On the 7th October 1945, the P&O liner Corfu arrived in Southampton, the first of twenty-two repatriation ships carrying Far East Prisoners of War to dock there. Today, the 75th anniversary of the Corfu ‘s arrival in Southampton, sees the launch of the FEPOW75 website.
Roger Townsend (School 1955-59), Hon. Director of FEPOW75, believed strongly that the 75th anniversary of the return of the FEPOWs to Southampton should be commemorated and, although plans for a memorial service and exhibition have had to be put on hold until 2021, the project has now become a virtual commemoration with a dedicated website featuring archival videos and interviews with former FEPOW, a gallery of artwork and images made by FEPOWs during their time in captivity, and a forum for visitors to share their memories.
One of the POWs to arrive on the Corfu on 7th October 1945 was John Durnford (School 1934-38), whose poems about his experiences as a POW engaged in building the infamous bridge over the River Kwai and perhaps more tellingly the feelings he experienced during the years after repatriation, feature on the website where they are read by actor Hubert Burton (Lyon 2004-09).
To mark the 75th anniversary of the repatriation we are telling three very different stories of the experiences of Prisoners of War in the Far East:
John Durnford (School 1934-38) – soldier, poet of the Second World War, and schoolmaster.
Jim Whitham (Abbeylands 1920-25) – athlete, soldier, and casualty of the sinking of the Lisbon Maru.
Peter Richards (Abbey 1923-27) – civilian internee at the Santo Tomás Internment Camp, later Reuters’ correspondent in Manila.
We have also produced a list of all Old Shirburnians known to have been held as Prisoners of War or Internees in the Far East during the Second World War.
Visit Sherborne School Archive News for more stories from the archives.
Posted 7 October 2020 by Sherborne School Archives.