ARTICLES & STORIES

ANOTHER SOURCE FOR FREE WAR GRAVE AND MEMORIAL PHOTOS. . .

     We also recommend another excellent organization with a website offering thousands of FREE war grave and memorial photos worldwide. British War Graves - War Graves Photographs, founded and operated for over 10 years by Mick McCann in the UK, provides free photos for almost all the world’s war cemeteries and more.

     With over 200 volunteers worldwide contributing photos to the collection, this is truly the place to look first to find a war grave or memorial photo – FREE !

     Mick says . . . “If you are looking...

THINK ABOUT IT. . . .

by Michael Hurst  MBE

     Over the past number of years as I have gone about my daily routine of life, I have often been suddenly jolted by reality as I compared what I was doing at that very moment to how it must have been for the POWs here on Taiwan those many years ago.

     For example, one Monday morning I woke up, not feeling “all that well” - most likely having a touch of the flu. My body ached from fever and I felt listless and tired. I didn’t feel like...

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE NUMBERS IN MALAYA AND SINGAPORE !

     A few years ago, I watched a historical documentary on the Pacific War. The show was produced by a reputable filmaker and was shown on a prominent channel.

     Not far into the film they highlighted the Battle for Singapore and I was shocked at what I heard. Once again, as so many times before, the statement was made that the British “lost” Singapore to a Japanese force that numbered one third that of the British forces defending the island fortress. I was outraged that after all this time and with so much...

MORE FACTS ABOUT THE NUMBERS IN MALAYA AND SINGAPORE

With Michael Arnold, author of “The Sacrifice of Singapore”

     After the fall of Singapore in the spring of 1942 and under the orders of Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita, the Japanese decided to build a memorial to all those of their men who had died in the Battles for Malaya, Singapore and Sumatra. The project was announced in the Syonan Times on May 8th 1942. It was to be located on top of Bukit Batok Hill and built by the captured allied POWs. A grand staircase leading up the hill was first constructed and then  a...

OTHER COMMONWEALTH PRISONERS OF WAR IN TAIWAN. . .

The story of the three Canadian and two New Zealand prisoners of war in Taiwan during World War II.

     The Taiwan POW Camps Memorial Society wants to ensure that the memory of all the former Taiwan POWs - including those from the other Commonwealth countries of Canada, New Zealand and South Africa are remembered, as well as those from the countries that had the majority of POWs on Taiwan.

     In addition to the British, American, Dutch and Australian POWs who made up most of the prisoners held by the Japanese on the...

FORGOTTEN NATION . . . FORGOTTEN HEROES - A South African Remembers

By Mark Wilkie – with introduction from Michael Hurst  MBE

     Among the more than 4,350 allied prisoners of war held on Taiwan during World War II there were ten South Africans: Lambert  Rees, Lieut. Royal Engineers; William Reid, Spr. Royal Engineers; John M. Henderson, Pte. Royal Army Service Corps, and recently discovered (2022-23) - Frederick N. Croft, Capt. Royal Engineers; Stuart E. Dawson, Lieut. Royal Engineers, Michael P. Wright, Lieut. Royal Engineers, Pte. George Mills, 2nd Btn. East Surrey Reg't., Edward B. Rice, Grp/Capt. Royal Air Force, Maj/Gen. Berthold W. Key, Commander of the...

THE STORY OF THE BOMBING OF THE ENOURA MARU

Address given at the Memorial Service for the men who suffered and died on the hellship Enoura Maru at Kaohsiung Taiwan - January 9th 1945

by Michael Hurst MBE, Director, Taiwan POW Camps Memorial Society

     Thank you all for coming here today to join with the Taiwan POW Camps Memorial Society in this important service of remembrance. I would like to pay tribute to the more than 300 brave men who died - right here in this harbour, 60 years ago today - on January 9th 1945, by telling you a little of the...

THE ENOURA MARU HELLSHIP MEMORIAL SAGA

     This is the story of the Enoura Maru Hellship Memorial from the beginning in 2011 to its eventual dedication on August 15th 2018. Also on the website are the stories of the bombing of the ship, the memorial service held at Kaohsiung Harbour in 2005, and the building and dedication of the Taiwan Hellships Memorial in 2006.

     This is the culmination of seven year’s work that was first initiated by the Taiwan POW Camps Memorial Society back in 2011 at the request of some of the family members of the men who had died...