Autographed linen traycloth made by Japanese war criminals at Rabaul : Australian Army Chaplain Gordon Henry Young

White linen traycloth inscribed in red at the top 'TO REV. & MRS. YOUNG MERRY XMAS'. The cloth is painted in colour with a representation of Mt Fuji, a lake, flowering cherry tree and pine trees. The name of the Japanese artist, 'KARUBE', is written in purple beneath the image, together with the date '22.12.1946' in red. The autographs of the Japanese war criminals, together with English translations of their names, are written around the edges of the cloth. P. H. Katayama, whose name appears at the bottom, was the Japanese translator. The other names are: Tetsuo Sato, I. Takemoto, Shozo Okamoto, Nara Yoshio, Tokunacta, S. Hirota, Aisuo Kurokawa, Matsumoto Torataro, Manabe, Kubo Akihik, Umamura, Shoji Takamura, Karube, Naito Katiro, Yasumoto Yoshio, Hirotami Asao, Fumihiko Katayama, and Hisakichi Kubo.

Reverend Gordon Henry Young was born in Port Broughton, South Australia on 6 March 1912. Young enlisted on 11 July 1940 and was assigned service number SX8518. Although Young had completed his theological training prior to the war he was not appointed an army chaplain until 1945 when he was assigned to 13 Field Regiment in Atherton, with the rank of major. Prior to this he served with 6 Division in North Africa with 2/2 Field Workshop and was present at the siege of Tobruk. Young was later evacuated to Ceylon, where he spent three months, before serving in New Guinea, again with field workshops. At the end of the war, as an army chaplain, he was sent to Rabaul where he was responsible for the welfare of the condemned Japanese war criminals held there. In the 18 months before most of them were sentenced, Young, who was later joined by his wife Elizabeth, taught many of them English and a number converted to Christianity. The Japanese war criminals made this tray cloth and presented it to the Youngs as a Christmas gift to thank them for their efforts in ensuring their welfare during the time they were interned at Rabaul. Young was discharged on 21 May 1947.

Not all the Japanese listed on this traycloth were convicted of war crimes. Those that were received prison sentences ranging from 3 to 20 years. The one exception was Sub Lieutenant Hideo (Paul) Katayama, who was executed at Morotai on 22 October 1947. The circumstances of his conviction were controversial at the time,and remain so.