| Place | Asia: Singapore, Changi |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | ART26462 |
| Collection type | Art |
| Measurement | Overall: 19.1 x 24 cm |
| Object type | Work on paper |
| Physical description | pen and ink and wash over pencil on paper |
| Maker |
Griffin, Murray |
| Place made | Singapore: Changi |
| Date made | 1945 |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Three rows of officers' quarters outside Changi gaol
Description
In the background of this work are the Changi gaol buildings and in the foreground are the attap huts that housed POW officers, including Murray Griffin. Initially the AIF prisoners were housed at Selarang Barracks, but in mid 1944 they and all other Allied prisoners were moved to Changi gaol proper. The gaol was built to accommodate 600 men, but in the end almost 5,000 men were housed in this building. The Japanese supplied materials to build further accommodation around the gaol to house the rest of the prisoners. The AIF also moved some attap huts from Selarang which had been built for 'temporary' accommodation at the beginning of their captivity. Officers were quartered in these smaller huts. As a honorary officer, Griffin was housed in one of these huts with three other men, including two British ministers.