The Story of The Changi Flag
As told by its maker Stanley A Leeder
This flag was made during the early months of Prisoner of War life at Changi, (Singapore Island). Church services had been arranged for both Anglican and Roman Catholics and as there were a number of Salvationists among the number of prisonerspermission was asked and given for separate services to be held after the Church of England service.
One of the prisoners was using a flag of one of the Regular Battalions as a blanket and it had the colours necessary for a Salvation Army Flag. I offered him half of one of my blankets and so obtained the necessary material to make an Army Flag. Starting on Monday morning April 6th 1942 and working every possible free moment I commenced to take the original flag to pieces with my Army issue jack knife and then proceeded to remake this flag. The only materials available were a darning needle, cotton, and an old woollen sock. All the letters and star were cut out with the jack knife, and the Flag was completed at 11 .30 p.m. (in bright moonlight) on Saturday April 11th, and used for the first time on Sunday April 12th 1942 in the roughly built church of the Church of England. (The initials on the side of the flag are those of the prisoner who gave me the flag). Eventually some of the Salvationists who were left at Changi, (I was then sent into Singapore to work) built their own citadel and many services were held there with full permission of the Japanese guards.
On returning to Changi I was able to attend the Citadel for several months before being sent to work on the rail road of death from Bangkok to Moulmein and thought I had seen the last of my flag as I was not allowed to take it with me. Bro. Jack Oxenbridge, who was our acting Chaplain, thought otherwise and when he had to leave Changi he concealed it under a false bottom in his valise and managed to bring it home to England and sent it on to me as soon as he heard of my arrival.
Corps Secretary Stanley Leeder from Diss Corps died in 1979 aged 59.