Image ID: 28053

Colonel Lily of the 1/5th Battalion The Sherwood Foresters, photograph taken whilst POW at Singapore 1942

Singapore

Supplied by the Museum of the Mercian Regiment. British Forces landed in Singapore on 31 January 1942 this included the 1/5th Battalion The Sherwood Foresters). Within two weeks the British surrendered. All of the Sherwood Foresters were taken as Prisoners and forced to work on the Burma-Siam Railway. Conditions were harsh; the punishing climate and lack of food meant that diseases like cholera were rife. The Japanese split up the prisoners into groups of 500 to build storage sheds. The Commanding Officer, Col H.H. Lily always managed to make sure there was Forester Officer in any party where there was a Forester. The Prisoners stayed in huts (600 to a hut). The Railway opened in October 1943,covering 1,250 miles and costing the lives of over 15,000 priosners of war and 80,000 native labourers. 450 Sherwood Foresters died as a result of being held captive.

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KeywordsarmedforcesarmySingaporeWW2worldwartwosherwoodforestersVE9POWsprisonerofwarVE8VJVJ Day

Nottinghamshire County Council