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Unique autograph book of a New Zealand guard at Featherston…
Auction House:
Auction Location:
Auckland
Date:
6-Apr-2009
Lot No.
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Description:
Unique autograph book of a New Zealand guard at Featherston Prisoner of war Camp during World War II. This POW camp was for captured Japanese soldiers. It had been established during World War I as the largest military training camp in New Zealand. At the request of the USA, in September 1942 it was re-established as a POW Camp. About 800 prisoners from the Battle of Guadalcanal were housed there. The camp's most famous event was on 25 February 1943 during a sit in by 240 prisoners who refused to work. The exact sequence of events in not known, but Lieutenant Adachi was shot and wounded by the camp adjutant. This led to the prisoners either charging or appearing to charge the guards who opened fire with rifles and sub-machine guns. Thirty seconds later 31 prisoners were dead, with another 17 dying later of their injuries and 74 wounded. On the New Zealand side, one person was killed and 6 wounded. A military court of Enquiry exonerated New Zealand. It found that there were cultural differences in the camp which led to the deadly action and which needed to be addressed. Among the issues was that the Japanese did not know that under the Third Geneva Convention compulsory work was allowed. As the end of the war neared the prisoners began to worry about their future position in Japanese society and it was feared that mass suicide May result. At the end of World War II the prisoners also feared that they would be attacked because of the condition of allied prisoners held in Japanese POW camps. They embarked for Japan on 30 December 1945. This small autograph album has numerous entries by Japanese prisoners, all of whom have gone to the additional effort of drawing what in many cases is an accomplished illustration to accompany their signature. There are also American signatures and a few from other POW camp guards. It is significant to note that in Japanese culture being made a POW was a source of great shame - to the extent that the majority preferred death rather than incarceration. In 1944 the Japanese prisoners requested resettlement on a Pacific Island to avoid the shame of being repatriated. The fact that they have put their names to this historic document is of note. Interaction between guards and prisoners would have been officially frowned upon so it is remarkable that the detailed sketches in this book were executed, as its owner would have had to leave it with the prisoner for a reasonable period.
Estimate:
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Price:
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Category:
Militaria & Weapons: Ephemera