their service is seldom highlighted. More painfully perhaps for them, must be the fact that this lack of recognition extends to their home countries Days like this pass, and the memory of their service increasingly fades into the woodwork.

Perhaps we should be minded by that Lincolnian cliché: – ‘A country that does not honour its heroes, et cetera’.

We can do better. We must do better. We must commemorate and celebrate the men who gallantly fought for the ideals of democracy in the deserts and jungles of East Africa and South Asia. The concrete recommendations here include: a parade similar to what happened in London, aggressive and deliberate efforts to highlight the narrative of African service in local and international news-cycle, and funding to commission and publicize a record of these events.

Three cheers to all the African Veterans of the British Armed forces in World War 2. Ayekoo to the men of the Gold Coast Regiment (later Ghana Regiment) of the Royal West African Frontier Force.