CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk Provided by DigitalCommons@Macalester College Macalester College DigitalCommons@Macalester College Book Chapters Captive Audiences/Captive Performers 2014 Chapter 14. “Somebody Had to Put a Skirt On”: Female Impersonators Sears Eldredge Macalester College Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/thdabooks Recommended Citation Eldredge, Sears, "Chapter 14. “Somebody Had to Put a Skirt On”: Female Impersonators" (2014). Book Chapters. 6. http://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/thdabooks/6 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Captive Audiences/Captive Performers at DigitalCommons@Macalester College. It has been accepted for inclusion in Book Chapters by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Macalester College. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. 516 Chapter 14: “Somebody Had to Put a Skirt On” Female Impersonators Though all the musical and theatrical producers and performers gained special recognition and status as “precious personalities”1 in the hospital and relocation camps in Thailand, none were more precious to the POWs than the female impersonators. In Tamarkan, there was Ted Weller, Jack Farmer, “Poodles” Norley, Sid “Happy” Marshall, Jack Turner, Vilhelm Vanderdeken, and “Sambal Sue”; in Nong Pladuk, Basil Ferron, Ronnie Parr, Michael Curtis, and “Skippy.” Chungkai had Douglas Morris, John “Nellie” Wallace, “Jackie” Steenhuizen, Puck Jonkmans, Dick Lucas, Custance Baker, Pat Donovan, Freddie Thompson, and Bobby Spong; Nakhon Pathom claimed Ken Adams, Jack Chalker, Ken Cornish, and, later, Vilhelm Vanderdeken. In Kanburi, “Popsey” Saunders, “Blondie” Weightman, Syd “Sylvia” Ray, Len Cheetham and “Pamela” Webber graced the stage. Following the changeover to the officers’ camp in 1945, John Durnford and Freddie Thompson joined their ranks.