Object numberM2015/004:012
DescriptionPartly handwritten postcard from Leonard Aron Oppenheim in Borneo, Asia, to his wife Leonie in Sydney, Australia, on 15th September 1943.
Leonard Aron Oppenheim was the first husband of Leonie Hirschberg who later became Leonie Hilton. Leonie left Berlin in 1938 in order to escape the Nazi regime. They met and got married in Singapore. Leonard Aron Oppenheim was born in Harbin, Russia, of Jewish origin. He was an engineer and architect in Singapore which was controlled by Britain. When war started he joined the British Volunteer Corps. The Japanese conquered Singapore in February 1942. Leonie was evacuated and ended up in Sydney. Leonard was captured and put to work. He became a prisoner (N° 13753) of war and was moved from Singapore to a camp in Kuching, Sarawak, on the island of Borneo in March 1943. There Leonard died in 1945. The cause of his death was officially given as malaria and beriberi.
Between 1942 and 1945, Leonie and Leonard managed to make contact in an exchange of telegrams, letters, postcards and broadcast messages. Prefabricated, the postcard provides typed standard sentences to be completed by the sender as ‘My health is …’, ‘Please remember me to …’or ‘Hope everything is well with you, and you are receiving your allotment.’ Leonard used the given pattern by completing the sentences as well as he added some other sentences between the lines as ‘I miss you terribly. Your loving Fips.’ The postcard is written in pen. Leonard added his register number on the bottom right corner underneath his name.
The postcard is stamped with ‘passed by censor’ and shows Japanese characters in red colour on the front page.
Leonard Aron Oppenheim was the first husband of Leonie Hirschberg who later became Leonie Hilton. Leonie left Berlin in 1938 in order to escape the Nazi regime. They met and got married in Singapore. Leonard Aron Oppenheim was born in Harbin, Russia, of Jewish origin. He was an engineer and architect in Singapore which was controlled by Britain. When war started he joined the British Volunteer Corps. The Japanese conquered Singapore in February 1942. Leonie was evacuated and ended up in Sydney. Leonard was captured and put to work. He became a prisoner (N° 13753) of war and was moved from Singapore to a camp in Kuching, Sarawak, on the island of Borneo in March 1943. There Leonard died in 1945. The cause of his death was officially given as malaria and beriberi.
Between 1942 and 1945, Leonie and Leonard managed to make contact in an exchange of telegrams, letters, postcards and broadcast messages. Prefabricated, the postcard provides typed standard sentences to be completed by the sender as ‘My health is …’, ‘Please remember me to …’or ‘Hope everything is well with you, and you are receiving your allotment.’ Leonard used the given pattern by completing the sentences as well as he added some other sentences between the lines as ‘I miss you terribly. Your loving Fips.’ The postcard is written in pen. Leonard added his register number on the bottom right corner underneath his name.
The postcard is stamped with ‘passed by censor’ and shows Japanese characters in red colour on the front page.
Production placeBorneo, Asia
Production date
SubjectHolocaust, survivors, Jews in Australia, loved ones' contact, Japanese occupation, prisoners of war
Object namepostcards
Dimensions
- width: 140.00 mm
height: 87.00 mm
Language
- English
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Jeffrey Hilton