I have received news this morning that renowned GFS member Tom Boardman has sadly passed away. Tom would have celebrated his 100th birthday in May 2018. Tom resided in the Lancashire town of Leigh. During World War II he was incarcerated for three years in a Japanese prisoner of war camp and was sent to work on the Burma Railway. During this time he made himself a ukulele, pieced together from scraps of wood and nails and any other material that he could find. Many prisoners sadly died whilst Tom was incarcerated but he kept himself going with the help of that "homemade” instrument and also provided comfort for his fellow prisoners who all shared horrific experiences under the Japanese. Tom's ukulele is now on display in the Imperial War Museum in Manchester. During his later years Tom enjoyed his visits to the GFS conventions in Blackpool and found celebrity status on his visits with us. On behalf of the committee and all member of The George Formby Society, I extend sincere condolences to Tom's family. Peter Pollard 08 January 2018