A gift of hope
THE BRITISH RED CROSS HAS BEEN SUPPORTING PEOPLE IN CRISIS FOR MORE THAN 150 YEARS, AND WITH YOUR HELP, IT CAN CONTINUE PUTTING KINDNESS INTO ACTION
When crisis strikes, the British Red Cross is always there, helping millions of people in the UK and around the world get the support they need. The charity has provided aid in many different ways over the years, including helping prisoners of war and civilian internees during World War II. After Singapore surrendered to the Japanese army in 1942, citizens from more than 20 countries, who had been living and working in the Far East, were imprisoned in the Changi Jail in eastern Singapore. By 1945, the jail was severely overcrowded, with approximately 4,500 people forced to endure its extremely harsh conditions. Families were split up as women and children were held separately from the men, and many suffered from malnutrition and diseases such as malaria. The Red Cross aided prisoners by sending food parcels to ensure as many as possible received adequate nutrition.
CREATIVITY IN CAPTIVITY
Astonishingly, many prisoners managed to craft fascinating items while in Changi Jail, including quilts. Ethel Mulvany, a Canadian prisoner and Red Cross representative, suggested the women work together to create patchwork quilts for the wounded men in the prison camp’s hospital. It’s believed the quilts’ material mostly originated from rice, sugar and flour bags sent by the Red Cross, and each contributor was asked to embroider ‘something of herself’ onto a square – with some even using the quilts to communicate with male family members. For some men, the quilts brought the first news that their loved ones had survived. Three Changi quilts were made in total, one each for the Red Cross Societies of Britain, Australia and Japan. The Australian and Japanese quilts are held at the Australian War Memorial, while the third is displayed at the Museum of Kindness exhibition at the British Red Cross. To visit the British Red Cross Museum, email museum@redcross.org.uk.