Henry Tompkin 06/07/17 Ms Miller

Enemy Camp

The book “Enemy Camp” written by David hill is a great read and tells a great historical
retelling of the Featherston incident. The book is set during the period near the end of the
war. The book is written in diary entries which really relates to young and old readers alike.

The Featherston Incident has become known as a shameful event in New Zealand history
but after reading David Hill’s junior story of this event I would say it was inevitable and
understandable. Featherston was home for up to 600 Japanese prisoners from 1943 to the
end of the war. The prisoners were a mixture of civilians and soldiers and sailors captured by
the Allies. This story is told in diary form by Ewen a boy in year 7 whose father works in
Featherstone camp and had been a soldier in Greece, who lost part of his arm in war against
the Germans. His humanitarian stance throughout the story is a highlight and an example to
all.

Ewen has friends Clarry and Barry Morris with Clarry suffering from polio. His story is also an
example to all of us. The boys attend school at a time when you had ink monitors who filled
the inkwells from a large bottle and teachers who would rap you across the knuckles for
holding your pencil wrong. The boys are given Japanese lessons from an English-speaking
Japanese officer called Ito. From him they learn that for the Japanese in the camp “for us to
be prisoner is to be dead person”.

Their willingness to learn from a different culture is a great role model and is a great story. It
shows commitment, and when the “incident,” happens they feel for the Japanese. This
Wonderfully written book in short diary entries that young students can easily read, you
have great historical fiction. The account of the event itself with the boys looking on is
sensitively done. A very well written novel.