Gunner John West, 80th Tank Regiment Royal Artillery, as a prisoner in Changi, 1942

Pencil by Gunner Leo Rawlings (1918-1984), 137th Field Regiment Royal Artillery (The Blackpool Regiment), 1943 (c).

Leo Rawlings recorded the experiences of his fellow prisoners of war (POW) in the Changi prison camp and on the notorious Burma Railway. Around 60,000 POWs were sent to work on the railway and its construction resulted in the deaths of around 16,000 Allied prisoners and 100,000 Asian labourers. The sitter for this painting perished on 23 October 1943 as a result of the barbaric treatment he received. West had been married for just three months before being posted overseas.