This is the story of the Japanese prisoner of war camps on the island of Taiwan (Formosa) during the Second World War and of the men who were interned in them.

Our site contains descriptions of the former camps, as well as an honour roll of the prisoners of war. We want to tell their story, so that what these men suffered will never be forgotten..

The Taiwan POW Camps Memorial Society is committed to finding the locations of the former prisoner of war camps and documenting their history. We want to honour the memory of the men who suffered to bring us the freedom that we enjoy today.

Fepow Day - August 15th

“A day to remember the tens of thousands of allied prisoners of war and civilian internees who were captured by the Japanese in World War II. They suffered from hunger, disease, torture and despair – and many thousands died – for the freedom that we enjoy today. FEPOW Day is a worldwide day of remembrance for the Far East POWs. Please join with us this year and every year to celebrate this special day.”           PLEASE REMEMBER THE PRICE THEY PAID !

The FEPOWs (Far East Prisoners of War) endured 3 ½ years of the most horrific mental and physical treatment, including starvation, diseases, over-work, beatings, torture etc. Those lucky enough to return home continued to suffer in silence with ongoing nightmares and bad health, yet they endeavored to try and live normal lives, never complaining or asking for anything. They have never been fully recognized for all the mental and physical torment they went through, and we would like to see that they are permanently honored with a memorial day in their name.

FEPOW Day is a day of remembrance for all those who were held as Japanese Prisoners of War during World War II., whatever nationality, color or religion, whether service personnel, civilians or romusha (Asians pressed into slavery by the Japanese who overran their countries).

The idea for FEPOW Day was first conceived by a group of FEPOWs, their family members, historians, researchers and friends in the UK, and August 15th was selected as it is the day Japan surrendered and those who gained their freedom could look back and remember lost mates who did not make it through the nightmarish existence of the Japanese labor camps.

FEPOW Day is spreading worldwide and will be celebrated for the first time this year on August 15th. We hope that veterans’ organizations like the various Legions worldwide, the RSL’s from Australia and New Zealand, the allied nations’ governments and all those who support and wish to remember the FEPOWs, will endorse this special day of remembrance and join with us to remember those who suffered so much. The Taiwan POW Camps Memorial Society is proud to be a participant as well.

More information may be found at http://www.fepow-day.org where a web petition and draft letter are available to add your support. Please help us to make this a day when we can universally remember the FEPOW’s, whether in our own home or at gatherings around the world.

Very Sincerely,

The FEPOW Remembrance Day Group

Tribute to the POWs . . .

Your story must be told because your courage -- and your heroism -- was what led us on to victory.
Your victory was measured in your survival; and in maintaining your faith and your loyalty to your country, when the reward for maintaining that loyalty was continued starvation -- and death.
Your strong heart, great spirit and unyielding faith served as an inspiration to the rest of us. You placed honour before everything, even before having a whole self.
You absorbed with your own bodies the blows that were intended by our enemies for our nation and its people, and you sacrificed your own freedom for the freedom of the world.
And finally, you returned from your service, regained your rightful place in our society, and strengthened your families, your communities, and our nation through your example of courage, and loyalty and continued good citizenship.
We owe you a debt that can never be repaid -what you did must not, and will not, ever be forgotten!

Courtesy American Defenders of Bataan & Corregidor - Adapted