大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Stan Grosvenor, a volunteer from 大象传媒 Radio Cleveland on behalf of Sybil Shaw and has been added to the site with her permission. Sybil Shaw fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

My father, Captain Cecil D Pickersgill died of cerebral malaria in 1943 while working on the Thai/Burma railway; he was 37 years of age. He is remembered on the Walls of Memorial at Kranji War Cemetery. The family did not find out about his death until the war was over. I have put together the facts surrounding the design and building of the Changi Lychgates based upon a number of sources, including conversation with veterans who met him or his associates in those days.

A Sign of Faith

Soon after the fall of Singapore, the death toll among POWs in Changi jail was increasing, due in part to disease and the lack of medical supplies. My father felt that there should be something for the dead servicemen to pass through on their way to burial, as a sign of Christian faith. Accordingly he approached the Japanese Commandant who gave permission for the erection of lychgates at the entrance to the burial ground and for the gathering of the requisite materials to construct it. My father based his design upon the lychgates at Startforth church.

A number of men of the Royal Anglian Regiment had served previously with my father so he put Warrant Officer Turkentine in charge of wood gathering and volunteers were called for to assist on the project. There were no nails available so barbed wire was converted to provide fastenings. Two draughtsmen ( reported to be Sappers D Lawrence and J Munton of 560 Field Coy RE) helped with the drawings and others of RE Units supervised the construction with voluntary labour.

The gates were a structure with seats on either side and carvings of the British national emblems and just below the eaves was carved the inscription: 鈥淭o the glory of God and in memory of those who laid down their lives for king and country,鈥� beneath which were the words 鈥淓rected by 18th Division, Dec 1942.鈥� The wood carving was done by Spr Ringer of 287 Field Coy RE. The gates remained at the entrance to the burial ground until the re-occupation of Singapore. The gates were then moved from the burial ground and stored.

Working on the Railway

My father left Changi with the first batch of officers to work on the Thai/Burma railway where he met an old friend from the Barnard Castle area who was then suffering from badly ulcerated legs. Periodically father would leave camp first with the fitter of the prisoners and his friend would come along later with the weaker men. This old friend was Reg Bainbridge. In a message received from my father posted in February of 1943 he said he had met Reg B, so my mother was very happy to be able to tell his family 鈥� it was their first intimation that he was alive. In fact he survived the war.

It was said that my father died on a Sunday afternoon. Apparently he staggered out of the hut saying 鈥淚鈥檝e got to go, it is time to go鈥�. He didn鈥檛 return and was later found at the foot of a tree. I learned this from an ex POW of the Northumberland Fusiliers who had learned it from a fellow prisoner who had been in camp when father died.

Continued in Part 2 鈥� From Tanglin to Alrewas, ref A6871449

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