A Chair That Survived War & the Woman Who Wouldn’t Let It Go...
30th April 2026
Some objects speak loudly. Others, quietly carry a lifetime of memories. At first glance, this is just a chair. Easily overlooked, but it has lived a life few objects ever will.
Its story begins in Singapore in 1942, at a time when the world was unraveling. When the city fell, thousands of civilians and soldiers were captured and taken into camps. Among them was a woman known as Gert.
She was not a soldier. She had no weapon and no uniform. Yet like so many others, she was drawn into the machinery of war. Each day, she was made to work. Gert was in charge of repairing canvas covers for military vehicles. With whatever scraps remained, she fashioned seats and backs for officers field chairs. Work had to be completed to strict deadlines. Failure to meet them would bring punishment.
The conditions were brutal. Camps were overcrowded. Food was scarce. Disease spread easily. Survival was never guaranteed. And still, somehow, she made it through, and this chair remained. The missing canvas on the chair made her worry about what might happen to her if the job was left incomplete.
We don’t know exactly what happened in the moment, or what Gert was thinking as she worked. But what we do know is that when the war ended and liberation finally came, she kept it. Through exhaustion, through her recovery, and through the long journey home to Britain, she did not leave it behind. Gert carried it with her.
Perhaps it was proof that even in the darkest places, she wanted to get the job done. Or perhaps it simply became a part of her, something that had witnessed what words could not fully express.
Gert lived the rest of her life with the chair close by. Today, it remains and is filled with the weight of a story that stretches far beyond its frame.
It reminds us that history is not only found in grand monuments or medals, but in the ordinary things that survive alongside people. This is one such object. And it still has something to say.
You can find this along side 1,480 lots included in the Militaria, Medals & Coins sale. It will take place in Crewkerne at 10am on 13th & 14th May.
Viewing will take place from 9:30am - 4:30pm on the 11th, 12th & 13th May. It will continue from 9:30am on 14th May. Prior to those dates, we are happy for you to arrange an appointment. We look forward to seeing you in our saleroom.
