A Sticky Situation

I returned to the Museum office after a long medical leave in January to find that Simon had left a 'present' on my desk. Unlike most presents, it wasn't wrapped in a nice box, with fancy gift wrappings or ribbons. In fact it wasn't even a teddy bear or a get-well card; It was a stick!

In my line of profession I receive a lot of unorthodox 'presents' from many ex-POWs or families of POWs who leave behind old photographs, Banana Money, documents etc. One of the things I'd less commonly receive would be original WWII artefacts ranging from bullet canisters, uniforms, tools etc. Hence, I was quite excited seeing a stick lying on my desk.

The stick sat next to a photograph of a couple named 'Roy & Susan Longley' and a note from Simon. I observed this stick closer and realised that the names of several WWII camps were engraved on it. One of the largest engravings read: BDR WYATT. S.

A segment of the swagger stick with its carvings

After consulting with Simon, I discovered that Simon had the privelege of meeting up with Roy and Susan Longley at their hotel in Singapore whilst they were in Singapore. Roy was the nephew of Bombardier Stanley Wyatt, who had carved out the names of the various camps on a swagger stick. These camps were the sites where Bombardier Wyatt was posted to just before and after the fall of Singapore to the Japanese in 1942.

Roy and Susan Longley January 2007

The last location recorded on the stick was Thailand in October 1942.

At the moment, the Museum is holding the stick on permanent loan and is trying to determine the type of wood the stick could be made of.

Probably the most interesting thing about this 59cm long stick, is how it remains in excellent condition and how it was hidden by Bombardier Wyatt throughout his years in captivity.