Camp pie, the magazine of Changi PoW Camp, Singapore

We want to know more about a magazine called ‘Camp Pie’ which was produced in the Changi Prisoner of War Camp using an old typewriter.

One of members, Terry, has a copy of Camp Pie that belonged his father, Edmond Joseph Byrne, who served in the Royal Army Medical Core, in Burma, Malaysia - ending up in Changi at the fall of Singapore. We understand the Camp Pie magazine is rare.

This edition of CAMP PIE comprises of 14 pages. The inside pages are more legible than the outside – which is expected considering the conditions in the Changi PoW camp and the hundreds of prisoners who handled it.  If you know more about this publication, please do comment at the end of this post and we will connect you to Terry.

Terry tried to find out about Edmond’s experiences in Changi, but was forbidden to raise the subject as Edmond suffered from terrible nightmares, and talking about his time in Singapore was difficult for him.

One of Terry’s most poignant moments was gleaned from his mother and fellow prisoners at reunions and involved Edmond’s medical standing.

One day Edmond’s name appeared on a list of those who were to be sent on the death railway the following day. The senior officers did not want Edmond to go and unbeknown to Edmond they asked for a volunteer to take his place.

The officers eventually decided on a man – and this man had a close boyhood friend he went to school with. These boys worked together, signed up together and both were captured and imprisoned in Changi at the same time. Only one of them was on the death railway list but his mate wanted to go with him. 

The following morning my father was ordered to stay indoors – he was still not aware what was going on.

Years later Terry accompanied his father to a Jap POW reunion in Manchester, and they were just rounding a corner when Edmond bumped into another man. They just stood looking at each other for what seemed ages. It was the volunteer who had taken his place and survived!

If you have more information about Camp Pie please comment and we will connect you to Terry.