Following the 81st anniversary of VJ Day, South Asian families across Britain are invited to investigate relatives’ wartime service records. The Royal British Legion and British Future promote these efforts via the My Family Legacy campaign, which spotlights the roles of South Asian personnel. Since September 2025 the groups have visited UK communities to help families recover and discuss accounts of duty, bravery, bereavement and loss. The initiative urges relatives to recognise those who supported Britain’s war efforts in any capacity. It also seeks to integrate these accounts into the broader narrative of national history and commemoration. One participant, Nima Suchak, learned about her grandfather Vallabhdas, who served in Burma and North Africa. Although he had not discussed his experiences, she found his medals and began researching his contributions. Anthony Metcalfe of the Royal British Legion noted that victory in the Second World War depended on Allied forces from the Commonwealth and elsewhere, whose actions helped form contemporary Britain. Campaign participants recently attended a photoshoot to exchange family accounts and consider the value of preserving such records. They also reviewed The Forgotten Army exhibition by photographer Mahtab Hussain, produced with the Royal British Legion, which draws attention to the overlooked service of South Asian personnel. The exhibition will visit Scotland from September 2026. Through these activities the campaign connects individual experiences with Britain’s wider wartime legacy and highlights the varied communities that have influenced the country.
