Captive Memories

The Secret Art of Survival: creativity and ingenuity of British Far East prisoners of war, 1942-1945.

25 Oct 2019 to 20 June 2020

Victoria Gallery and Museum, Liverpool

The secret art of survival exhibition: FEPOW Descendants’ weekend
16-18 November 2019

By Ashley (Plt Off), Royal Air Force official photographer - http://media.iwm.org.uk/iwm/mediaLib//21/media-21032/large.jpgThis is photograph CF 712 from the collections of the Imperial War Museums., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24396139

This website is home to Far East prisoner of war (FEPOW) research projects run by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM).

What we do

FEPOW art

Whilst incarcerated, some FEPOWs used art as a means to document their experiences in the camps. The production of this art was risky, as keeping any form of records was strictly forbidden. It was also an important coping mechanism for many FEPOWs.

FEPOW Oral History Project

The stories of some of the thousands of British servicemen held as prisoners in South East Asia during WWII can now be explored online. The project was commissioned by LSTM in partnership with the Imperial War Museum Sound Archive and sponsored by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Books about this project

LSTM's involvement with the health of FEPOW represents the longest collaborative partnership ever undertaken by the School. This book details this journey and the subsequent advances understanding and delivering tropical medicine.

Burma Railway Medicine

The first in-depth analysis of the medical crisis in the Allied prisoner of war (POW) camps on the Thai-Burma Railway, between 1942 and 1945.

News

The Neston High School FEPOW patchwork quilt

15 Jul 2019

LSTM announces upcoming Secret Art of Survival exhibition

On the eve of the 77th anniversary of the fall of Singapore, LSTM is delighted to announce the upcoming Secret Art of Survival exhibition.

14 Feb 2019

Tom with his ukulele after being repatriated to the UK

Tributes to former FEPOW Tom Boardman

It was with great sadness that LSTM learned of the death of former Far-East Prisoner of War (FEPOW), Tom Boardman, who died following a short illness earlier this month.

10 Jan 2018

Events

19 Oct 2019 to 20 Jun 2020

The Secret Art of Survival: creativity and ingenuity of British Far East prisoners of war, 1942-1945

In partnership with, and located at the University of Liverpool's Victoria Gallery and Museum, the exhibition will run from 19 October 2019 to 20 June 2020

Victoria Gallery and Museum, Liverpool

16 to 18 Nov 2019, 09:00-00:15

Secret art of survival exhibition: FEPOW Descendants’ weekend

In association with the Secret Art of Survival exhibition at Victoria Gallery & Museum (VG&M), we have organised a special FEPOW descendants’ weekend 16, 17, 18 November 2019

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