GD1/136 Drawings of Stanley Gimson

Collection Summary

Reference Code: GB239 GD1/136

Title: Drawings of Stanley Gimson

Dates of Creation of Material: 1960s

Level of Description: Fonds

Extent and Medium of the Unit of Description: 1 item

 

Name of creator(s): Stanley Gimson

Administrative history: George Stanley Gimson was born in Glasgow on September 6, 1915 . He joined the Territorial Army on November 15, 1938, and was commissioned in January 1941. He was taken prisoner by the Japanese at the fall of Singapore while serving as a lieutenant in the 1st Indian Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Indian Artillery.

In October 1942 he was sent from Singapore to one of the worst camps on the Thailand-Burma Railway. Gimson was a gifted draughtsman and his sketches in pen and ink of camp scenes and prisoner-of-war life are surpassed in quality only by those of Ronald Searle.

After the war he studied law at Glasgow University, in part as a result of attending classes in law given by some of the other prisoners of war during their captivity, and he then trained to become an advocate. He was called to the Scottish Bar in 1949 and had a distinguished career. He was made Sheriff Principal of Aberdeen, Kincardine and Banff in 1972.

His compassionate interest in others was shown in his involvement with the board of management of what was then Edinburgh Central Hospitals, 1960-70. He became chairman in 1964, and was made vice-chairman of Edinburgh Royal Victoria hospitals in 1970-74. He was chairman of the Royal Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, 1972-76.

He died on August 30, 2003, aged 87.

They are copies of items held by the Imperial War Museum.

Archival History: Acquired by the Board of Management of Royal Edinburgh Hospital for Sick Children. Transferred by the Pathology Department at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

Immediate Source of Acquisition or Transfer: Anne Wright, Pathology Department, RIE – Acc 09/09.

Scope and Content: copies of two drawings of an operating theatre in a Japanese prisoner of war camp.

Conditions Governing Access: None

Conditions Governing Reproduction: copies of items held by Imperial War Museum.  LHSA presumably does not hold copyright.

Language/Scripts of Material: English

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements:

Finding Aids: Item level catalogue is available as PDF

Rules or Conventions: Description based on ISAD(G): General International Standard Archival Description International Council on Archives (2nd edition), 2000

Date(s) of Description: January 2011