Yes, it's hard to be a POW

Food was not only served by the cooks. Sometimes, the POWs were not given any food, so the Japanese allocated a small plot of land for them to grow their own vegetables.

However much seeds they had, there was little water provided for such farming activities.

The POWs had to use their own urine to water their vegetables.

Luckily, the Red Cross Organisations from around the globe recognised their plight and immediately shipped food over. Food like maize flour and tinned meat were just some of the many types of food that were shipped in.

The Japanese officers also ate from the supplies, as they, like the POWs, were often undernourished too.

The menu for a day's meals.

Showers in the camp were only allowed at allocated timeslots. Usually during those times the showering rooms were packed with POWs.

However, with the limited amount of water they had, they only were allowed to use enough water to fill a coconut shell for showering.

It may seem like the POWs in this picture are wearing towels around their waists, but that's actually bare skin. This portrait illustrates the tidious amounts of work that the POWs were forced to do in the sun while in their undergarments, which was their usual work attire.

Keeping their spirits high, the POWs also took the trouble to put up shows and plays. These events were highly anticipated by the POWs. Some of the Japanese officers even looked forward to them.

They also set up mock classrooms, where they shared their own knowledge with one another.