Egg Ceremony Drawing

This drawing is by Lt. Kenneth Schacht while a prisoner in Zentsugi Prison Camp, Japan. Schachts’ drawings depicted everyday life while in the prison camp. This drawing was entitled “The First Egg Ceremony”.

Apparently the prisoners were given chickens to raise for eggs only. The allowance for the approximately 700 men was one egg every 45 days. The “Poultry Squad” was so excited when the first egg was laid that they marched around the camp and through barracks with the egg on a pillow and the chickens in tow. This event was also recorded in several diaries.

Courtesy of Marcia McInerney, daughter.