Descriptive note for B5458

Summary heading

Function and purpose

This series consists of 8 black and white photographs (negatives and prints) relating to the mass escape of Japanese prisoners of war at Cowra, New South Wales, on 5 August 1944. They were copied in June 1983 from the original glass negatives held by Central Army Records Office.

Australian Archives has imposed control symbols [1] to [9] on the back of each print.

[1] is a print and negative of a plan of the Cowra compound.

[2] is a print and negative of gloves used in the outbreak.

[3] is a print and negative of a body.

[4] was a photograph of a tried and convicted Japanese war criminal, (who was not held at Cowra) which was removed and placed in CRS B4165 - a collection of photographs of Japanese war criminals.

[5] to [9] are prints and negatives of tools/weapons used in the outbreak.

The origin of the photographs is unclear but it is assumed they were taken during the coronial inquest into the mass escape in August 1944. There are similar photographs in the related series.