Philip Meninsky (born 1919 in Fulham, England, died in 2007) was the son of

Bernard Meninsky Bernard Meninsky (25 July 1891–12 February 1950) was a painter of figures and landscapes in oils, watercolour and gouache, a draughtsman and a teacher.. Biography Early life and education Meninsky was born in Konotop, Ukraine, where his fathe ...

. Despite an early passion for art, at his father's wish, he initially trained as an accountant, before being called up for National Service. After a first posting to Scotland, he was then sent to the Far East where he was captured in 1942 after the

fall of Singapore The Fall of Singapore, also known as the Battle of Singapore,; ta, சிங்கப்பூரின் வீழ்ச்சி; ja, シンガポールの戦い took place in the South–East Asian theatre of the Pacific War. The Empire o ...

. He spent the next three years working on the

Death Railway The Burma Railway, also known as the Siam–Burma Railway, Thai–Burma Railway and similar names, or as the Death Railway, is a railway between Ban Pong, Thailand and Thanbyuzayat, Burma (now called Myanmar). It was built from 1940 to 1943 ...

where he recorded the lives of POWs by secretly making detailed drawings of camp life. These drawings were subsequently used as evidence in the trials of war criminals. At one point, rendered skeletal by starvation, he developed tropical ulcers on his legs, and was transferred to Chunkai hospital camp, where his limbs were saved from amputation by

Edward Dunlop Colonel Sir Ernest Edward "Weary" Dunlop, (12 July 1907 – 2 July 1993) was an Australian surgeon who was renowned for his leadership while being held prisoner by the Japanese during World War II. Early life and family Dunlop was born in Wa ...

and Major Arthur Moon. His work from this period is largely held by the Imperial War Museum in London, England, but there is at least one in the State Library of Victoria in Australia, and the Australian War Memorial. Together with the works of Jack Bridger Chalker, Ashley George Old and

Ronald Searle Ronald William Fordham Searle, CBE, RDI (3 March 1920 – 30 December 2011) was an English artist and satirical cartoonist, comics artist, sculptor, medal designer and illustrator. He is perhaps best remembered as the creator of St Trinian's S ...

these drawings and paintings form a unique record of this dark time in human history. Old and Meninsky were reunited in 1995 after 50 years as guests of the Imperial War Museum for an exhibition ''Victory in the Far East'' – held 15 August to 15 December 1995.''Legion – The Journal of the British Legion'' Vol. 16 No.4

References

External links

Surrey Comet Obituary
World War II artists World War II prisoners of war held by Japan 1919 births 2007 deaths British war artists Imperial War Museum Burma Railway prisoners British people of Jewish descent {{UK-artist-stub