Ryan, Arthur John (Sergeant, b.1908 – d.1967)

Collection relating to the Second World War service of NX40934 Sergeant Arthur John Ryan, 2/18 Infantry Battalion, Australian Imperial Force, Singapore, 1944.

Wallet 1 of 1 - Consists of one Catholic prayer book, one notebook containing a play written by Sergeant Ryan and three hand drawn Christmas greeting cards from December 1944.

The Catholic prayer book is titled ‘The Small Missal’. It contains illustrations and inscriptions made by Sergeant Ryan, a photograph of a woman, religious postcards, fabric bookmark with hand-written prayers and a personal account of his service history dating from 1940 to 1945. The illustrations depict the Australian Commonwealth Military Forces arms and landscapes. This prayer book is dated c 1944 from his time as a prisoner of war interned in the Changi camp.

The notebook contains a typed script of the play ‘The Southern Spy’, written by Sergeant Ryan during his internment at Changi camp as a prisoner of war of the Japanese between 1942 and 1945. ‘The Southern Spy’ is a three act play adapted from the life of President Abraham Lincoln. The play is to be performed by The Changi Players: Phillip Boden, Trevor Holman and Sergeant Ryan himself. Throughout the play there are hand-written annotations. The latter part of the notebook contains hand-drawn illustrations showing suggestions for scenes and further information regarding how the production should come to fruition. This notebook also contains list of names and objects, as well as calculations.

The three Christmas greeting cards were hand-drawn by Sergeant Ryan, and contain illustrations and messages to family. They were made during his time at Kranji, Singapore Island, dated December 1944. In these greeting cards Sergeant Ryan individually writes to his brother Frank, sister in-law Margaret and their daughter Kathleen. He sends his well wishes, and writes about how he longs to be home. The illustrations depict cartoon characters and the landscape of Kranji.

Sergeant Arthur John Ryan enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force, in Tamworth, New South Wales, on 9 July 1940. He was posted 2/18 Australian Infantry Battalion, and served with this unit in Malaya. On 15 February 1942 he was taken by the Japanese, and was interned as a prisoner of war in Changi camp. He suffered from health conditions and was admitted to the Changi hospital on 27 July 1942, and later classified as ‘permanently unfit’ by October 1942. He was sent to Kranji camp on 28 May 1944, where he continuing to suffer with additional health conditions and was bedridden. After the camp was liberated he made his return to Australia on 13 September 1945. Sergeant Ryan was discharged 2 April 1946.