Enright, Michael Francis (Civilian, b.1898 - d.1944)

Collection relating to the Second World War experience of Mr Michael Francis Enright, civilian prisoner of war, Netherlands East Indies, 1942-1944.

Wallet 1 of 1 – Consists of one diary of Mr Michael Francis Enright, containing entries dated between 12 February 1942 and 14 June 1944. This diary covers the period of Mr Enright’s time as a civilian prisoner of war of the Japanese in various camps in the Netherlands East Indies. In his diary, Mr Enright writes about being captured by the Japanese while on a vessel leaving Singapore, his first days of captivity, illness among the civilian prisoners, hearing rumours about the war, attending mass, poor quality and quantity of food, the deaths of friends, the poor treatment of prisoners by Japanese soldiers, having medical treatment in a hospital, transferring to different camps, attending camp concerts, being continuously hungry, celebrating religious holidays, and having beri-beri. Mr Enright’s diary also contains recipes, building diagrams, and various notes.

Michael Francis Enright was born in New Zealand in 1898. He served as a Chief Motor Mechanic in the First World War, and for some time after the war was in the New Zealand Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. In February 1942, Enright was on board a vessel that was leaving Singapore when it was captured by the Japanese. He, along with the other passengers of the vessel, became civilian prisoners of war. He was interned in various camps in the Netherlands East Indies, including camps in Muntok and Palembang. In mid-1944, Michael Francis Enright died of beri-beri caused by a long period of malnourishment.