Stanley Camp Sketch

Brian noticed this item sold on eBay. The seller's notes include:

Genuine WWII Japanese Prisoner of War Crayon Sketch - Boiler Room, Stanley P.O.W. Camp

Authentic World War II crayon sketch of the water boiler room at the Stanley Internment Camp, Hong Kong.

The sketch is a crayon sketch on brown (parcel wrapping?) paper, and depicts a scene of the water boiler room, within which is seated a male internee who is busily occupied stoking the boiler. Standing at ease watching over the prisoner is a bare chested Japanese camp guard. Title to the bottom left corner of the drawing reads: 'Water Boiler I.Q. Stanley.', beneath this the initials of the (unidentified) artist J.A.S.(?)

My research has failed to identify the identity of the artist, however I have been able to establish the following provenance for the drawing.

The sketch was a gift from an unidentified internee of Stanley Internment Camp, Hong Kong , to fellow internee (and serving Hong Kong Police Officer), Sidney Harold Dowman during World War II .

Sidney Harold Dowman (b. 1913 - d. 2005)

Born in Canning Town, West Ham, London on 17th August 1913, Sidney was the second son born to William (a Labourer) and Mary Jane Dowman. (Christopher being born 9 years earlier in 1904. Christopher was later to be sworn into the Royal Hong Kong Police as an Inspector, and stationed at Kowloon Police Station).

Records show Sidney being sworn into the Auxillary Troops of the Hong Kong Police Roll at the Central Police Station (LHT) , Hollywood Road, in 1941.

Hong Kong fell to the invading Japanese forces in 1942.

Following the war, Sidney returned to England where he served as a Police Officer stationed in Liverpool, and residing at Edge Lane.

In 1947 Sidney married Sylvia Nangle in Liverpool.

Curiously P&O Cruise records for the vessel 'Canton' show both Sidney and his wife embarking on a visit to Hong Kong on 16th January 1948, only three years following on from his liberation.

Sidney passed away in 2005 aged 92 years.

Measures approximately 7 1/4" (18.5 cm) high by 8" (20.5 cm) wide. Fold creases and the very old residue of tape adhesive to the corners, but otherwise in very good condition for its age.

The "I.Q." in the caption means "Indian Quarters", one of the accommodation areas in Stanley Camp.

There's more discussion about this sketch in the thread starting at: 

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stanley_camp/message/2784

Here's a close-up of the bottom-left corner, also from the eBay page: