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(l-r)
FEPOWs Sid Dodds, Jack Fowler and Ben Slack
pose by the Taichu Memorial stone. (Photo A. Currey)
TPCMS DEDICATES TAICHU POW MEMORIAL
The site of the Taichu POW Camp was located in the
late October 1998, when Michael and Tina Hurst made a trip to
the countryside south of Taichng City in search of the camp. After
much driving around, and talking with several of the local area
residents in the area that they believed the camp to be, positive
identification was made.
During the next two years several visits to the former campsite
were made by Michael and other members of the TPCMS.
In the fall of 1999 on a visit to the site, a group from the TPCMS
asked for permission to erect a memorial at the former camp and
after a year in process, permission was finally granted by the
Taiwan government. A piece of green Taiwan marble was procured
and transported to a local stonework factory for engraving.
On Monday, September 18, 2000 the Taichu POW Memorial stone was
installed in a garden near the place where the POWs’ huts
had been in the former camp those many years ago.
On Monday, November 20, 2000 with three former POWs of the Taichu
Camp present - the POW Memorial was dedicated. Sid Dodds, Jack
Fowler and Ben Slack all took part in the ceremony which featured
comments from TPCMS Director Michael Hurst, and the Director of
Administration for the British Trade and Cultural Office in Taipei,
Mr. Dominic McAllister.
Ex-POWs Harold Brant, Jack Edwards, Ray Goodman, Harry Leslie,
Bill Notley, George Reynolds, Ron Venton and Stan Vickerstaff
who were not in the Taichu Camp, joined their mates in remembering
their former comrades. Several wives and sons and daughters of
the FEPOWs were also present, along with members of the TPCMS
and dignitaries from the Taiwan government and the Water Conservation
Agency that administers the site of the former camp.
After a prayer of dedication by Keiko Holmes, poppy wreaths were
laid in honour of those who did not return and for those who still
survive.
To date we have located 26 survivors of the former Taichu POW
Camp and all have been sent a letter notifying them of the building
and dedication of the memorial, along with a photo of the Taichu
POW Memorial stone, so that they will know that they and their
mates have not, and will not ever be forgotten.
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In Memorium
Mr. George Williams
- 155th Lanarkshire Yeomanry
We are sad to announce the passing of Mr. George Williams
on January 9, 2001. George was a POW at the Kinkaseki and
Kukutsu Camps. He attended the dedication of the Kinkaseki
Memorial in 1997, along with his son and daughter. Over
the past three years George became a close and valued friend.
He was known to many of the Kinkaseki POWs and he will be
sadly missed. Our deepest sympathies go out to his family.
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WANT
TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE TAIWAN POW CAMPS AND THE POWS?
If your
club, school or organization would like to know more about
the prisoners of war, the POW camps on Taiwan and the work
of the TPCMS, we would be very pleased to come to a meeting
of your group and give a talk and show pictures and artifacts
from our research. It is one of our aims to share the POWs’
story with as many as we can, so that more people in Taiwan
will know the story too and be able to better understand a
part of their history. For further information, please contact
us.
Tel.
(02) 8660-8438 Fax. (02) 8660-8439 Email society@powtaiwan.org
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