The march from Ban Pong

Places
Accession Number ART25077
Collection type Art
Measurement Overall: 53.5 x 35.6 cm (irregular)
Object type Work on paper
Physical description pen, brush and ink on paper
Maker Griffin, Murray
Place made Singapore: Changi
Date made 1944
Conflict Second World War, 1939-1945
Copyright

Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain

Public Domain Mark This item is in the Public Domain

Description

Reconstruction of march through jungle from work on railway. Soon after the march began the monsoons started. The prisoners trudged hundreds of miles through the rain soaked jungle and ankle deep mud, all day and into the night, with all their wordly possessions on their backs, to fall asleep exhausted on arrival at the so-called camp. They had a bamboo flare at the head of each column, the sick falling ever back towards the rear. The Japanese guard occasionally walked in the middle- they were frightened of tigers and wanted protection. The soldiers were put straight to work on building the railway, a task which resulted in more than 1400 casualties due to shocking working conditions and disease resulting from malnutrition.