Stories of Far East Prisoners of War from Norfolk to be told at new exhibition opening tomorrow

A new display which will explore the experiences and legacies of soldiers from Norfolk who became prisoners of war opens in Lynn tomorrow.Surviving the Railway: Memories of Far East Prisoners of War – which tells the Royal Norfolk Regiment soldiers’ stories following the fall of Singapore in 1942 – will be on show in Stories of Lynn within the town hall until September 21.With the 80th anniversary of VJ Day falling on August 15 this year, the curators of the display and trustees of the Royal Norfolk Regimental Museum are hoping to raise the profile of what they describe as an often overlooked part of Second World War history.

Cllr Margaret Dewsbury, cabinet member for communities at Norfolk County Council, said the exhibition was a “timely reminder” of the soldiers’ sacrifices and bravery.“As we lose the last few of those who experienced the Second World War as combatants, it’s more important than ever that we use our museum collections to keep their memory alive for future generations,” she said.“In this 80th anniversary year of the end of the conflict, this exhibition is a timely reminder of the sacrifice and bravery of these Norfolk soldiers who endured such terrible conditions.”

The display features objects and accounts held by the Royal Norfolk Regimental Museum alongside an archival film exploring the realities of internment, rarely made available to the public. Peter Black, chairman of trustees at The Royal Norfolk Regimental Museum, said: “In this 80th anniversary year of the defeat of Japan, the Royal Norfolk Regimental Museum are proud to put on a commemorative exhibition.“The men who died, and those lucky enough to survive, deserve to be remembered. This small iconic display centres on a Nominal Roll: families are invited to fill in any missing details. “Remembrance is the least we owe those Norfolk soldiers: ‘When you go home, tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow, we gave our today’.”

On display for the first time is also a new Roll of Honour, commemorating all who served in the Far East in the 4th, 5th and 6th Battalions of the Royal Norfolk Regiment, alongside a book of short biographies of some of the men.It is hoped this book will be added to during the exhibition if more information comes to light from the families of those who served with the regiment in the Far East.Objects on display include a tiny but resonant fragment of a railway sleeper brought back home by Corporal FG Backham of Lynn and a small aluminium box decorated and personalised from a Dutch chlorine tablet tin by POW Captain RW Cole, an officer in the 6th Battalion.

The ill-fated 18th Infantry Division was a territorial formation of East Anglian battalions including the 4th, 5th and 6th Royal Norfolks – a total of 2,913 men. As these were territorial battalions they contained a high number of men from the county.Cllr Anthony Bubb, chairman of the King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Museums Committee, said: “We are delighted to have this exhibition in Lynn.“It is great that we do not restrict ourselves to just the town but show what our residents, past and present, have done for everyone wherever needed.”While originally heading for the Middle East, Japan’s declaration of war and subsequent rapid march down the Malayan Peninsula saw them divert for the island ‘fortress’ of Singapore. Despite its reputation, the Battle for Singapore was a brief one, and the British Army surrendered on February 15, 1942.The men captured in Singapore would go on to suffer three and a half years of brutal treatment at the hands of the Japanese, with many being sent up country to build the Thai-Burma railway, otherwise known as the ‘Railway of Death’.“Around a quarter of these men would die from starvation, brutality and disease, but their stories stand as a testament to the enduring nature of the human spirit in the face of seemingly hopeless circumstances,” a spokesperson said.The story of one of these survivors, John Coast (ex-5th Battalion Royal Norfolks) is presented in the exhibition through an edited version of a documentary about his experiences which has only been aired twice – the last time in 1978. John wrote the first account of life as a Far East Prisoner of War, ‘Railroad of Death’, which was published in 1946, less than six months after his return home, providing a vivid and moving account of the terrible conditions endured by the prisoners.The display also looks at the aftermath of the soldiers’ experience and brings the story up-to-date with the struggle of Far East Prisoner of War veterans for compensation.Recognising the sacrifice and suffering of those who served in the Far East – both those who lost their lives and the survivors – was the impetus behind the creation of the new commemorative Roll of Honour.This is based on information held across the Regimental Archive’s three nominal rolls (one for each Royal Norfolk Battalion) which provides the name, army number, family address and as far as possible, movements of each soldier. Museum volunteer Sarah Salmon has “painstakingly amalgamated” information from the rolls, together with additional details from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, into one database.Curators were then able to commission the new commemorative book using this information, which visitors will be able to look through in the exhibition.Officials say that the database itself will be an important research resource for the museum.Surviving the Railway: Memories of Far East Prisoners of War has been researched, curated and designed by Sam Wiggin, under the guidance of Kate Thaxton, curator of the Royal Norfolk Regimental Museum, with the exhibition graphic design undertaken by Lily Alden during their year as museum trainees with Norfolk Museums Service. These traineeships offer year-long paid roles within the service to those looking to establish a career in museums and heritage.Sam is the Royal Norfolk Regimental Museum trainee and Lily is the communications and marketing trainee – with the project having provided them both with valuable experience that they will be able to take with them into their future careers.The Surviving the Railway exhibition is the culmination of their year with the museums service.Sam said: “I have really enjoyed my time as a trainee, it has given me a deeper understanding of the work that goes on with museums and has equipped me with a range of skills for the future.”A number of events relating to the exhibition and the anniversary of VJ Day are set to be announced soon by the county council and Norfolk Museums Service.