Special mural signed by 8 PoWs to mark fall of Singapore

A Logan family has created a historical exhibition dedicated to Prisoners of War as part of this month’s memorial services to mark the 78th anniversary of the fall of Singapore.

Mic Noble and Elana Edwards at the exhibition at Marsden Library.

A LOGAN family has created a historical exhibition dedicated to Australian Prisoners of War as part of this month’s memorial services to mark the 78th anniversary of the fall of Singapore.

Logan man Mic Noble and his daughter Caitlin Rachelle created the display which includes letters, a mural and other material from prisoners of war from the Thai-Burma Railway.

Mr Noble said the exhibition was a labour of love.

He said it started in 1999 when he found some of his father’s letters and other material from his time as a prisoner of war of the Japanese.

His dad, Private Roy Stewart Noble, kept a diary of his time in French Indochina. The book has more than 50 autographs and addresses of men with whom he served.

In 2012, Caitlin painted a mural dedicated to her grandfather and all Australian men and women who were held as prisoners.

Eight prisoners of war autographed her mural in 2012.

They were Cyril Gilbert OAM, Nev Anning, Lt Col Laurie West (Indian Army), Merv Neil, Norm Dean, Logan man Alex Walker, Leslie (Bunny) Glover and Rudy Buckley.

The exhibition at the Marsden Library features Caitlin’s mural painted for the 70th anniversary of the fall of Singapore.

Other tributes are to indigenous leaders including the father of Logan elder Uncle Reg Knox, who was taken captive and held at the infamous Changi.

There are also tributes to those who served in various conflicts from WW1 through to the Korean War which was the last time Australia had POWs.

The exhibition will be at the library until March 15.

An official memorial service to mark the 78th anniversary of the fall of Singapore will be held at the Shrine of Remembrance, Ann St, Brisbane on Sunday, February 16, from 10am.