Jon Exley - My father was part of the 137th Blackpool Army regiment.
POW 1942-45 - Captured in Singapore
Immigrated to America in 1949.
Died July 2000.
Can you advise how to find direction or contact to the Blackpool/Fleetwood chapter of FEPOW.
I cannot seem to find out if there is a memorial park for her majesty's soldiers. I may would like to bury his ashes near his birthplace,
Please point me in the right direction.
Janet - >John, I bet you will get hundreds of mails on this subject, but this is something I thought, of you could contct the ROYAL BRITISH LEGION head office in London, you can find their site via your search engine under Royal British Legion or their email add is
legionwebmaster@lwcdial.net,
Their postal address is 48 Pall Mall, London, SW1Y 5JY tel: +44 ( 0 ) 207 973 7200
There is a branch of the "Legion " at Lytham St Annes, Lancashire ( just outside Blackpool) which I have found, their address is
88, Mayfield Road, Lytham St Annes, Lancs tel: +44 - 01253 - 724420, I would very much imagine that there are branches in both Fleetwood and Blackpool but they don't appear on the web site.
I am sure some one would be only too delighted to try to help you find a garden of rememberance and perhaps help you further.
Best of luck,
David - >Jon, My advice to everyone, always, is ask the local Records Office.
Try here:-
email: record.office@ed.lancscc.gov.uk
Tel: +44 01772 263026
Fax: +44 01772 263050
I'm sure you will find all you wish to know there.
Good Luck
John Baxter Jnr - >Jon, Try ringing Don Few on 01954 267356 - Don is connected with the Cambridge Branch of FEPOW and will certainly know of the location of all the other FEPOW groups. My father, although based in Wiltshire, is still linked to the Cambridge group. I understand that the groups are now almost autonomous or linked to the local British Legion. If Don doesn't know then no one will! You can say that John Baxter's son provided you with his phone number if he asks (it is freely available on the net anyway).
Janet - >Jon, I have received this info,and am sending it to you, I think that you will be able to get alot of help, and will hopefully be able to lay your Pop's ashes to rest near to his birthplace.
Good Luck and God Bless,
The Secretary of the 137th lives at Marsh Road, Thornton and I went to visit him a couple of years back to take some Colours of 350 Bty (137th). My father was Batman to Col Gill from 39-45 and as a 5/6 year old I was around these young lads when they were at Bpl and Kirkham camps until they went to Lark Hill to practice their artillery followed by embarkation in Sept 41 to Singapore.
Dad left some drawings by "Akki" Ackhurst and the above Colours when he died so thought the best place for them would be with the Sec.
The Sec told me they meet every Remembrance Day at the Stretton Hotel in Bpl and added they were getting fewer each year!!
Regards Pete Snape
Janet - >Jon, Have you had any joy with your search yet ?
