VJ Day

[chenrezig]

Tomorrow is VJ Day, I was pleasantly surprised to see Wisbech Church on BBC Look East tonight .. the reason for it being on? - it has the first, and to my knowledge, the only memorial to FEPOW's (Far Eastern Prisoner's of War).

I paid my respects last October on a visit to Wisbech .. for those of you who would like to know more I have posted a pic of the memorial, located in the south aisle and takes the form of a bamboo hut similar to that which the men lived in while POW's .. if they were lucky.

The newpaper cutting explains the symbolism in the memorial..

ca99 p0923

[maureenho]

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[Honey]

tha22222 go90 p0923
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[wendy]

very moving indeed

[annie]

tha22222

[wendy]

the service this morning was very moving,
VJ Day: Queen leads 70th anniversary commemorations
The Queen is leading events to mark the 70th anniversary of VJ Day, when Japan surrendered and World War Two ended.

She and the Duke of Edinburgh joined the PM and former prisoners of war at a remembrance service at St Martin-in-the-Fields church in London.

The Reverend Dr Sam Wells told the congregation people "lost life, limb and liberty that we might know peace".

A service is also to be held in Horse Guards Parade, followed by a flypast and march by veterans of the Far East.

Meanwhile, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Emperor Akihito have observed a minute's silence at a service in Tokyo.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33936830

[annie]

I have just watched it this evening, very emotional.
My Uncle Harold was a prisoner of the Japanese for 4 years, he worked on the notorious Quai Railway. He came home with TB, beriberi, dysentery and weighing 5stone. HE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT IT FOR YEARS AFTERWARDS. then on e day, he said, you know, they ( the guards) weren't all bad, then he produced this little carved wooden dolly, that a guard had made him to bring home for his daughter, my cousin Doreen. They had both shared their pictures of their family at home & both had baby girls. Amazing.

[wendy]

Thank you Annie that made it more real for me.
I watched it yesterday and was very moved.