At The Going Down of the Sun

Imagine you are surrounded by the Japanese in WWll.

You decide to fight your corner to get your men out. You succeed. With five of you left, fighting for your lives, you stumble upon a path that leads you to the beach, evading capture. Singapore is still 80 miles away by sea. Against the odds, you locate a derelict boat and manage to make it seaworthy. You set off. As you near your destination, a naval gunboat spots you - but it can’t reach you directly because the sea is filled with mines. As you approach, the crew throws a line, and manages to tow you in. But your boat capsizes. Two drown. Three are saved by brave crew members who risk their lives to pull you from the water. You survive and are safe - but not for long. Singapore falls to the Japanese and you become a prisoner of war. That experience - twelve to eighteen hour days in searing heat on the 415km Thai-Burma Railway (know as the Death Railway), brutal conditions, illnesses, meagre rations, beatings and a constant fight to survive - was a living nightmare. And yet, you lived, you did survive

This is just a small excerpt from the experiences of Captain Jack Race of the Royal Norfolks who lived in West Norfolk. He went on to have eight children, and they in turn had children. Generations continued. Others weren’t so lucky. Many never returned. Whole families never existed because of it. This is just one experience of so many men.

As we celebrated VE Day recently, we acknowledged and recognised what Britain and the Allies stood for: unity, justice, andfreedom - rightful freedom. In today’s world, that freedom was fought so hard for is often misunderstood or taken for granted. Quite rightly, the day should not be forgotten and should be honoured.

On Saturday, 16th August, Jim Race, the son of Jack, is organising a docu-drama with live footage, singing, music, narrative and stories compiled from the experiences of people who fought for the Royal Norfolks in WWIl, effecting so many families locally. This will take place in Heacham Village Hall, with a matinee performance at 2pm and an evening performance at 7pm. Tickets will be on sale from the 1st July, costing £15. On the Sunday, an exhibition will take place about the Royal Norfolks, charting the experiences of it’s battalions in Burma, Malay, Singapore, Germany, Dunkirque and D Day operations with memorabilia, postcards and letters handed down through the generations on display. For more information, please email Jim at jimrace@jayars.co.uk.

Jim will use the proceeds to donate to two charities: The Children of Far East Prisoners of War (COFEPOW) and the Royal Norfolk Regimental Museum in Norfolk.
Many people kept their experiences in WWII to themselves, not wishing to expose their families to the atrocities they witnessed or experienced. Their families also suffered as they saw the change in personality of relatives who had fought. COFEPOW was set up after WWII to recognise this and help those impacted, regularly meeting up regionally across the country.

On returning from the Far East, Friar Malcolm Cowin built a new church, the National Memorial Church of Far East Prisoners of War - Our Lady and St. Thomas of Canterbury - in Wymondham in 1952 as a permanent memorial to those who suffered as prisoners of war and internees of the Japanese during WWll.

This coming Sunday, 11th May, the church will be holding their annual service, this year to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the sacrifices people made, in particular the Royal Norfolks, in WWII and in the Far East. The service is open to everyone and starts at 12.30pm. For more information, please contact Peter Wiseman on 01953 604144.

How many of us were impacted by the two World Wars? Every single one of us. Whether you are a grandchild, great-grandchild, or great-great-grandchild of someone who fought or endured, their struggle shaped our existence. As time moves on, those wars become distant memories. But we must not forget. The Royal Norfolks, like so many regiments, played a proud part in WWII. If the Allies hadn’t prevailed, the world today would be a very very different. Jim Race’s production in August, called ‘At the Going Down of the Sun’, will provide a poignant reminder of how important the Royal Norfolk’s were in the war effort.

I was lucky. Both my grandfathers survived WWII - one in the Navy, one in the RAF. If they hadn’t, I wouldn’t be here today. Others weren’t so fortunate. Many families were never created. Many stories ended before they had even began. Lest we forget.