James Fenton

Prepared by the Witnesses of War team

James Fenton was born on 21 April 1922 in Lancashire, England, and grew up in Oswaldtwistle. Called into the British Army in July 1942, he initially trained with the Lancashire Fusiliers before transferring to the Royal Artillery. He served as a bombardier, an artillery rank equivalent to corporal, with the 178th Field Regiment.

Sent overseas in 1943, Fenton travelled via South Africa to India before serving in the Burma campaign against Japanese forces. He fought in the difficult conditions of the jungle as part of the Fourteenth Army, widely remembered as the “Forgotten Army.” His service also included the 36th Division and Headquarters, 2nd Division.

Throughout his service, Fenton recorded military life through letters, photographs, drawings and paintings. He wrote to his parents approximately three times a week, sometimes while under fire, while keeping many of his most distressing experiences from them. When Japan surrendered in August 1945, he was in India. He subsequently served with occupation troops in Singapore before returning to Britain.

After the war, Fenton pursued a career in design and photography, opening a photographic studio with his wife, Lilian, before settling on the Isle of Man. He represented Burma veterans at remembrance ceremonies, including the 80th anniversary of VJ Day in August 2025, where he met King Charles III. The King met him again during a visit to the Isle of Man in July 2026, when Fenton was 104 years old.