The History of the Changi Lychgates
by Don Few
| December 1942 |
Built by 18th Division Royal Engineers
|
|
Mixture of TA and National Servicemen
|
|
|
Architect & Designer
|
Capt. C D Pickersgill
|
| Drawings done by |
Sappers D Lawrence & J Munton
|
|
560th Field Coy RE
|
|
|
Construction under supervision of
|
Cpl Wisker 288th Field Coy RE
|
|
Cpl R Duke 287th Field Coy RE (died 8.2.03)
|
|
|
Cpl R Ralf 288th Field Coy RE
|
|
|
and others whose names are not known
|
|
| Wood Carving |
Sapper Ringer 287th Coy RE
|
| On completion |
Sited at entrance to Changi Camp Burial Site
|
|
where they remained until the re-occupation of
|
|
|
Singapore. The graves were then moved from the
|
|
|
burial site to Kranji War Cemetery and the Lychgates
were dismantled and stored.
|
|
| Lychgates reassembled |
December 1952 - erected at the entrance
to St.
|
|
Georges Garrison Church, Tanglin Barracks,
|
|
|
Singapore. Dedicated and blessed by the
|
|
|
Garrison Chaplain, Rev F W H White and the
|
|
|
Preacher, Rev G M R Bennett, who himself had
|
|
|
been a POW.
|
|
| Moved to UK |
April 1971 - during the run down and withdrawal
|
|
of the British Garrison from Singapore the gates
|
|
|
were dismantled, shipped to the UK, and brought
|
|
|
to Bassingbourn Barracks.
|
|
|
Reassembly at Bassingbourn
|
December 1972 - after the gates had been
|
|
re-assembled at Bassingbourn the first Lychgates
|
|
|
Reunion was held there on 16th December 1972.
|
|
|
The Lychgates at Bassinbourn
|
a very large number of ex-FEPOWs attended.
|
Memorial Services were held at the gates annually for the first 5 years after their assembly at Bassingbourn and then bi-annually until 20th August 1995. All these services were organised by the Cambridge Yasume Club in conjunction with the Army Unit in residence at the time. The upkeep of the gates was also carried out jointly.
A service took place at Bassingbourn on the 8th March 2003 to commemorate the formal transfer of the gates to the care of COFEPOW and the National Memorial Arboretum. To read COFEPOW Chairman Carol Cooper's speech at this service please click here.
The Changi Lychgates have now been moved for the last time, to take up their permanent resting place in the National Memorial Arboretum at the entrance to the FEPOW plot..
Top of page