Queensland Museum & Community Collections

On a recent visit to Proserpine Museum, I was lucky enough to assist with the rehousing of some significant objects relating to the Second World War.

The collection is made up of personal items belonging to William Rudd (Bunny or Bill) from his time spent at the Changi Prisoner of War (POW) camp, Singapore.

William was born and raised in the North Queensland town of Proserpine and served in the Australian Army during the Second World War. William was deployed to Singapore and captured during the fall of Singapore in 1942. He was imprisoned at the Changi POW camp and worked on the Burma Railway.

The highly personal objects include a pair of shorts made by his friend out of parachute material with a belt buckle and an engraved identification tag made from the wreckage of a plane. William’s Roll Book is also in the collection and is completely filled with notes and annotations. There is also a series of cards written by William home to his mother in Proserpine.

This collection will be on display at the Proserpine Historical Museum for ANZAC Day.