Friday, August 15, 2025
1:30 pm
An invitation to COFEPOW members to attend the Memorial Event on VJ Day, Friday 15 August 2025
The Rocks by Rail Living Ironstone Museum, Cottesmore Iron Ore Mines Siding, Ashwell Road, Cottesmore, Oakham, Rutland LE15 7FF. www.rocksbyrail.org
The volunteer-run Rutland Railway Museum (trading as Rocks by Rail – the Living Ironstone Museum) is home to the unique war memorial steam locomotive ‘SINGAPORE’ which was captured along with 80,000 Allied servicemen at the Fall of Singapore in February 1942.
After capture, parties of allied prisoners of war worked alongside the locomotive in the docks, unloading Japanese supply ships.
In 1998, the locomotive became a registered UK War Memorial, a testament to the courage, sacrifice and comradeship of all Allied Prisoners of War under Japanese occupation.
This August sees the 80th anniversary of VJ Day and the museum is to hold a commemorative event alongside the ‘Singapore’ locomotive, to remember all those who fought in the Far-East and also the Allied POWs who worked, suffered and died during their captivity.
The museum wishes to extend an invitation to all COFEPOW members to attend a memorial event, which will take place on VJ Day, Friday, 15th August 2025 at the museum site, commencing at 1.30pm. The museum will be open to visitors from 10.00am.
After the commemoration, there will be the “end of World War II” anniversary celebration tea with cake and light refreshments. The museum would be honoured if any members would be available to join curators and volunteers at the museum on the day.
The ‘Singapore’ locomotive will also be on display at the museum during an Open Day on August Bank Holiday Monday, to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Far-Eastern Prisoners of War.
For any further information, please contact David Atkinson, Rocks by Rail trustee and volunteer curator, on 07717 946535 or by e-mail at: davidmervynatkinson@gmail.com
