Petition establish a national day commemorating the significance of 15th August 1945. 12 June 2019 at 10:38PM in Campaigns corner 10 replies 6.7K views

margf

Commemoration of VJ Day

A petition has been started to establish a national day commemorating the significance of 15th August 1945.

Thousands of servicemen were held as Far East prisoners of war from 1941-1945, caught up in a conflict that endured long after the celebrations for VE Day. The contribution of those who had the misfortune to be held as pows, many of whom did not survive, deserves to be remembered nationally.

We really need more signatures (10,000 by 17th July) to ensure a response from the Government. We have about 6,900 so far so it could be do-able with your help.

The petition can be found on the link below
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/236760

Thank you

bertha

Signed! These men deserve recognition x

margf

A huge thanks to everyone that has signed the petition. This means so much to me as my father was one of nearly 1 million men from Britain and Commonwealth countries whose war did not end until the 15th August 1945, and for many, the physical and mental scars of this most horrendous war, lived with them and affected them for the remainder of their lives. In effect, their war was never over.
The petition now has over 7500 signatures so around 2500 still required

LadyDee

Signed. My uncle who was a survivor deserves this respect, along with many who never even made it home.

Why is this petition not attracting the attention it deserves? Perhaps if somebody put it on FB - not a user myself - it would generate those extra signatures.

margf

Thank you, I also cannot understand why it has not reach 10000 signatures yet, I have exhausted my friends and family list on Facebook.

Can anyone on MSE give me any advise on how to raise awareness of this petition please?

I stumbled upon it when I decided to research my father's time as a FEPOW only this week.

singhini

I too just stumbled upon this thread and it was nice to see that the number of signatures at the time of the petition closing reached over 17,000

Shame about the government response.

coachman12

I agree with all that has been said and congratulate margf on the petition idea. There have been many other poignant dates, as well as remembering the heroes in the Far East, in the past 5 years that deserve our promise never to forget : July1914, Somme July-Nov 1916,1918, D-Day, liberation of the death camps, and so many other dates that will live in infamy tinged with huge gratitude. Will the world never learn ? It happened again in Europe in the Balkans when Jugoslavia broke up. 
My grandad was a professional soldier when WWI broke out and was one of the first in Belgioum/France and stayed there until 1919 ( and lived till 1966). He was an "Old Contemptible" but never talked of the horrors he witnessed. The same is true of my Dad in WWII.  And I too had a relative captured by the Japanese in Hong Kong who did not come home after dying in a "camp".  Well done margf. We can and must remember forever, not just on anniversaries, and make sure that the younger generations know the truth about the sacrifices that have been made so that they can enjoy the freedoms they now take for granted and the defence spending that the youngsters taken in by Corbynites decry so much.

JJ_Egan

Not really on topic but well worth visiting the Japanese POW section at the National Memorial Arboretum .

coachman12

JJ_Egan said:

Not really on topic but well worth visiting the Japanese POW section at the National Memorial Arboretum .
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Thank you JJ.
I was there for a service for descendants of Japanese POW's in August in 2015 and it was a most poignant occasion. The arboretum is indeed a good place to remember as it is a fine legacy and remembrance location. It is , for those who are unaware, at Alrewas------and it was there that my grandad walked 20 miles to enlist at the South Staffs Regimental Barracks as a boy soldier in 1904 and he went on to serve in India, South Africa and on the front line on the Western Front continuously throughout 1914-1919. 
God Bless Them All. And thank you once again to margf for raising this thread and petition.

margf

Anyone interested in this topic The Victoria Gallery and Museum in Liverpool have a new exhibition displaying the artwork of British FEPOW, Far East prisoners of war, who were captured by the Japanese during the second World War.  “Secret Art of Survival: Creativity and ingenuity of British Far East prisoners of war, 1942 -1945” will be open to the public between 25th October 2019 and 20th June 2020. The exhibition provides a unique and fascinating glimpse of the battle to survive extreme adversity in wartime and the self-help strategies used by British servicemen including making art as therapy.
Well worth a visit details can be found here https://www.lstmed.ac.uk/news-events/news/‘secret-art-of-survival’-exhibition-opens-24-october-in-liverpool
and here
https://www.captivememories.org.uk

coachman12

margf said:

Anyone interested in this topic The Victoria Gallery and Museum in Liverpool have a new exhibition displaying the artwork of British FEPOW, Far East prisoners of war, who were captured by the Japanese during the second World War.  “Secret Art of Survival: Creativity and ingenuity of British Far East prisoners of war, 1942 -1945” will be open to the public between 25th October 2019 and 20th June 2020. The exhibition provides a unique and fascinating glimpse of the battle to survive extreme adversity in wartime and the self-help strategies used by British servicemen including making art as therapy.
Well worth a visit details can be found here https://www.lstmed.ac.uk/news-events/news/‘secret-art-of-survival’-exhibition-opens-24-october-in-liverpool
and here
https://www.captivememories.org.uk
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Many thanks marg. I had no idea of the items about which you have provided new information. I will try to go and see. It also sounds a must for schools to take parties of children, which is an important part of making sure we remember. Thank You again.