Historical information

"Dear Kevin, Everybody home here is well, hope you and Bobby are well. Sid, Laurie home, hear regular from Eddie. Lots love Polly DAD"

Post Card sent to Private K.J. Arrowsmith, VX54102, 6th Line Section, 8 Div, Malaya
via Prisoner of War Post,
Australian Prisoners of War,
C/o Prisoners of War Information Bureau
Tokyo, Japan
from his sister Polly (Mercia Castledine).


“After the cholera had been evidence for a few days, the Nips decided that the works on the railway had to be carried on and so isolated all the cases (a number more had developed since we were first quarantined) and sent all other men back to work. By this time, the number of men unfit for work had increased tremendously and the medical officer and medical orderlies were hopelessly overworked. Volunteers were called for to assist in this cholera ward; a disease highly contagious and with a terrific death rate. This meant isolation, but did not deter many men from offering their services, Bob and Kevin Arrowsmith being selected.”
- Through the Burma-Thailand Railway, pp234-5, author unknown

Significance

This post card is significant for its rarity as very few ever made it through and were saved. In these instances the information provided by Polly was cryptic informing Kevin and Bob Arrowsmith that brother Eddie and brothers-in-law, Laurie Mears and Sid Castledine were all still alive.

Physical description

Digital image of original held in private collection of Joan Castledine, daughter of Sid and Polly (nee Arrowsmith) Castledine.