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Myth and Reality: Military Art in the Age of Queen Victoria

This major exhibition of rarely seen artworks illuminates shifting attitudes towards soldiers and the Army during Queen Victoria’s reign (1837 – 1901).

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Coming events at the National Army Museum

A disabled British veteran of the Napoleonic Wars, c1812

Talk

29 Aug 2025

Searching for Shadrack Byfield

Join Dr Eamonn O’Keeffe as he explores the War of 1812 through the eyewitness account of a disabled British veteran of the conflict.

‘Patient Heroes’, a Royal Horse Artillery gun team in action, 1882

Tour

30 Aug 2025 £2.00

Victorian Art: BSL Tour

Follow expert guide Edward Richards on a British Sign Language (BSL) tour of our new exhibition ‘Myth and Reality: Military Art in the Age of Queen Victoria’.

Talk

5 Sep 2025

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.

A family visiting the Conflict in Europe gallery

An unmissable day out

Take on a mission of discovery and explore the bigger picture of how the Army has shaped our world and lives.

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On This Day: 1945

Story

On 15 August 1945, the British government broadcast news of Japan’s unconditional surrender. This date was declared Victory over Japan Day (VJ Day) and people from all walks of life celebrated the official end of the Second World War.

Story

On This Day: August 1945

In August 1945, Britain celebrated Victory over Japan. Yet, with local conflicts erupting across Asia and tremendous problems to tackle in Europe, the Army’s work was far from done.

Story

Victory: May–August 1945

In the summer of 1945, the Second World War came to an end. After Victory in Europe was declared in May, the final surrender of Japan was secured by mid-August. But the British Army’s work was far from over.

Detail from a jacket worn by Captain John Malcolmson VC, c1860

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