The Changi Lychgate – A Masonic Symbol of Endurance

Amidst the trials of war and captivity, there are stories that speak to the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring strength of Masonic fellowship. One such story is that of the Lychgate now standing at Royston, .

Origins in Captivity

The Lychgate was first constructed by British prisoners of war held at Changi Camp in Singapore during the Second World War. Among them was Captain Cecil Pickersgill a freemason and member of the 287th Field Company and 18th Div. Royal Engineers, who was instrumental both in its creation and in the formation of the River Valley Road P.O.W. Club.

This club, founded in the midst of adversity, brought together 25 members from across the masonic world: 6 Scottish, 5 Australian, 1 Irish, and 13 from the United Grand Lodge of England. To commemorate their fellowship, Captain Pickersgill produced hand-drawn rolls on rice paper, recording each founder’s name, lodge, rank, and signature. The risks were immense—for the occupying forces viewed freemasonry with hostility, and discovery of these records could have meant severe punishment. Yet, the brethren persisted, leaving a quiet but powerful testament to their loyalty to the Craft.

The Building of the Lychgate

Captain Pickersgill obtained permission from the camp commandant to erect an English-style Lychgate at the entrance to the camp cemetery. The construction materials were scavenged and improvised—nails fashioned from barbed wire, timber gathered by whatever means possible, and craftsmanship supplied by the engineers and skilled hands among the prisoners. By December 1942, the Lychgate stood complete, a simple but dignified marker of respect for those who had fallen. Captain Pickersgill di not see the end of the war, dying in 1943, but the Gates he designed were eventually brought to Britain in 1972

A Journey Across Continents

After the war, the War Graves Commission re-interred the bodies at Kranji War Cemetery, and the Lychgate was carefully dismantled. It was later re-erected at St George’s Garrison Church, Tanglin, where it stood as a place of remembrance for the British community in Singapore.

When British Forces withdrew from Singapore in 1971, the church passed into the care of the local diocese, and the Lychgate was shipped back to England. Its new home became the regimental barracks at Bassingbourn , where it continued to stand today, until 2003 to its final resting place at the National Memorial Arboretum at the entrance to the Far East POW plot.

A Masonic Reminder

As August 2025 marked the 80th anniversary of the end of the war against Japan, the Lychgate continues to serve as a solemn reminder. It calls us to remember the sacrifices of those members who, even in the darkest of hours, remained faithful to their masonic principles.

The Lychgate is more than just a memorial; it is a symbol of endurance, fraternity, and the quiet strength of brotherhood in adversity. For those who are members of the fraternity, it stands as a lesson—that courage, loyalty, and fidelity to the Craft can shine even in the face of suffering.

More information about the The Changi Lychgate can be found at the Imperial War Museum website https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/1297 and the COFEPOW website at https://www.cofepow.org.uk/armed-forces-stories-list/the-changi-lychgates