Miniature Catholic prayer book with enclosed rosary beads : Bombardier A E Lawrence, 2/15 Field Regiment

Small pocket Catholic prayer book, entitled "Garden of the Soul" published in Sydney 1924 by E.J Dwyer of 711 George St, Sydney, and printed in Belgium. The book contains a collection of prayers, the communion, confession, Mass, and feasts. All pages are printed with a red border and all edges are gilded. It is inserted into a black leather-bound cover which has a zippered pocket containing a set of rosary beads. The rear cover bears an impressed crucifix and the book is closed with a leather strap equipped with a snap fastening - although the fastening has detached from the rear cover. There is an inscription on the front free end paper: "To Dear Ern From Norma". The prayer book may have been inserted incorrectly - the crucifix should be at the front.

Catholic prayer book and rosary beads owned by NX32587 Bombardier Athol Erskin Patrick Joseph "Ern" Lawrence, 2/15 Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery, who saw service in Singapore and Malaya before being captured and spending the remainder of the war as a prisoner of the Japanese. He was on one of the working parties that was sent to the Burma-Thai railway, and "came home a stick".

The 2/15 Field Regiment was raised on 12 November 1940 and deployed to Singapore, arriving on 15 August 1941. They saw action against the Japanese invasion of Malaya - and despite fighting hard, were part of the general surrender on 15 February. Of the 556 officers and men who became prisoners, 294 died.

Lawrence was born at Manly on 17 March 1919 and enlisted on 18 June 1940. He had met his wife, Norma when they both worked at the Alexandria Woollen Mills before the war.

Although she was a Protestant, Norma gave Ern the Catholic prayer book because she knew it was important to him; he had grown up as an altar boy, and she thought it might keep him safe. They were married a week before his deployment - but when the Catholic priest said she had to stand behind the altar to get married (because she was a Protestant), Athol said "Bugger that for a joke" and they got married at the local Registry Office.

His daughter states he went through Changi not using the prayer book for cigarette papers, as many men did, although he became a heavy smoker during his service - he couldn't bear to use the prayer book. As a result of all he saw as a prisoner, Lawrence questioned his faith, but still clung to the prayer book.

Upon his return to Australia he suffered repeated bouts of malaria. Lawrence was killed in a car accident in 1975, driving home from work.