Beyond Burma

Detail from 'Troops of the Royal West African Frontier Force in the Arakan, Burma, 1944'
18 Sep 2025 – 13 Apr 2026

Beyond Burma: Forgotten Armies

Marking the 80th anniversary of VJ (Victory over Japan) Day, this exhibition shines a light on the remarkable multinational army that fought in some of the toughest conditions of the Second World War.
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Explore Beyond Burma stories

Ted Senior during his time as a prisoner of war, c1943

In Their Own Words: Major Ted Senior

Ted Senior was captured by the Japanese during the Second World War and forced to work on the Thai-Burma ‘Death Railway'. The diary he kept reveals the horrific conditions that he and his fellow prisoners endured.

Detail from 'Troops of the Royal West African Frontier Force in the Arakan, Burma, 1944'

Troops of the Royal West African Frontier Force in the Arakan, Burma, 1944

This painting by Captain Hugh Micklem depicts West African soldiers on campaign in Burma (now Myanmar) during the Second World War.

Japanese flag captured by 6th Battalion, 5th Mahratta Light Infantry, 1945

Yosegaki Hinomaru: Japanese good-luck flags

A collection of flags captured during the Second World War sheds light on the tough close-quarter combat of the Burma campaign and provides some rare insights about soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army.

Men of the 10th Gurkha Rifles clearing enemy positions on 'Scraggy' hill, Burma, 1944

Battles of Imphal and Kohima

These battles formed the turning point of one of the most gruelling campaigns of the Second World War. The Japanese defeat in north-east India in 1944 became the springboard for the subsequent re-conquest of Burma.

Field Marshal Auchinleck, c1947

Claude Auchinleck: The auk

After initial successes in North Africa during the Second World War, Field Marshal Sir Claude Auchinleck transferred to India as Commander-in-Chief. His unstinting logistical support there was vital to the Allied re-conquest of Burma.

Indian troops of the 17th Division in Payagyi during the advance on Rangoon, April 1945

The Far East campaign

Between December 1941 and August 1945, British Commonwealth troops and their allies fought a bitter war across the vast expanses of Asia and the Pacific Ocean against a tenacious and often brutal enemy.

Field Marshal Viscount Slim, 1967

William Slim: The soldiers’ soldier

Field Marshal William Slim led the Fourteenth Army in Burma during the Second World War. Despite inheriting a disastrous situation, he restored his men's morale and led them to victory against the Japanese.

Explore Beyond Burma events

'Half a Banana' book cover
Talk
5 Sep 2025 FREE

Half a Banana: The Diary of a Gurkha Officer, 1942-45

Join Richard and David Kemmis Betty as they recount their father’s experiences as a British Indian Army officer fighting in Malaya and imprisoned in Singapore during the Second World War.

Royal Artillery gun detachment preparing to fire a 3.7 in howitzer during the Battle of the Ngakyedauk Pass, Arakan, February 1944
Spotlight
20 Sep 2025 FREE

Burma Day

Join us for a special day of talks and activities to celebrate the opening of our forthcoming exhibition, ‘Beyond Burma’, and to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day.

People feeling the textures of items in the handling collection
Tour
12 Oct 2025 FREE

Beyond Burma: Sensory Tour

Explore our forthcoming exhibition ‘Beyond Burma: Forgotten Armies’ through a sensory tour guided by our Community Engagement Team.

People feeling the textures of items in the handling collection
Tour
17 Oct 2025 FREE

Beyond Burma: Sensory Tour

Explore our forthcoming exhibition ‘Beyond Burma: Forgotten Armies’ through a sensory tour guided by our Community Engagement Team.

Troops of the Royal West African Frontier Force in the Arakan, Burma, 1944
Tour
29 Nov 2025 £2.00

Beyond Burma: BSL Tour

Follow expert guide Edward Richards on a British Sign Language (BSL) tour of our forthcoming exhibition ‘Beyond Burma: Forgotten Armies’.