Memorial details

Memorial type
Gate
District
Lichfield
Town
Alrewas
County
Staffordshire
Country
England
Commemoration
Second World War (1939-1945): Far East Prisoners of War
Maker
CAPTAIN CECIL PICKERSGILL (Designer)
Ceremony
  • Rededicated
    Date: 8 February 2004
    Attended by: Local Clergy/Dignitaries
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
61655

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Current location

Memorial is no. 227. In Orange Zone
near FEPOW building
National Memorial Arboretum
Croxall Road
Alrewas
Lichfield
Staffordshire
DE13 7AR
England

OS Grid Ref: SK 1815714652
Denomination: Undefined

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Description
Lych Gate from Changi Jail, Singapore. Noticeboard with explanatory text set in metal display case.
Inscription
Plaque: HISTORY OF THE LYCHGATE/ FROM CHANGI PRISON, SINGAPORE/ DECEMBER 1942 - BUILT BY 18TH DIVISION RES. MIXTURE OF TA AND NATIONAL SERVICE/ MEN./ ARCHITECT & DESIGNER - CAPT. C.D. PICKERSGILL/ DRAWINGS - SAPPER DOUGLAS LAWRENCE AND GEOFFREY MUNTON, 560TH FIELD COY. RE./ CONSTRUCTION UNDER SUPERVISION OF - CPL. J. WISKER 288TH FIELD COY. RE;/ BOB DUKE (DIED 8/02/03) 287TH FIELD COY. RE; HARRY RALPH 288TH FIELD. COY. RE;/ J.C.WIGGONS AND WILLIAM MAJORAM./ WOOD CARVING - SAPPER M.N. MERCER 560TH COY. RE./ LETTERING - SGT. ROBERT RINGER 287TH FIELD COY. RE./ ON COMPLETION - THE LYCHGATE WAS SITUATED AT THE ENTRANCE TO CHANGI CAMP BURIAL/SITE WHERE IT REMAINED UNTIL THE RE-OCCUPATION OF SINGAPORE. THE GRAVES WERE THEN/ MOVED FROM THE SITE TO KRANJI WAR CEMETERY AND THE LYCHGATE DISMANTLED AND/ STORED./ DECEMBER 1952 - THE LYCHGATE WS ERECTED AT THE ENTRANCE TO ST. GEORGE'S/ GARRISON CHURCH, TANGLIN BARRACKS, SINGAPORE. DEDICATED AND BLESSED BY THE/ CHAPLAIN GENERAL OF THE FORCES REV. R. YALE, THE GARRISON CHAPLIN [sic] THE REV./ F.W.H. WHITE AND THE PREACHER REV. G.M.R. BENNETT WHO HIMSELF HAD BEEN A POW./ THE LYCHGATE REMAINED THERE UNTIL...../ APRIL 1971 - WHEN IT WAS AGAIN DISMANTLED DURNG THE RUNDOWN AND WITHDRAWAL OF/ THE BRITISH GARRISON AND SHIPPED TO ENGLAND THEN TAKEN TO BASSINGBOURN BARRACKS/ NEAR CAMBRIDGE./ DECEMBER 1972 - THE GATE WAS RE-ASSEMBLED AT BASSINGBOURN AND THE FIRST/ LYCHGATE REUNION HELD ON DECEMBER 16TH WHEN A LARGE NUMBER OF FEPOW'S/ ATTENDED. NOVEMBER 2003 - THE RESTORED LYCHGATE WAS RE-ERECTED AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE FAR/ EAST PRISONERS OF WAR GROVE IN THE NATIONAL MEMORIAL ARBORETUM BY THE 39 ENG REGT./ QUOTE FROM DON FEW BEM - CAMBRIDGE YASUME CLUB/ "TO ME THE LYCHGATE IS TYPICAL OF A FEPOW. THEY HAVE BOTH BEEN STRIPPED AND BASHED ON/ MORE THAN ONE OCCASION, SHIPPED BACK TO ENGLAND AND STILL GOING STRONG. I HOPE THAT IN ITS/ NEW AND FINAL RESTING PLACE AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE FEPOW PLOT EVERY VISITOR WILL WALK UNDER/ AND READ THE WONDERFUL INSCRIPTIONS DONE IN OLD ENGLISH SOME 60 YEARS AGO."
Inscription legible?
yes
Commemorations
  • Second World War (1939-1945): Far East Prisoners of War
    Total names on memorial: 0
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 0
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Undefined
    Order of information: Undefined
Components
  • Gate
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Wood
  • Roof
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Slate
  • Board
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Undefined
Listing information
Condition
History
The gate was first erected at the entrance to Changi camp cemetery. In 1952 the Lych Gate was moved to the British Garrison Church in Singapore. When British troops withdrew from Singapore in 1971, it was dismantled, brought back to England and erected at the Queen's Division Depot, Bassingbourn Barracks in Royston Herts. In 2003 the refurbished Lych Gate was reconstructed at the Arboretum by the 29th Engineering Regiment.
Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A
Reference

This record comprises all information held by IWM’s War Memorials Register for this memorial. Where we hold a names list for the memorial, this information will be displayed on the memorial record. Please check back as we are adding more names to the database.

This information is made available under a Creative Commons BY-NC licence.

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© WMR-61655

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