| Place | Asia: Japan, Osaka |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | RELAWM31317 |
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Heraldry |
| Physical description | Hessian; Cotton |
| Maker |
Ingram, Robert Cuthbert 'Shorty' |
| Date made | c 1943-1944 |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
Wedding anniversary card : Signalman C B Davis, 8 Divisional Signals
Description
Hand made anniversary card made from cardboard wrapped in hessian. The front of the card is embroidered with khaki cotton and reads 'To CYRIL Best Wishes for this third Wedding Day Anniversary from SHORTY'. In the centre is a horseshoe and bow with the head of a black cat in the middle. The edge of the card has been decorated with stitching and each word is underlined with a light brown thread.
History / Summary
NX72134 Signalman Cyril Bowen 'Dusty' Davis was born on 3 December 1920 in Macksville, NSW and enlisted in the army on 27 March 1941. He married Esme Joyce Laird on 10 July at Tamworth before he left for service in Malaya with 8 Divison Signals.
Davis was captured by the Japanese in 1942. Initially interned at Changi and then Adam Park he was transported to Japan as a member of 'C' Force on 28 November aboard the Japanese vessel Kamakura Maru. Arriving at Nagasaki on 8 December he was taken to Kobe Kawasaki Sub-camp and spent the duration of the war undertaking physical labour. By the time of his repatriation to Australia in 1945 Davis had also spent time at Osaka No 1 Camp, Ichioka Stadium Hospital, Kobe Hospital and Wakinohama Camp. He was liberated from the latter by United States forces on 6 September 1945 and arrived back in Australia the following month.
A friend, NX29000 Signalman Robert Cuthbert Ingram, also known as 'Shorty', made and presented this card to Davis during their captivity there. The cardboard was taken from a Red Cross comfort parcel distributed to the prisoners. After the war Davis returned home to his wife and son in Australia and was discharged on 6 December 1945. Sadly, Robert Ingram did not survive his captivity and died at Kobe, Japan on 24 April 1944 from malnutrition, pleurisy and beri beri. He left behind a widow, Marjorie.
It is not known why Ingram would have made and given this card for Davis's third wedding anniversary (which would have occurred in July 1944) before it happened - he died over two months before the actual date. Maybe he knew he was dying.