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Sydney Peatman
Born 3rd October 1919
Royal Norfolk Regiment
Japanese POW
Changi
Thailand-Burma Railway
Survived
Died
Age 87
11.00am 4th October 2006
Loved Ones
Husband to Ruth
Father to Mandy
Reading and Tribute to Sydney Peatman 1919 -2006
Where did it all start?
Eighty Seven years ago on October 3rd Syd was born in Castle Bytham , his father owned the Tailors shop there which was highly respected in the area.
He grew up with his sister Vera in a close and protective family.
Syd grew to be very supportive to the community of Castle Bytham and was both on the Parish Council and a School Governor.
He served in the Norfolk Regiment and was captured in Japanese invasion of Singapore. Once I was told that he had done four years on the Burma Railway I was shocked that anyone could have survived such an ordeal.
I looked on the website of the Fepow Community and there was an overview script that summarised the whole ordeal – it read as follows:-
The Far East was captured in a dramatic attempt by Japan to seize the wealth of natural resources; the captured men, women and children had to endure nearly four years of Japanese oppression.
The prisoners lived their captivity as an endless nightmare and with no hope many died of despair.
The fortunate to awaken from their ordeal were never the same again. The nightmares returned to haunt their sleep and the faces of those left behind have never left them.
Researching their ordeals to find answers has led many of us to experience their torment, we will never feel the pain they endured and fortunately WE CAN awaken from their despair which became there living hell as Japanese Prisoner of War
Sydney was one of the fortunate that did survive he returned from the Far East back to Castle Bytham . He was ill for three years convalescing from his ordeal and it was in Castle Bytham that he met Ruth
After three months of courtship one Friday Syd told Ruth that he was going away at the weekend to see a friend, called MARY in BRADFORD.
Ruth was not happy and said her piece “ If you are going to continue to see her do not bother coming to see me on Monday” She said!
Syd went away at the weekend and returned to see Ruth on Monday and told her Mary was no more.
From that point on Ruth and Syd were inseparable and the courtship went on for SIX years until they were married on 18th December 1954.
At 38 Syd was blessed with a daughter which he had always wanted.
Having Mandy helped him to reconcile his past and give him a reason to believe in the future – similar to myself.
They lived at 10 Regal Gardens and later moved to Nairn Road in Stamford. Syd worked as an accounts clerk at Castle Lime for 31 years for a Mr Taylor. He was a dedicated and loyal worker as can be seen by the amount of service. He later worked to his retirement age of SIXTY FOUR AND A HALF at Steels Removals
It was just before I met him that Syd was diagnosed as having Prostrate Cancer. On hearing the words from the doctor he paused and thought for a few seconds. ----------He then said “The JAPS didn’t get me and this Cancer will not get me either”--------------A fighter to the end , the Cancer DID NOT get Syd in the end ----------- it was other complications so he was TRUE to his word.
Sydney Peatman -
A quite man who loved his family dearly
A proud man with high standards
A keen walker, reader
A lover of English ROSES
His favourite dish was Ruth’s Casserole and Dumplings but we did manage to get him on the curries in the latter years.
A keen dancer - only leaning a new Waltz a WEEK before he left us
A devoted husband for 53 years
Sydney Peatman will be dearly missed but not forgotten
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