Warfare in News

Posted on Friday 11th May
Fergus Anckorn, the inspirational subject of the book Captivity, Slavery and Survival as a Far East POW, will be appearing on The One Show on BBC1 at 7pm tonight.
Gus, who has already been featured in Warfare, will be talking about his remarkable experiences during the Second World War, when he was taken prisoner in Singapore in 1942 and held captive for over 3 years, and how he narrowly escaped death several times during this ordeal. Gus was the youngest member of the Magic Circle before the war, and is currently the oldest member, earning him the sobriquet The Conjuror on the Kwai.
Gus will also discuss how he met the author of this fascinating biography, and how publication of this story, described by the Mail on Sunday as 'highly readable', came about.
Tune in at 7 pm tonight, or watch it later on BBC iPlayer.
Gus, who has already been featured in Warfare, will be talking about his remarkable experiences during the Second World War, when he was taken prisoner in Singapore in 1942 and held captive for over 3 years, and how he narrowly escaped death several times during this ordeal. Gus was the youngest member of the Magic Circle before the war, and is currently the oldest member, earning him the sobriquet The Conjuror on the Kwai.
Gus will also discuss how he met the author of this fascinating biography, and how publication of this story, described by the Mail on Sunday as 'highly readable', came about.
Tune in at 7 pm tonight, or watch it later on BBC iPlayer.
Further Reading
Conjuror on the Kwai
(Hardback - 256 pages)by Peter Fyans
The Conjuror on the Kwai is the incredibly moving story of Gus Anckorn, a British soldier who was captured by the Japanese and held for over three and a half years. Before the war, Gus was a magician and throughout the war, entertained both fellow soldiers and Japanese guards with his tricks.
Gus has a brilliant sense of humour and a \'tell it as it is\' attitude which got him into a… Read more...
Of further interest...

The Fall of Singapore – 1942
Mon 23rd AprilArticle by Peter Fyans, extracted from Captivity, Slavery and Survival as a Far East POW, reproduced by permission of Pen and Sword Books Ltd. Read article...


Healing in Hell - Memoirs of a Far Eastern POW Medic
Wed 6th AugustThis article is based on extracts from Ken Adams' Second World War memoirs of life as a POW medic in the Far East. From the fall of Singapore to the difficulties of returning home. Contains graphic images. Read article...
