Around 2am on August 5, 1944, captured Japanese fighter pilot, Hajime Toyoshima, bellowed through the bugle that signified to his fellow prisoners it was time to breakout. That bugle, is now proudly on display at the Australian War Memorial as part of it's collection. It serves as a stark reminder of those dark days but also as evidence of how far both nations have come. Made by Boosey and Hawkes Limited in London before World War II, it's real origins and how Toyoshima got it, remain a mystery even to this day. We do know it was recovered by camp commander Major Edward Timms, who bequeathed it to his widow Alma around the time of his passing in 1978. Toyoshima was apprehended by a local Tiwi man after crashing his Mitsubishi Zero on Melville Island. You can see the famous bugle for yourself at the Cowra Regional Art Gallery as part of the current Cowra Breakout 80th Anniversary Heritage Display.
