Bodmin Launches VE80 Photography Trail to Commemorate WWII History
To mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, Bodmin Keep - Cornwall’s Army Museum is proud to announce the launch of the VE80 Photography Trail, a town-wide exhibition that brings to life Bodmin’s powerful wartime legacy through the lens of celebrated photographer George Ellis.
The VE80 Photography Trail - a project in partnership with Experience Bodmin, Bodmin Town Council and Bodmin Jai - showcases a curated selection of wartime images taken by Ellis, a London-born freelance press photographer who moved to Bodmin in 1939.
The trail also includes a wedding photo taken by Alan Date - a chemist who owned a pharmacy on Honey Street in the 1930s and 40s - who like Ellis, captured many photographs of wartime Bodmin.
Known for his evocative and human-centred photography, Ellis documented life on the Home Front, including Land Girls, evacuee children, and the daily interactions between locals and the British, Commonwealth, and American troops stationed in town.
Once a thriving garrison town, Bodmin played a key role in the UK’s Second World War efforts. From 1939, over 2,000 troops were housed and trained at Bodmin Keep, Walker Lines, and Coldharbour Farm. In 1943, Bodmin Keep was handed over to the US 29th Infantry Division as American GIs prepared for the D-Day landings.
Each photograph in the trail is displayed where it was originally taken, offering a unique “then and now” experience and inviting reflection on how the community — and its resilience — have evolved over time.
The trail will run until Remembrance Sunday, reinforcing the town’s long-standing commitment to honouring service and sacrifice.
Councillor Leigh Frost, Cornwall Councillor Leader and local member for Bodmin St Petroc, said: “The trail is a great addition to Bodmin and offers a new to way explore the town through a different lens. Residents and visitors alike will be able to discover and learn more about the town’s history.”
Helen Bishop-Stephens, Director of Bodmin Keep-Cornwall’s Army Museum, said: “This project reminds us of the vibrancy and diversity of wartime Bodmin. It highlights the contributions of so many — including pioneering Black American GIs and local women in uniform — and we hope it inspires pride and renewed interest in our town’s extraordinary past. This is particularly poignant as right now Cornwall’s Army Museum, housed at Bodmin Keep, is closed and fighting to secure its future. Without the museum, this and countless other stories about Cornwall’s Army history will be lost.”
The entire George Ellis collection, comprising over 90,000 images, is held at Kresen Kernow.
The trail has been possible thanks to the Experience project, run by Cornwall Council, which received funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund through the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme.
The Experience project aims to enhance visitors’ experience and support local businesses. The project in Bodmin focuses on boosting tourism and economic growth, by promoting unique and sustainable cultural and low-carbon experiences.
Key partners in the town – including the Town Council and major venues and attractions in Bodmin - are collaborating with Experience to develop a marketing campaign for the town, helping to raise awareness of Bodmin as an important destination in its own right.
For full information on the V80 Photography Trail, go to: VE80 Photography Trail - Bodmin Keep: Cornwall's Army Museum.