September 2025
Harrow Rec’s Memorial to the Far East Prisoners of War
Graham Jack
As a dedicated parkrunner, on a Saturday morning at 9am I’m usually found in front of the Harrow St. Marys sports pavilion, along with 200-300 runners and walkers. I’m willing to bet that only a handful of the gathered runners are aware that there is a memorial plaque fixed to the side of the pavilion. And how many of that handful have taken the trouble to decipher the corroded engraving on the plaque?
If they did, they would read the dedication:
THE GIANT REDWOOD (SEQUOIA) TREE PLANTED NEARBY
IS IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO DIED IN CAPTIVITY
IN THE FAR EAST (1941 ~ 1945) OR SINCE THEIR RETURN
It goes on to record that the tree was planted, and the plaque installed, in 1996 (around the 50th anniversary of VJ Day), unveiled by the then mayor of Harrow, Councillor Stephen Giles-Medhurst.
The war in the Far East is sometimes called the “forgotten war”, and our forces - tens of thousands of Britons, and hundreds of thousands of colonial nationals – the “forgotten army”. Memorials to the war dead in Europe are commonly seen, but there are fewer that commemorate those of the Far East battles, and yet nearly 150,000 allied and Chinese troops perished in the Burma Campaign alone, during the Japanese invasion and the subsequent liberation. According to figures from COFEPOW (Children of the Far East Prisoners of War – representing families and friends) around 50,000 UK fighters were captured, and suffered terrible treatment and privations in the camps, marches and labour gangs. Of those, some 12,000 were killed or died in captivity. More on their return home.
https://www.cofepow.org.uk/pow-casualties
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burma_campaign
All might have stayed in obscurity if our Harrow Recreation Ground Users Association “Tree Awareness Team” – Jane Galbraith, Gerry Mahaffey, Bill Stephenson, and myself – had not spotted a reference to a “memorial tree” on our park information boards, which we eventually connected with that forgotten plaque. It’s reasonable to assume that our plaque was originally displayed in a more prominent position, perhaps on a previous version of the pavilion that stands today.
Through digging in the National Newspaper Archives, we know that the unveiling ceremony included Fred Ryell of Wembley, a representative of the Far East Prisoners of War Association (FEPoW). But why Harrow, and Harrow Rec were chosen as the location is currently lost in the mists of 1990s history. (The former prisoners themselves are no longer with us, and their associations have lapsed – if anyone has any information about the history of our memorial we would love to hear from you at info@harrowrec.org.uk)
Last year we decided to do something about the current, sorry state of our memorial. So, with money from our tree fund (thank you, UK Gov, Mayor of London, Harrow Council) we embarked on the project to renew the plaque, release it from its anonymous location, and display it in a more prominent position near to its tree.
Fast forward to Sunday, October the 5th: the new wrought iron stand is in place, ready to mount the new, cast-brass plaque; arrangements are in progress; the honoured guests have been invited; and it’s time to unveil the result of our work at a re-dedication ceremony.
So, at 1pm on Sunday 5th October, you will find us in the south west corner of Harrow Recreation Ground (the corner which is adjacent to Pinner Road and the Harrow Cemetery). You can expect a simple but respectful re-dedication ceremony. And afterwards, you can enjoy light refreshments served in the HRUA Green Pavilion, where there will be a chance to talk to our guests, and learn more about the prisoners of war and their stories.
The Mayor of Harrow, Councillor Anjana Patel, will speak and unveil the new plaque. We will hear from the Deputy Lord Lieutenant for Harrow, Simon Ovens, and our keynote speaker from the FEPoW successor organisation, “Children of the Far East Prisoners of War”, David Gray will share his personal thoughts. The Harrow branch of the Royal British Legion will be in attendance, to mark the occasion.
