Japanese 'Bimbo Boy', Ofuna POW camp

Depicts a Japanese soldier in uniform holding a large piece of wood in his left hand. When catalogued in 1945, this work was accompanied by the following text; 'Drawing shows common type of Jap soldier at Prisoner of war camps and the baton approximately 3' 9" long, 2" diameter at the top and 3" at the bottom, used to beat prisoners. The minimum number of strokes given is 12, to troops standing on tip toes and arms raised above the heads. Punishment was given for the slightest disobedience. Ofuna Camp, near Kamakura, Japan'. John G Goodchild joined the AIF on 30 April 1945 as a Lieutenant and was subsequently appointed an official war artist. His Second World War attachment took him to Point Cook, Victoria, Jervis Bay, New South Wales and Sydney and in June 1945 he departed for the South-West Pacific area. He also went to Japan to cover the Japanese surrender and the activities of the allied occupation forces.