National Prisoner of War MemorialPrint Page 
The National Prisoner of War Memorial commemorates all Australian prisoners of war.
The memorial was originally the Roman Catholic Our Lady of Christians Chapel in Changi prisoner of war camp, Singapore. It was constructed in 1944 from scraps of wood and corrugated iron that the prisoners scrounged from many sources. It was designed and built by Lieutenant Hamish Cameron-Smith, an architect in civilian life who was serving in the Engineer Corp of the British Army. He was assisted by Lieutenant Hugh Simon-Thwaites, who after the war became a priest, and a band of volunteer labourers. In 1945 Corporal Max Lee of the Australian War Graves Registration Unit was sent to Changi to help dismantle the camp. He decided that the chapel should be saved. He drew plans, took measurements and carefully took the chapel apart. It was packed into gun boxes and sent to Australia. It remained in a storage shed at Duntroon for more than 40 years.
In 1988 the chapel was reassembled and located at Duntroon as a memorial to all Australian Prisoners of War. The restoration was carried out by the Royal Australian Engineer Corps and financed by public subscription. Some parts of the chapel are missing including the memorial plaque and four plaques inscribed with the names of four men who died in the camp. On the northern side of the grassed area in which the memorial stands is a signboard with photographs of the original chapel as it stood in Changi.
Location
| Address: | Miles Road, Royal Military College, Duntroon, Campbell, 2612 |
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| State: | ACT |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -35.296761 Long: 149.16721 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Structure |
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| Monument Theme: | Conflict |
| Sub-Theme: | Multiple |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Monday 15th August, 1988 |
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National Prisoner of War Memorial
Dedicated to the 35,000 Australian Servicemen and Women taken Prisoner of War in the following wars.
War in South Africa (Boer War) 1899 - 1902
World War I 1914 - 1918
World War II 1939 - 1945
Korean War 1950 - 1953
Unveiled by `A former Prisoner of War` on 15 August 1988
Changi Chapel
This Chapel was originally constructed by Prisoners of War in Changi Camp, Singapore Island, in 1944.
Its construction was an act of enduring faith in the midst of extreme adversity. After the war the Chapel was returned to Australia for preservation.
It was erected on this site and dedicated as a National Memorial to all Australian Prisoners of War on 15 August 1988.
Funds for the erection and maintenace of this memorial were provided by public subscription.
In memory of Australian Army Nursing Sisters who became Prisoners of War and especially those who did not return.
"We will remember them."
