Warminster POW stories uncovered as town marks VJ Day 80th anniversary

The stories of two Warminster men who were prisoners of war in the same prison have been brought to life as the nation commemorates the 80th anniversary of Victory over Japan (VJ) Day.

Both remarkable stories have been researched and developed completely separately by different members of the local community. They have been chronicled in the run-up to VJ Day, the day marking the Allied victory over Japan and the end of World War II in the Far East.

The life of Dr John Falk, a Warminster GP who was held at the infamous Changi prisoner of war camp in Singapore, has been recounted by local historian Celia Lane. Dr Falk’s wartime experience reveals the courage and ingenuity required to survive brutal conditions, including performing surgery with makeshift tools and helping to maintain prisoner morale through music and gardening.

In a separate story, local resident Richard Kemmis Betty has published his late father’s diary in a book, Half a Banana, offering a personal insight into his life inside Changi. Lieutenant Colonel Peter Kemmis Betty, a Gurkha officer, spent over three years in captivity, where he and a childhood friend managed the camp’s vital vegetable gardens that sustained thousands of prisoners.

Pictured right, Warminster GP Dr John Falk, and far right, and Lieutenant Colonel Peter Kemmis Betty.