UK Launch - HEPWORTH WAKEFIELD - VE DAy Weekend

Event and Media Access

On 9 May 2026, The Hepworth Wakefield will host a VE Day event and exhibition marking the launch of Empire’s Witness: A Soldier’s Secret War Diary 1942–45. Four generations of Corporal Alwyn Day’s family will attend, alongside veterans and community representatives. All nine of Alwyn's grandchildren will attend. 

Interview opportunities will be available with the author, Philip James Day, and Corporal Day’s daughter, Kate Saward. Guest speakers include environmental lawyer Martyn Day and historian and author Stephen Haddelsey.

Los Angeles Launch Event and Media Access

As part of the D-Day anniversary weekend, on 4 June 2026, a Los Angeles launch event will mark the international publication of Empire’s Witness: A Soldier’s Secret War Diary 1942–45. The event will introduce the rediscovered wartime diary of British Army corporal Alwyn Robinson Day, whose 1942–45 journey carried him across three continents through the vast Allied logistics network that helped sustain the war effort.

Author and documentary filmmaker Philip James Day will discuss the investigation behind the diary and the reconstruction of his grandfather’s journey through military archives, convoy records, and wartime supply routes including the Persian Corridor. The event will explore the wider historical story of the global logistics system that linked Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union during the war.

Guest speakers and participants will join a discussion on the historical, military, and human dimensions of the diary and its rediscovery. Interview opportunities will be available with the author and guest speakers.