Local magician and WWII veteran Fergus Anckorn recently attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace with The Not Forgotten Association. The charitable association was founded in 1920 and provides support for our injured service men and women of all ages. He attended with his daughter Deborah, who lives in France.

Fergus, who is now in his 98th year, spent 3½ years in Japanese prisoner of war camps following the British defeat in Singapore in February 1942. Critically wounded during the height of the battle, having been blown up in his Artillery lorry, he was declared dead by a passing British colleague, who took his ‘dog’ indentity tags and handed them in for the casualty list. Luckily, he was not dead and was later taken into hospital and survived yet another ordeal, which was to be known as the Alexandra Hospital Massacre, whereupon the victorious Japanese army executed most of the patients and staff at the Hospital

For the full story see page 14 of the June 2016 issue of Hurst Life magazine

Fergus Anckorn with BGT 2016 winner Richard Jones and Ant and Dec

ADDENDUM: Fergus Anckorn takes part in the Britain's Got Talent Final as part of the magician finalist Richard Jones.

RIchard Jones went on to win the night, on Saturday 30th May 2016, with his captivating and poignant trick which paid homage and respect to his 'hero' Fergus - as he told some of Fergus' story of showing his captors in a Japanese PoW camp magic tricks, which ultimately, helped keep Fergus alive.