REMEMBRANCE DAY 1999
by Michael Hurst

This past November a very wonderful and meaningful Weekend of Remembrance was held here in Taipei as part of the annual Remembrance Day ceremonies.

Earlier in the year a Commonwealth Remembrance Committee had been formed to oversee the planning and organization of the annual Remembrance Day event in Taipei each November. Each fall a different Commonwealth representative will be responsible for that year’s ceremonies along with their respective community organization. This year Canada took the first turn with assistance from the Canadian Society.

Four former Kinkaseki POWs (l-r) - John Marshall, Ben Gough, Jim Scott and Jack Edwards remember past times and friends.

As is usually the case, there were several former prisoners of war (POWs) who returned to Taiwan for this event which is held at the site of the Kinkaseki POW Memorial in the village of Chinguashi. This year we had four returning POWs - Jack Edwards from Hong Kong and Ben Gough, John Marshall and Jim Scott - all from Scotland. Ben, John and Jim arrived in Taipei on Tuesday November 16 as guests of the Taiwan POW Camps Memorial Society, and on the 17th were taken out to Kinkaseki for a private visit in the CTOT van so kndly provided by Mr. Mulroney. The men spent time touring the site and reminiscing about bygone days and their former mates.

On Friday evening Jack Edwards arrived from Hong Kong and then on Saturday, November 20, the men all took part in the dedication of a new POW Memorial at the Kukutsu “jungle camp” in the hills near Hsintien. The memorial was erected in memory of the more than 300 men who were interned in this camp in the last months of the war. There are 29 known survivors from that camp living today.

Later that same evening, the Banker’s Club was the venue for the annual POW dinner, which was hosted by the CTOT and emceed by Trade Office Director, David Mulroney. After a sumptuous buffet, the audience was moved as they listened to the stories and anecdotes from the POWs. At the conclusion of the evening’s activities everyone was treated to some wartime music by POWs Jim Scott on the piano and John Marshall on the harmonica.

Sunday the 21st saw approximately forty people turn out for the memorial service at Kinkaseki. Piper Robert Noakes led the group down the hill to the memorial site, where the ceremony was held under a nearby pavilion as it threatened to rain at any time. (It never did.)

Master of Ceremonies, Josh Hodgson of the CTOT, led the service which featured an address by Mr. Mulroney on behalf of the Commonwealth representatives, as well as speeches and readings by all four of the former POWs. Canadian missionary Fr. Louis Gendron S.J. gave a few words and then led in the prayers of remembrance, before the wreath laying ceremony took place at the memorial itself.

Poppy wreaths were laid by the returning POWs, the other War Veterans, the Commonwealth Representatives and the Taiwan POW Camps Memorial Society. A moment’s silence was followed by the playing of Amazing Grace on the bagpipes as the ceremony drew to a close.

Everyone who was present that November day was once again moved as they remembered friends and loved ones who have been involved in war. Our POW guests were especially grateful as they told me later, for all the kind hospitality shown to them by the people of Taiwan - both expat and local, and that they would never forget this return visit to the land of their former imprisonment. We will certainly not forget them either!

David Mulroney (l), Josh Hodgson (2nd r) and Michael Hurst (r), with POWs at Kinkaseki Memorial Service.