James C. Hughes' POW cup

Aluminum cup belonging to Colonel James C. Hughes while he was held by the Japanese as prisoner of war during World War II. Hughes recorded in his journal that he took the cup from another prisoner who had passed away at the camp. Prisoners had to find their own utensils before they could eat or drink.

As a Kansas, Colonel James C. Hughes is among a select number of soldiers who served in a major military expedition and two world wars. As a photographer he documented his time at the Mexican border in 1916 and in Europe in 1919 taking more than 600 images. As a Japanese prisoner of war in World War II, Hughes kept a daily diary and, upon liberation, brought home items from his imprisonment. He and his family donated most of these items to the Kansas Museum of History.

More information at: https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/james-clark-hughes/19881