John Francis (Jack) Dowd as a private, 8th Ammunition Submarine Park, 1941-1946, and Gladys Perrott, interviewed by Alison Viney Houghton.

SX11660 Private (Pte) John Francis (Jack) Dowd and Gladys Perrott interviewed by Alison Viney Houghton Houghton for her "The Age of Innocence 1937-1947" oral history project. The interview covers topics related to being a child or young person during the Second World War, and Pte Dowd's army service and period as a prisoner of war. Gladys Perrott discusses growing up in far north Queenslad, her schooling at Ayr, her home life, farming sugar cane once the young men were called up, the CWA (Country Women's Association) involvement with the war effort, the presence of Americans in Townsville, her social life and marrying soon after the war's end. Dowd talks about his farm work in the pre-war period; enlisting and serving in Alice Springs in a transport unit; the advance of the Japanese on Singapore; being captured and becoming a POW; bed bugs; marching to 'Siam' and working on the Thai Burma Railway including building bridges; illness, conditions, hygeine and work in Changi; WX11177 Major Bruce Atlee Hunt and his role in leading the Australians who were interned at Changi; postwar rationing; his outlook of tenacity, faith and luck; depression and mental illness and hospitalisation of returned prisoners of war; the challenges of the prewar Depression, such as Jack's not being able to become a teacher; the differing treatments of tropical ulcers by Captain Taylor and Major Stevens; the black humour employed by POWs at Changi; death and cremation at Changi; the eating of dogs, cats and snails at Changi, and other topics.