OUR AGM & REUNION WEEKEND IN CHELTENHAM 8th to 10th August 2025
We held another very successful and enjoyable reunion weekend at the Doubletree Hilton in Cheltenham over the weekend of 8th-10th August. It was fun and emotional, but lovely to be together, to hold our AGM, remember our ‘boys’ and commemorate the 80th anniversary of VJ Day a little early together.
This year it was wonderful to be joined by Dee and Andy Dables (right), daughter and son in law of Jim Wren, our now famous FEPOW having been visited by our Patron, The Duchess of Edinburgh and interviewed by the BBC for VJ Day. Also in attendance were our old friends Paul ‘Werley’ Werlemann, a Civilian Internee, John Baxter, Alan & Christine Broadhurst, Richard & Susan Brown, Susie Browne, Jacquelyn Frith Crofts, Imogen Holmes, Stephen & Su John, Sue Turner & Peter Parmee, Martin Prechner, Judith & Gary Provis, Lore Ridings, Steve Surr and Hazel Wilson.
As usual we met as we arrived on the Friday and enjoyed an afternoon in the garden before a lovely dinner together.
Saturday started with our AGM (minutes later in this edition), which concluded with everyone introducing themselves, getting to know each other and our FEPOW relatives. Everyone brought photos of their loved ones, and there were photos of past reunions, all of which were lovely to see. Then Dee and Andy introduced us to our FEPOW Jim through a copy of the painting commissioned for him by the then Prince Charles and his framed dagger.
Steve Surr shared an extract of his father’s experiences, which quotes James Home’s book ‘Their Last Tenko’…
“The Japanese prisoner of war scene, as I saw it, was a melting pot of humanity. It made a man or it broke him. If you survived, it was with a different set of values to most other men. You found out that you were taking out of life only that which you put in. Life became only a matter of survival … not selfish survival, for no man could go it alone. Even the strongest would at times be helpless in the steady grip of disease. Sometimes, only the ministering of another man kept you alive. When you were down you needed a friend. When you were up you gave back what you could. We came through knowing much more of true values and isn’t that what really should matter in life?”
How true this was and still is!
This was followed by an afternoon at leisure, which was mostly chatting in the sunshine in the garden
Our Saturday evening meal together, was followed by our traditional rubbish raffle! We allowed Steve a year off from embarrassing outfits to model, but he and Stephen enjoyed a game of sticky head ball for our amusement. Lesley was overjoyed to win a gnome and
Due to the nature of the raffle being just a bit of fun we no longer charge for tickets, but £100 was raised from donations and sales of merchandise.
On the Sunday morning, we all went to St Mary’s Church in Charlton Kings where they welcomed us warmly and Rev Graham held a wonderful service for us to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VJ Day. Apart from their already large congregation, we had local cadets, veterans and RBL members.
Rev Graham gave a wellresearched sermon on the war in the Far East and Lesley followed with an address (below). We then held an act of remembrance with many Standards, the Last Post and Reveille played marvellously on the organ, followed by wreath laying by the RBL and Lesley and Paul on behalf of The Java FEPOW Club. Then our members all laid poppy crosses in remembrance of their FEPOWs
The church then kindly provided us with cakes and refreshments whilst they chatted with our members to learn more about the importance of VJ Day and our boys’ sacrifices.
These are the words Lesley shared during the service on behalf of our members…
I am Lesley Clark and honoured to be Chair and Treasurer of The Java Far East Prisoner of War Club which supports the remaining veterans, wives and widows of those who were held captive by the Japanese during WW2. We refer to them as FEPOWs, being the acronym of Far Eastern Prisoner of War.
We are in Cheltenham for our annual reunion. Sadly, no FEPOWs can be with us, although we do have one civilian internee here, the rest of us are children of FEPOWs. It is in their memory, and to honour their friends and comrades that we are with you today.
Firstly, I would like to thank Reverend Graham, as well as everyone here, for welcoming us again this year. Especially as this Friday, 15th will be the 80th Anniversary of VJ Day. Quite rightly, we commemorated the 80th anniversary of VE Day in May.
But the war continued for another 100 days, after VE Day, we were still fighting in Burma in horrendous conditions, and our Allies were trying to push back the Japanese from throughout Asia. Those who had been captured as prisoners of war, who had already endured over 3 years in captivity, were still being worked, starved, badly maltreated and suffering from tropical diseases.
Thousands more suffered, and died, in the three months and 8 days after VE Day and the celebrations in May were little comfort to the family of those half way around the world who didn’t know if their loved ones were dead or alive.
This wasn’t just Burma, or the Bridge on the River Kwai in Thailand, it was throughout Asia, including Malaya, Singapore, Sumatra, Indonesia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China and Korea.
During the War in the Far East, it wasn’t just servicemen and women who endured. There were also hundreds of thousands of Civilian Internees and local Asians. Sadly VJ Day has often been overlooked, making those who were in the Far East feel like the Forgotten Army.
The suffering and degradation didn’t end on VJ Day either, those who returned were told not to speak of it because nobody in the UK would ever understand fully, and so that families of those who had died didn’t learn of the circumstances of how their loved ones suffered.
This, along with the lack of understanding and support led to many suffering severe physical and psychological problems in silence for many years. The organization ‘Combat Stress’ supported some of our veterans in their latter years, but only after they had experienced decades of illnesses and nightmares.
Veterans still suffer today, including our remaining FEPOWs aged 105, but they were the ‘lucky’ ones; thousands were left behind.
VJ Day is not a celebration of the atomic bombing. The Japanese at the time were given ample opportunity to capitulate but refused to do so. They planned to kill all the prisoners held by October 1945 and had they not surrendered, hundreds of thousands of Allies and Japanese would have died in the ensuing fighting. Even as the Emperor was preparing to read the declaration, his troops were storming the palace to try to stop him. We must remember those who fought, not to glorify war, but to show appreciation of the freedoms we have today thanks to their sacrifices. And hopefully through learning past mistakes, they will never be repeated.
So, it is with this in mind that we are so happy and grateful to be here, raising awareness of their sacrifices and to honour all those who gave so much for us, whether they returned or not. Thank you for allowing us to participate in your service and joining us in thanking them.
Today, I thought it would be especially nice to also remember any local veterans from the Far East. Last year, one of my members photographed a plaque in this church. It honours Herbert James Morris who was living with his parents at Elmwood, Lyefield Road West, here in Charlton Kings. He was a member of the Royal Army Service Corps and on 8th February 1942 the Japanese invaded Singapore where Herbert and thousands of others found themselves under heavy fire. Where and when Herbert died is not known, but he succumbed on 13th February 1942 aged just 28 years old. His body doesn’t seem to have been found and individually identified, but his name appears on the Singapore memorial, as well as here in St Mary’s Church.
I would like to close with a poem written by Queenie, the widow of one of our past members, George Spink ….
What is a FEPOW? What is a FEPOW? A FEPOW is one Who fought a great battle, without sword or gun, Who suffered starvation, torture, disease, When captured by the Japanese. Stripped of his dignity, degraded and hit, The FEPOW fought back with courage and grit. No longer a fight for King and Country But a fight for survival in captivity. Herded like cattle, worked the day long, His body grew weak but his spirit was strong, Determined to win the fight to survive, To outwit the Japs to stay alive. Some couldn’t make it; laid to rest there, No flowers, no parades, just a tear and a prayer. Never forgotten, remembered still By their comrades who buried them there on the hill. So – what is a FEPOW? A FEPOW is one Unique among men, a hero unsung.
We will remember them!
Coincidentally, the church had printed Queenie’s poem on the back of the Order of Service, which was lovely of them! If anyone would like a copy of our Order of Service please let me know.