Appeal for information after VJ Day memorial items disappear

Appeal for information after VJ Day memorial items disappear

An appeal has been issued after commemorative items placed at a new VJ Day memorial site in Heathfield have gone missing.

Earlier this year, a group of local residents worked alongside Heathfield Bonfire Society and Heathfield Parish Council to establish a permanent memorial marking VJ Day, in remembrance of those who suffered and died during the Far East conflict of the Second World War.

Commemorative plaque unveiled and plans for a memorial tree announced

A commemorative plaque was unveiled at the site, marking the location where a memorial tree will be planted when weather conditions are suitable. To honour the occasion, artwork created by members of Heathfield Bonfire Society, along with wreaths and a wreath stand, were respectfully placed at the memorial during Remembrance Sunday.

Sadly, it has since been discovered that these items have disappeared.

Those involved in the memorial project have described the incident as deeply distressing, noting that the memorial was intended to honour men and women who endured unimaginable suffering as prisoners of war, many of whom never returned home.

Comment from Heathfield District Bonfire Society

“This act shows a total lack of compassion, understanding and respect for those brave individuals who suffered unimaginable torment at the hands of their captors — with many paying the ultimate price for the freedom that we enjoy today,” a spokesperson said.

The memorial organisers are now appealing to the public for information. Anyone who may have seen the items being removed, noticed suspicious activity in the area, or who knows where the artwork, wreaths or stand may be, is urged to come forward.

Information can be passed in confidence to The Heathfield News, Heathfield Parish Council, or directly to Heathfield Bonfire Society.

Local residents are also being asked to check doorbell cameras, CCTV, or photographs taken around Remembrance Sunday that may help identify what happened.

The community hopes the items can be returned and the memorial restored with the dignity and respect it deserves.

Heathfield District Bonfire Society – heathfieldbonfire@gmail.com