Please be advised: this website contains the names, images and voices of people who are now deceased.

Collections WA has a responsibility to preserve and make accessible the history and culture of Western Australia in all its various forms. The intention of Collections WA is to support research, and to reveal actions of the past that have impacted upon communities, families, and individuals.

In doing so, Collections WA acknowledges the need to respond sensitively and appropriately in cases when accessing this material may be confronting to Aboriginal visitors and clients.

Please also note: Some historical materials within this portal may include language or opinions that today are considered inappropriate or even offensive. Collections WA does not endorse this language and apologises for any distress caused.

Continue

Continue showing cultural advice

Stop showing cultural advice

Collections WA brings together collections from libraries, galleries, museums, archives, historical societies, cultural organisations, community groups and other collecting organisations across Western Australia.

Australian Army Museum of Western Australia > Records

World War 2, South West Pacific Theatre, Morotai, BAKER, POW Release, 1945

« Prev Item Next Item »

Overview

Newspaper copy of pencil sketch of Sister Gerry Baker writing letter for recently released prisoner of war.

Historical information

During the Pacific war, the Japanese captured 22,000 Australians: soldiers, sailors, airmen and members of the army nursing service, as well as some civilians. They were imprisoned in camps throughout Japanese-occupied territories in Borneo, Korea, Manchuria, Hainan, Rabaul, Ambon, Singapore, Timor, Java, Thailand, Burma and Vietnam and also Japan itself. At the end of the war only 13,872 of the POWs were recovered: one-third of the prisoners had died.

Details

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-32-99-310

Contextual information

Part of a series of sketches by war artist Tony Rafty which appeared in "The Mirror", Sydney on 20 October 1945

Last modified

Friday, 10 October, 2025

Completeness

72

Australian Army Museum of Western Australia

Australian Army Museum of Western Australia

Other items from Australian Army Museum of Western Australia

POW 9

Artist

Media reuse | View full size | Item feedback

Scan this QR code to open this page on your phone ->

Full size unavailable (you're already seeing this image in its highest resolution available on Collections WA)

Loading...