embroidered tablecloth, Far East Civilian Internee

An embroidered tablecloth made of blue cloth with a white border. In the centre is a wreath made of white cloth, detailed with blue stitching. In the centre of this are the names of some of the other internees of the camp. In the very centre of the tablecloth are the dates of stay in three of the camps. Round the edge of the tablecloth there are various scenes of life in the camp. In the centre at the bottom is a sign reading 'R.A. Raymond 59. Bandoeng'. The scenes of camp life are as follows: (anti-clockwise from the sign) 1) a wooden platform bed with various articles stowed above and beneath (some had carried small cases from their homes when they started their journey from one camp to another, on foot, by packed trains without food or water etc.) 2) makeshift garden tools 3) open-air latrines from which nightsoil had to be taken in buckets to fertilise the vegetable plots 4) clothes line made with lengths of bamboo 5) In the queue for food 6) garden produce and above it the following words: 'ting-ting' -a small sweet 'goelali' -sugar 'klapperkoek' -coconut cake 7) Inside a hut: space per person 22" 8) In the cookhouse 9) Various produce -all in limited and occasional supply 'goela djawa' -Java sugar 'Katjang' -peanuts 'Ketjap' -soy sauce 'zeep' -soap 'diend' -matches ? 10) carrying the nightsoil 11) women bowing as was required to the Japanese guard in his elevated hut; failing to bow correctly or in time led to long sessions (up to an hour) of bowing until he was satisfied 12) two women sweeping and washing the floor outside a cell Embroidered in the centre: Tangerang Java. Tanah tinggi camp 9th September 1943 -20th March 1944. Tangerang camp 20th of March 1944 -14th June to Tjiden. Last day of internment 3rd Nov. 1945 As well as signatures of other camp internees.

This embroidered tablecloth was made by Rosalina A Raymond whilst interned in Bandoeng, West Java during the Second World War. Her internment number was 59. The cloth was obtained by barter from one of the other women in the camp, likewise the thread other than that drawn out of various garments. The scenes that she embroidered on the tablecloth tell a great deal about camp life. Rosalina Raymond was aged twenty one when first interned, the eldest of seven sisters who were all interned along with their mother. After the war, she was ill with dysentery for five years and was not well enough to travel to England. She finally made it in January 1951 but remained ill until 1956 when she made a recovery taking a job in Barclays DCO for the next 25 years. She commented that she lost 14 years of her life due to internment and felt 'inwardly a bit unsettled' as a result of her time in the camps.

Bottom: R.A. Raymond 59. Bandieng Centre: Tangerang Java. Tanah tinggi camp 9th September 1943 -20th March 1944. Tangerang camp 20th of March 1944 -14th June to Tjiden. Last day of internment 3rd Nov. 1945 Middle: Signatures of other camp internees.