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The aims of COFEPOW
The members of COFEPOW are the war babies and siblings of many thousands of men who died on the Thai/Burma railway, the Sumatra railway, the Sandakan Death Marches, in copper mines in Formosa, steel factories in Japan, building roads in Burma, air strips on Ambon, Haruka, Java, Rabaul, New Guinea and the Solomons. Thousands died on the 'Hellships', battened down in holds of unmarked ships and torpedoed by Allied submarines. In addition, thousands were captured and died when Hong Kong fell to the Japanese in December 1941. The list is endless.

Many of the Far East prisoners were civilian internees and their story should also be told and remembered. But thousands survived to return and for them the suffering continued for years after and many of our members bear testament to their fathers' constant nightmares and recurring illnesses.

COFEPOW has established the Far East Prisoners of War Memorial Building. This is not only for those who died, but encompasses the whole story of events during this unprecedented chapter in British history. It contains the name and rank of all British Servicemen taken prisoner during the South East Asia conflict and embraces the story of their treatment and the thousands who died as a result.

The building is situated within the National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas in Staffordshire, which is a Millennium project. The building itself is of timber construction as befits its surroundings within the National Forest. The architecture has been given a Far Eastern style and appearance. The design and establishment of the permanent building, the interior design, the historical research and acquisition of the contents and the ongoing archival support has cost in the order of £450,000.

It is envisaged that this functional project will become an educational and cultural centre. We want to enlighten and teach children and people of today and the generation of tomorrow, of this tragic era in our Military history

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The achievements of COFEPOW
  • COFEPOW had its first inaugural meeting in November 1997 and our first general meeting was held in January 1998 with twenty five members.

  • We now have well over 900 members from all parts of the country and overseas and are in regular contact with similar groups to ours in Australia, America, Canada and Taiwan.

  • We became a Registered Charity in March 1999 with six Trustees.
    Registered Charity in England & Wales No. 1074474.

  • We have four distinguished patrons:

    • Mr Terry Waite
    • Air Marshal Sir John Baird KBE, DL MBChB FRCPE FRCSE FFOM FRAeS DAvMED
    • CBE Lt Col C G Stallard
    • Surgeon General, Surgeon Vice Admiral I L Jenkins CVO QHS FRCS

  • We planted our first Tree of Remembrance in Norwich, October 1998 and a second tree in February 2000 at Elstow Abbey near Bedford, following a Remembrance Service.
    Remembrance Tree at Earlham, Norfolk
  • We have the support of FEPOW Associations and many M.Ps.

  • We designed our 'Logo', the main focus of our impressive looking headed paper. This 'Logo' was used on our our gold and enamel lapel pins and pendants and other merchandise.

  • In February 2000 we established a COFEPOW Website on the Internet: This site is rapidly growing with many links to other Far East sites and Associations, both here and abroad. We had 26,560 visitors to the site in the first two years.

  • We have held successful Exhibitions in Norwich, Thetford, Diss, Bury St Edmunds and the House of Commons.

  • In November 2000, we took part for the first time in the Remembrance Day Service and Parade at the Cenotaph in Whitehall. and have continued to do so each year since.

  • We have fulfilled our plan to establish a Memorial Building in memory of all FEPOWs at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

  • In April 2001, 31 COFEPOW members made a pilgrimage to the Far East, visiting seven War Cemeteries and taking part in three Remembrance Services.

  • In April 2001, COFEPOW became affiliated to The National Federation of FEPOWs.

  • On 15th February 2002, the 60th Anniversary of the Fall of Singapore, COFEPOW members erected an engraved wooden cross on the site at Alrewas in Staffordshire, where the FEPOW Memorial Building would be erected.The cross is now displayed within the Building

Yvonne and Cyril Shorten
at the National Memorial Arboretum
with the Cross made by Cyril and
presented to COFEPOW

 

The COFEPOW Cross at the National Memorial Arboretum November 2003
Photograph kindly supplied by Albert Page

  • After successfully negotiating with Bassingbourn Barracks to have the Changi Lychgates transferred to the National Memorial Arboretum, COFEPOW arranged a formal 'Handing Over' ceremony of the gates to the Arboretum in March 2003. The gates have now been renovated and installed at the Arboretum by the Royal Engineers at the entrance to the FEPOW plot.
  • In June 2003, seven members travelled to the Solomon Islands to place a commemorative plaque on the Island of Ballalae in memory of 517 Royal Artillery men who died there in March 1943.
  • COFEPOW were successful in obtaining funding from the Millennium Commission towards the FEPOW Memorial Building which has been erected next to the FEPOW Plot at the National Memorial Arboretum.
  • COFEPOW member, Meg Parkes, initiated a fund raising campaign for copies of the Java Windows. These have now been installed within the FEPOW Memorial Building.
  • Six members of COFEPOW made a pilgrimage in May 2004 to Hong Kong and Burma where many POWs were held.
  • On 15th August 2005, the 60th Anniversary of VJ Day, the Far East Prisoners of War Memorial Building was officially opened at the National Memorial arboretum. On the same day the National Federation of Far East POW Clubs & Associations wound up and officially handed over much of its role to COFEPOW.

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The membership
The first meeting of the Children and Families of the Far East Prisoner of War was held in Norwich in November 1997. Of approximately 40 people attending, 25 became the first members of this association which has now expanded across the country with a membership of over 900.

We can also boast of having members in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, Taiwan, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Gibraltar, France, Italy, Singapore, Turkey, Belgium, United Arab Emirates and Thailand.

We became a Registered Charity (in England & Wales) in March 1999 and were invited to become affiliated to the National Federation of Far East Clubs and Associations in March 2001.

Our members are the children, brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews and grandchildren of those men who became Far East Prisoners of War.

We have a number of 'Associate' members. These members are those who, while not being family members of FEPOWs, want to join our association to help and support our cause.

We also have many FEPOW Members who are ex-Far East prisoners themselves.

Members are finding it beneficial communicating with others, particularly when seeking specific information. Those members whose fathers were at the Fall of Hong Kong, in particular, are in regular communication with each other.

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Join us today
If you would like to help us achieve our aim to preserve and promote the memory of and to educate future generations in regard to the suffering and sacrifices of the Far East Prisoners of War, then send for a membership form from:-

Robin and Beryl Canwell
Membership Officers,
Email:-robbez@tesco.net
Tel: 01603 429673

or write to

8, Peregrine Road,
Sprowston,
NORWICH,
Norfolk, NR7 8JP

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