Frontstalag - The Internment Diary of an English Lady

I've just finished reading Frontstalag 142 - The Interment Diary of an English Lady by Dr Katherine Lack, a really interesting book.  I often find myself reading about Prisoners of War in the the Far East, so it was a natural progression to pick up this book. 

The book tells the story of the authors Aunt Fan, who was an English Lady living in France during the occupation.  Shortly after the occupation began, Aunt Fan and one of her sisters were picked up, along with other British residents and placed into Frontstalag 142, which would eventually hold around 2400 mainly British civilians.  Later she was transferred to Frontstalag 121, in Vittal, where hotels from the Spa town had been adapted for the prisoners before she was released at aged 60, considered to old to be any trouble.  During this period Aunt Fan kept a diary and drew many pictures of her surroundings, some of which have been included in the book. 

Inspiring History- Helen Colijn

One of my aims in starting this blog was to highlight some of the people and events that really inspire me.  While speaking to a woman who was studying history at Uni I was surprised she had never heard of the SOE.  It got me thinking what other gems of history are being missed, especially history about women which seems to have completely missed by the Education system today.  We have so much great history that should inspire us, instead of what the chatter mags give us.  So as a start to re-address this omission in our society I give you Helen Colijn and the women interned by the Japanese during the 2nd World War.

I have just recently finished reading Helen Colijns account Song of Survival - Women Interned , so it seemed like a good place to begin.  Helen's was one of the many women and children taken prisoner in South East Asia during the Second World War by the Japanese.  They were held for several years in camps not fit for human occupation often on starvation rations.  Japanese culture at the time looked down upon women and on enemy that had been captured.  So to be both made these women the lowest of the low in their culture.