Canowindra Historical Society last week presented two search lights from Cowra’s POW campsite to the Cowra Breakout Association.
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“This is the group they most appropriately belong to,” society president Ross Cleary said before handing the lights over to the Association vice president Harvey Nicholson and Japanese Liaison officer Lawrence Ryan during a special ceremony in Canowindra.
During the presentation Mr Cleary explained the lights came to the society via the Canowindra Showground.
“They were at the showground for a number of years and then for some reason the showground then donated them to the museum,” Mr Cleary said.
”Earlier this year at one of our open days (Breakout Association vice pesident) Harvey Nicholson saw them and said ‘what can you tell me about these lights?’.
“He said they could be from the camp and might have a wider story,” Mr Cleary said of the lights which are believed to have been originally from a naval ship.
Accepting the lights Mr Nicholson described them as as “a terrific find”.
“I sent the photos of both lights to the Australian War Memorial and they are 99.9% sure they are lights that came from the Cowra POW camp,” he said.
Future plans for the lights are quite exciting.
”We are going to use one light as a main display one, so when we have a function at the POW camp, the light we get going is going to be used as it was during the night of the breakout,” Mr Nicholson said..
“This light will take pride and place at 1.55am on August 5 and be used as it was 75 years ago.
“We’re going to mount on an ex-Army tripod for the function.
“The lights will also be used in display with Cowra Tourism and possibly with the Cowra RSL sub branch.
“They’re not going to go into a shed and gather dust, we won’t let that happen.
“This is the sought of stuff that screams out Cowra,” Mr Nicholson said before offering the associations “heartfelt thanks to the Canowindra Historical Society for transferring custody of these lights back to the Breakout Association.
While at least one of the lights will be front and centre at next year’s 75th anniversary of the Breakout Mr Ryan said the association is planning “something a little different”.
“We’re still having those very solemn activities, that can’t be changed, we have to commemorate the occasion,” he said.
“We’re going to try a weekend of activities on August 3 and 4 and recreate what life was like in Cowra in the 1940s.
“Cowra was a big military town, a vibrant place,” Mr Ryan said.
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