Experiences of British prisoners of war in the Far East

This chapter explores the individual experiences of British prisoners of war in the 'Far East' (FEPOWS) as they coped with intense suffering and death, and with little if any medical aid. It draws primarily on unpublished narratives by British prisoners of war deposited in the Imperial War Museum. The chapter examines largely unpublished sources on the prolonged ordeal of their relatives at home, confronting official silence or minimal information regarding their individual fate. British prisoners of war in the Far East failed to receive the commemoration and honour at home which chaplain Babb and others believed was their due. The prisoners of war in the Far East had little part in the public memory of the Second World War until after the 50th Anniversary of VJ Day in 1995. For many prisoners who survived, the memories were still too painful to be shared with anyone, even their families.