John Cox in Dunkirk, Burma and India

The contributor's father John Cox (who died in 1990) was still fighting the Japanese in Burma after VE day, and in parts of India which are now Pakistan. He survived Dunkirk beaches, and was then sent to Burma from England. John travelled through Burma and came back through India.

The contributor's mother saved all her rations, baked a fruitcake and sent it from Kidderminster to Burma. John shared it with his friends. The contributor's mother lived on her own during the war and worked in the munitions factories.

The contributor brought a letter from a friend, L. Hill, sent on 15 October 1944, describing how the lights came on after a blackout. They also brought several group pictures of men who came home from Burma, and a solo photo of their father in army uniform for Dunkirk. They also brought a journal of marching through Burma, describing events leading to the last battle, the Battle of Kohima, through jungles and mountains. Mules carried their equipment. There is also a picture of someone receiving an award, the 2nd Battalion of 7th Worcester's Batallion, and a service hymnal. The contributor also described a memorial service, and a roll of honour.

They brought a ring given to John in Burma, probably owned by a higher ranking officer. The symbol is the cross keys of York. It was given to him when stationed in 7th Worcester.

They also brought books belonging to John. 'Navigation by the stars' (for the southern hemisphere) is partly eaten by ants. When in the jungle, soldiers couldn't sleep because of the Japanese so they studied the stars. A pocket guide to Burma describes culture of the country, and how to speak the language in case of emergencies. They relied on Gurkas. The phrase book and vocabularies explains how to study and learn the language. There is also a log of information from 1943 and a Hyderabad state diary.

The contributor brought John's jacket buttons, either 7th Worcester or Burma Stars, medals from 7th Worcester, medals from Burma Star x 2, and a defence medal. These were medals for 'efficient service'.

John never really spoke about the war. He was a member of the Dunkirk Veterans. The contributor brought prayer cards which were taken from the menu at a Dunkirk Veterans reunion dinner in Kidderminster; there are prayers on the back of the menu, written by John Donne. He went to every reunion dinner until he died.