Tutor: Derek Cameron
This course will detail the circumstances in which Australians came to be prisoners of war of the Japanese from 1942-1945; the conditions faced in "official" POW camps such as Changi; the use of POWs as forced labourers for the construction of the Burma-Thailand Railway and the details involved in that activity; the incidence of death and illness brought about as a result; the role of outstanding personalities such as "Weary" Dunlop in sustaining the captives; and the release and rehabilitation of the prisoners at war's end.
Venue: 97 Creek St
Thursday 11.30am - 12.45pm. Classes start 29 January, finish 2 April.
Cost: $50 (prepaid), 10 weeks
Current Enrolments: 4 (capacity 9)
About the Tutor:
I'm a recently retired secondary school teacher with 42 years of service, with Modern History and latterly Legal Studies as my main teaching areas. My interest in Australian Military History was boosted on a personal level by both my father and father-in-law having fought in New Guinea, leading to my teaching the Battle for Australia unit (H39).My uncle in the RAAF was captured on Java and endured captivity, including Changi prison and the Burma Railway. Those events are symbols of the experience of Australian POWs and deserve to be part of our historical memory (H41).
If you are a U3A Brisbane member you may enrol in this class online using the Enrol button below. You will be asked to provide your membership number and name for identification.
If you wish to obtain further information about this class before enrolling, you may send a message to the tutor using the Send Enquiry Message button below.