--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As the prisoners’ commanding officer and…" description: "\"“As the prisoners’ commanding officer and senior medical officer, Dorrigo Evans reported to Major Nakamura that four men had died the day before, two o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4db/richard-flanagan-2253_quote_as-the-prisoners-commanding-officer-and_1637875.jpg" --- # As the prisoners’ commanding officer and senior medical… ![“As the prisoners’ commanding officer and senior medical officer, Dorrigo Evans reported to Major Nakamura that four men had died the day before, two overnight, and that this left eight hundred and thirty-eight POWs. Of this eight hundred and thirty-eight, sixty-seven had cholera and were in the…” quote by Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4db/richard-flanagan-2253_quote_as-the-prisoners-commanding-officer-and_1637875.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4db/richard-flanagan-2253_quote_as-the-prisoners-commanding-officer-and_1637875.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4db/richard-flanagan-2253_quote_as-the-prisoners-commanding-officer-and_1637875.jpg) > ““As the prisoners’ commanding officer and senior medical officer, Dorrigo Evans reported to Major Nakamura that four men had died the day before, two overnight, and that this left eight hundred and thirty-eight POWs. Of this eight hundred and thirty-eight, sixty-seven had cholera and were in the cholera compound, and another one hundred and seventy-nine were in hospital with severe illness. A further one hundred and sixty-seven were too ill for any work other than light duties.”” [Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The report details the dire conditions of POWs, highlighting massive illness and mortality, underscoring the brutal realities of war captivity. **In simple terms:** War captivity brings severe suffering and disease. Key Takeaway Acknowledge and learn from wartime hardships. Themes war suffering human rights Mood somber thoughtful Type historical documentary When to use this quote - military history - humanitarian work - education curricula Key Concepts history medical ethics Questions to Reflect On - What lessons can modern societies draw from such suffering? - How can we better support prisoners of war today? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cholera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cholera/) [Pows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pows/) [Pows Thirty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pows-thirty-541073/) [Prisoners Commanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prisoners-commanding-541072/) [Thirty Pows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thirty-pows-541071/) ## Related quotes > [“At least 30,000, possibly more, German POWs may have died in French captivity, of starvation and malnutrition, of disease and neglect and mistreatment. Around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-taylor/at-least-30-000-possibly-more-german-pows-may-have-died-in-french/) [Frederick Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-taylor/) > [I went overseas hoping to prove that all our POWs were home. I came back convinced that they were still alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-gritz/i-went-overseas-hoping-to-prove-that-all-our-pows-were-home-i-came/) [Bo Gritz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-gritz/) > [The final effort came when our reconnaissance team reported contact with the POWs and their guards by radio near midnight at a pre-arranged crossing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-gritz/the-final-effort-came-when-our-reconnaissance-team-reported-contact/) [Bo Gritz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-gritz/) > [“At last, somebody in line steps forward. “I can commit,” he says. He’s a tall, lean young man with a rifle slung over his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/summer-lane/at-last-somebody-in-line-steps-forward-i-can-commit-he-says-he-s-a/) [Summer Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/summer-lane/) > [It was necessary to bluff the Japanese camp commanders, with whatever authority I could muster, that I had come officially to ensure that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilfred-burchett/it-was-necessary-to-bluff-the-japanese-camp-commanders-with-whatever/) [Wilfred Burchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilfred-burchett/) > [“In spite of everything, all the POWs except for the Russians were receiving food parcels and medication from the International Red Cross. The Soviet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-timofeeva-egorova/in-spite-of-everything-all-the-pows-except-for-the-russians-were/) [Anna Timofeeva-Egorova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-timofeeva-egorova/) > [“The organization of the camps in the east revealed a contempt for life, the life of Slavs and Asians and Jews anyway, that made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/the-organization-of-the-camps-in-the-east-revealed-a-contempt-for/) [Timothy Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-snyder/) > [“The combat during the war was only a part of the horror. When soldiers came home, they were faced with new challenges, new fights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-picca/the-combat-during-the-war-was-only-a-part-of-the-horror-when-soldiers/) [Helen Picca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-picca/) > [Still I was concerned that politics would get between us and our POWs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-gritz/still-i-was-concerned-that-politics-would-get-between-us-and-our-pows/) [Bo Gritz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-gritz/) > [“Human beings in there took turns standing or lying down. The legs of those who stood were like fence posts driven into a warm,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/human-beings-in-there-took-turns-standing-or-lying-down-the-legs-of/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Without territory, it does not even have the resources to provide detention facilities for prisoners, even if it were interested in holding captured POWs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-yoo/without-territory-it-does-not-even-have-the-resources-to-provide/) [John Yoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-yoo/) > [The PoWs went through something so horrible, you don't know who's coming back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gideon-raff/the-pows-went-through-something-so-horrible-you-don-t-know-who-s/) [Gideon Raff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gideon-raff/) > [I remember the Korean War very well. And I remember the soldiers who were POWs who supposedly were "brainwashed," quote, unquote, who gave in,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/i-remember-the-korean-war-very-well-and-i-remember-the-soldiers-who/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [In the winter of 1973, the American POWs held captive in Vietnam were released according to the terms of the Paris Peace Accords.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-jacobsen/in-the-winter-of-1973-the-american-pows-held-captive-in-vietnam-were/) [Annie Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-jacobsen/) > [“Every morning, the Omori POWs were assembled and ordered to call out their number in Japanese. After November 1, 1944, the man assigned number…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-hillenbrand/every-morning-the-omori-pows-were-assembled-and-ordered-to-call-out/) [Laura Hillenbrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-hillenbrand/) ## More by Richard Flanagan > [I went to study at Oxford University in the 1980s on an imperial scholarship instituted by Cecil Rhodes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/i-went-to-study-at-oxford-university-in-the-1980s-on-an-imperial/) [Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/) > [Writing is not lying, nor is it theft. It is a journey and search for transparency between one’s words and one’s soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/writing-is-not-lying-nor-is-it-theft-it-is-a-journey-and-search-for/) [Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/) > [In reading, you sense the divine: the things that are larger and greater and more mysterious than yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/in-reading-you-sense-the-divine-the-things-that-are-larger-and/) [Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/) > [Within white Australia, there was a growing movement for what was known as reconciliation - a movement that peaked with millions marching in 2000…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/within-white-australia-there-was-a-growing-movement-for-what-was/) [Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/) > [In 1995, the Paul Keating Labor government commissioned an inquiry into the forcible removal of Aboriginal children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/in-1995-the-paul-keating-labor-government-commissioned-an-inquiry/) [Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/) > [Murder and hate are as deeply buried in the human heart as love, perhaps more so, and in truth they're rather entwined, and if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/murder-and-hate-are-as-deeply-buried-in-the-human-heart-as-love/) [Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/) > [My father was the first to read in his family, and he said to me that words were the first beautiful thing he ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/my-father-was-the-first-to-read-in-his-family-and-he-said-to-me-that/) [Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/) > [I grew up in a world that was clannish - old Tasmanian-Irish families with big extended families.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/i-grew-up-in-a-world-that-was-clannish-old-tasmanian-irish-families/) [Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/) > [If 30 Australians drowned in Sydney Harbour, it would be a national tragedy. But when 30 or more refugees drown off the Australian coast,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/if-30-australians-drowned-in-sydney-harbour-it-would-be-a-national/) [Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/) > [The enslavement, humiliation, torture, and ultimate destruction of thousands upon thousands of human beings for a project for which there was ultimately no purpose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/the-enslavement-humiliation-torture-and-ultimate-destruction-of/) [Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/) > [In Tasmania, an island the size of Ireland whose primeval forests astonished 19th-century Europeans, an incomprehensible ecological tragedy is being played out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/in-tasmania-an-island-the-size-of-ireland-whose-primeval-forests/) [Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/) > [You have to attempt to find new forms that will force you to write freshly and better and hopefully more truthfully.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/you-have-to-attempt-to-find-new-forms-that-will-force-you-to-write/) [Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/) > [My mother hoped I'd be a plumber.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/my-mother-hoped-i-d-be-a-plumber/) [Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/) > [Family matters, friends matter, love matters. Those you love and who love you matter. That's what writing does - it allows you to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/family-matters-friends-matter-love-matters-those-you-love-and-who/) [Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/) > [A good book ... leaves you wanting to reread the book. A great book compels you to reread your own soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/a-good-book-leaves-you-wanting-to-reread-the-book-a-great-book/) [Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/) [Explore all 176 Richard Flanagan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/) ## More Cholera quotes > [Leaving out the gamblers, the burglars, and the plumbers, perhaps we do put our trust in God after a fashion. But, after all, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/leaving-out-the-gamblers-the-burglars-and-the-plumbers-perhaps-we-do/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [It is not till it is discovered that high individual incomes will not purchase the mass of mankind immunity from cholera, typhus, and ignorance,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-h-tawney/it-is-not-till-it-is-discovered-that-high-individual-incomes-will-not/) [R. H. Tawney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-h-tawney/) > [Curiosity is one of the many masks of love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/curiosity-is-one-of-the-many-masks-of-love/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [I'd like to refocus everyone's attention away from the Kardashians and onto Doctors Without Borders or aid workers. Let's redefine scandal. Scandal is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-wilde/i-d-like-to-refocus-everyone-s-attention-away-from-the-kardashians/) [Olivia Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-wilde/) > [The cholera most forcibly teaches us our mutual connection. Nothing shows more powerfully the duty of every man to look after the needs of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/titus-salt/the-cholera-most-forcibly-teaches-us-our-mutual-connection-nothing/) [Titus Salt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/titus-salt/) > [Nothing one does in bed is immoral if it helps to perpetuate love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/nothing-one-does-in-bed-is-immoral-if-it-helps-to-perpetuate-love/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [My cholera's acting up again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/my-cholera-s-acting-up-again/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [This is an industry that doesn't have the common cold... It has cholera.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emanuel-azenberg/this-is-an-industry-that-doesn-t-have-the-common-cold-it-has-cholera/) [Emanuel Azenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emanuel-azenberg/) > [Love isn't actually a feeling at all--it's an illness, a certain condition of body and soul… Usually it takes possession of someone without his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-turgenev/love-isn-t-actually-a-feeling-at-all-it-s-an-illness-a-certain/) [Ivan Turgenev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-turgenev/) > [“The circumstances of everyday life were too demanding-and in American's great cities, appalling.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-e-rosenberg/the-circumstances-of-everyday-life-were-too-demanding-and-in-american/) [Charles E. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-e-rosenberg/) > [He repeated until his dying day that there was no one with more common sense, no stonecutter more obstinate, no manager more lucid or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/he-repeated-until-his-dying-day-that-there-was-no-one-with-more/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“Każdy z literatów pomyślał co innego. Berlioz: „Nie, to jednak cudzoziemiec!”, a Bezdomny: „O, cholera!...”.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-bulgakov/ka-dy-z-literat-w-pomy-la-co-innego-berlioz-nie-to-jednak/) [Mikhail Bulgakov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-bulgakov/) > [I have waited for this opportunity for more than half a century, to repeat to you once again my vow of eternal fidelity and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/i-have-waited-for-this-opportunity-for-more-than-half-a-century-to/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“He killed more men than the cholera.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/he-killed-more-men-than-the-cholera/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“All that was needed was a shrewd questioning, first of the patient and then of his mother, to conclude once again that the symptoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/all-that-was-needed-was-a-shrewd-questioning-first-of-the-patient-and/) [Gabriel Garcia Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) [Browse all 66 Cholera quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cholera/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“As the prisoners’ commanding officer and senior medical officer, Dorrigo Evans reported to Major Nakamura that four men had died the day before, two overnight, and that this left eight hundred and thirty-eight POWs. 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