Magic at War

The benefits of magic performances for prisoners-of-war For Prisoners-of-War (POWs) of all theatres of war, entertainment in prison camps provided much needed enjoyment and escapism. During the performances, the entertainers and their audiences might escape for an hour or two into a happier world. A performer on an improvised stage and open-air auditorium in the Changi POW complex (Source: Public domain) Working creatively and cooperatively with other performers and stage staff, gave those involved a focused goal and a sense of team spirit. It kept their minds active and positive. For British POW-magician Fergus Anckorn, the interactions with other actors during rehearsals were a major factor in his survival: “ I remember when we rehearsed and all that sort of thing, you quite forgot that you were in these terrible circumstances. We were learning a script and getting on with it, and doing our little show. Lots of laughs backstage, and that sort of thing... and it undoubtedly h...

The third of four blogs telling the incredible wartime experiences of Fergus Anckorn, an amateur magician who used magic to survive captivity and slavery as a POW in the Far East during World War Two.   Recuperating at Chungkai   After Fergus Anckorn received burns injuries while forced to build the Wampoo Viaduct on the Thai-Burma Railway, medical staff sent him to a convalescent camp at Chungkai. He arrived there in around April 1943.   Like most other POW camps in Thailand, Chungkai was overcrowded and the living arrangements were primitive. The Japanese sent sick POWs there to either die or recuperate. Survivors, once healed, were put to work nearby, or sent ‘up country’ to build the railway. This is a description of Chungkai by one of its occupants: “In the huts, conditions were terrible. Most men were unable to move through weakness. They were without clothing. Bedding  consisted  of perhaps a rice sack,  millions of flies and bedbugs, and running wit...

A double-bill blog post, telling the stories of V.J. Astor and Yrus, two magicians who were captured during World War Two and who managed to escape and make it back home. V. J. Astor Hungarian Victor Jamnitzky (1922-2011) became interested in magic aged 8, but was persuaded to pursue a career in medicine by his father. He began to study medicine in Budapest in 1941, working part-time at a theatre to pay for his studies. But, his passion for magic prevailed and he dropped out of university. He passed a state examination to become a registered artiste and starting working as a magician full-time.  Adopting the stage name 'Nicoletti', Jamnitzky enjoyed early success, touring central Europe, including bookings at Berlin's prestigious Wintergarten and Scala variety theatres.  In 1944, fearing Hungary might conclude a separate peace with the Allies, Hitler's Germany occupied Jamnitzky's home country. At the same time, the Soviets were advancing towards Hungary's borde...