ASIA: AUSTRALIAN PRISONERS OF WAR
By Xena Dakkak
Australian Prisoners of Japan in Asia
In 1939 Australia was at war against Nazi Germany along with the allies in addition later on Germany, Italy and Japan signed a pact in order to create “a new order in Europe” and a “Greater East Asia”. The Australian POW’s of the Japanese in Asia started off with Japan joining the war on December 1941. The three AIF divisions who were troops of the best experienced troops however the three divisions were in North Africa and the Middle East battling for several campaigns with the allies. It was Australia’s anticipation that Britain would help Australia if Japan happened to join the war but Britain couldn’t because it was trying to defend its own soldiers therefore it was unable to aid with services. Australia didn’t have enough supplies and weapons to defend itself so initially Australia felt threatened.
On the 8th of December 1941 Japan made attacks in the Pacific. The Japanese troops were beginning to invade the British Malaya, they proceeded on to Singapore. America also became involved in the war from the other Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbour, Hawaii. Australia decided from that day to not just rely on the help of Britain but to build its own connections between countries as proclaimed by the newly appointed Australian Prime Minister, John Curtin. The Japanese troops took the British forces off guard by attacking through the swamps and jungles of British Malaya. The British forces were anticipating the Japanese to advance through Singapore’s seas so all their defences were at the sea and strong; consequently it was an easy attack for the Japanese as they worked fast.
Intrusion on Singapore took place on the 9th of December 1941. RAF fields in Singapore were attacked by the Japanese, as a result the majority of the aeroplanes at the front-line. Two British battleships were sunk by Japanese torpedo bombers, subsequently the defence of Singapore were all over the place. There were 90000 of British, Australian and Indian men in Singapore who had never fought or experienced fighting however the Japanese were the complete opposite. They used bicycles to get by quicker; they would kill the allied soldiers and even those who surrendered. The bystanders who tried to aid the allied soldiers would be punished and later brought to death. Australians were no match to their violence.
On the 15th of February 1942, Singapore surrendered and allied troops as well as 15000 Australian troops were taken as POW’s of the Japanese. The Australian POW’s were spread in different camps around Singapore with different experiences. Many of the prisoners were sent around Asia from the Singapore POW camps to Burma-Thailand Railway, Korea and Japan.
Changi:
In the prisoner of war camp Changi in Singapore, it was overflowing with more prisoners than what the camp can hold so many Australians slept outside with the permission of the Japanese. The soldiers in the camp were allowed to be ordered by their British and Australian officers, to keep ethics, sanitation and health.
The diet of the Australian prisoners was really strict, they were restricted to only small amounts of certain foods including rice, flour, meat and vegetables with only minute amounts of sugar, salt and fats. Many of the Australian prisoners were foreign to the idea of cooking rice. The prisoners were told that they could gain their own food so they made vegetable gardens to provide food however their choices and surroundings were limited. The prisoners were even allowed to entertain themselves and have educational classes within the POW camps amongst themselves.
They were also put to work in different fields such as unloading ships, filling shell craters and stacking food. Any man who escaped would be executed in those camps. There was more and more types of work as time went, the hot climate, high demand of labour and long working hours was hard on the prisoners. A lot of Australians in Changi were sent to different parts of Asia to work on the railway.
The Australian prisoners were malnourished by lack of nutrients and vitamins due to the lack of nutrients and vitamins in their food. Soon diseases broke out from bad sanitation and the environment such as Malaria.
Once Japan surrendered on August, 1945 the allied and the Australian prisoners were set free from the Changi POW camp. Changi wasn’t as bad as the other prisoner camps in Singapore and wasn’t as feared since they did allow a bit of choice.
Outram Road Gaol:
Outram Road Gaol was a harsh place in Singapore where the Australian POW's were sent for their wrong doings. Compared to the Changi POW camp, the experience was brutal and the Japanese showed no mercy to the prisoners. If an Australian prisoner broke the rules such as helping a prisoner they would have to face severe punishment, hunger and malnutrition. Many of the prisoners at the Outram Road Gaol died and for the little amount of prisoners that survived, they were scarred both mentally and physically.
Burma-Thailand Railway:
The Japanese decided to construct a railway in preparation of occupying India, so many of the Australian prisoners at the Changi POW camp in Singapore were sent to Burma and Thailand. 12000 Australians were ordered to build this railway from 1942 to 1943 and to complete the construction in August 1943. However to the prisoners this task was too big for the deadline. There were many requirements for the railway such as clearing rain forest area, moving heavy amounts of land with their bare hands and they had to work for 24 hours, switching every shift.
The Australians obliged and did their job well, however they were subject to the disease Malaria and they suffered the horrific symptoms of it. Their sanitation and health was gradually deteriorating. Many of the Australian prisoners were starving to death by not getting enough nutrients and working so hard for so long. The rice and meat that the prisoners ate was rotten so they were drastically harming their body. There were maggots growing on dead bodies and prisoners were gaining ulcers on their bodies as well as infections that couldn't be medically treated. Working on the railway was becoming extremely difficult. The prisoners were getting diarrhoea, bowel diseases, dehydrated and even their mind state was unstable.
Health wasn't the only worry to the Australian prisoners working on the railway. The Japanese treated the prisoners in a vile manner. They were hit in many places even those who were sick were hit till they were bruised. On the 16th of October of October 1943, the construction of the Railway was completed. 2646 Australian prisoners died at the Burma-Thailand Railway. Those who survived were sent back to Singapore when the Japanese surrendered.
In 1939 Australia was at war against Nazi Germany along with the allies in addition later on Germany, Italy and Japan signed a pact in order to create “a new order in Europe” and a “Greater East Asia”. The Australian POW’s of the Japanese in Asia started off with Japan joining the war on December 1941. The three AIF divisions who were troops of the best experienced troops however the three divisions were in North Africa and the Middle East battling for several campaigns with the allies. It was Australia’s anticipation that Britain would help Australia if Japan happened to join the war but Britain couldn’t because it was trying to defend its own soldiers therefore it was unable to aid with services. Australia didn’t have enough supplies and weapons to defend itself so initially Australia felt threatened.
On the 8th of December 1941 Japan made attacks in the Pacific. The Japanese troops were beginning to invade the British Malaya, they proceeded on to Singapore. America also became involved in the war from the other Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbour, Hawaii. Australia decided from that day to not just rely on the help of Britain but to build its own connections between countries as proclaimed by the newly appointed Australian Prime Minister, John Curtin. The Japanese troops took the British forces off guard by attacking through the swamps and jungles of British Malaya. The British forces were anticipating the Japanese to advance through Singapore’s seas so all their defences were at the sea and strong; consequently it was an easy attack for the Japanese as they worked fast.
Intrusion on Singapore took place on the 9th of December 1941. RAF fields in Singapore were attacked by the Japanese, as a result the majority of the aeroplanes at the front-line. Two British battleships were sunk by Japanese torpedo bombers, subsequently the defence of Singapore were all over the place. There were 90000 of British, Australian and Indian men in Singapore who had never fought or experienced fighting however the Japanese were the complete opposite. They used bicycles to get by quicker; they would kill the allied soldiers and even those who surrendered. The bystanders who tried to aid the allied soldiers would be punished and later brought to death. Australians were no match to their violence.
On the 15th of February 1942, Singapore surrendered and allied troops as well as 15000 Australian troops were taken as POW’s of the Japanese. The Australian POW’s were spread in different camps around Singapore with different experiences. Many of the prisoners were sent around Asia from the Singapore POW camps to Burma-Thailand Railway, Korea and Japan.
Changi:
In the prisoner of war camp Changi in Singapore, it was overflowing with more prisoners than what the camp can hold so many Australians slept outside with the permission of the Japanese. The soldiers in the camp were allowed to be ordered by their British and Australian officers, to keep ethics, sanitation and health.
The diet of the Australian prisoners was really strict, they were restricted to only small amounts of certain foods including rice, flour, meat and vegetables with only minute amounts of sugar, salt and fats. Many of the Australian prisoners were foreign to the idea of cooking rice. The prisoners were told that they could gain their own food so they made vegetable gardens to provide food however their choices and surroundings were limited. The prisoners were even allowed to entertain themselves and have educational classes within the POW camps amongst themselves.
They were also put to work in different fields such as unloading ships, filling shell craters and stacking food. Any man who escaped would be executed in those camps. There was more and more types of work as time went, the hot climate, high demand of labour and long working hours was hard on the prisoners. A lot of Australians in Changi were sent to different parts of Asia to work on the railway.
The Australian prisoners were malnourished by lack of nutrients and vitamins due to the lack of nutrients and vitamins in their food. Soon diseases broke out from bad sanitation and the environment such as Malaria.
Once Japan surrendered on August, 1945 the allied and the Australian prisoners were set free from the Changi POW camp. Changi wasn’t as bad as the other prisoner camps in Singapore and wasn’t as feared since they did allow a bit of choice.
Outram Road Gaol:
Outram Road Gaol was a harsh place in Singapore where the Australian POW's were sent for their wrong doings. Compared to the Changi POW camp, the experience was brutal and the Japanese showed no mercy to the prisoners. If an Australian prisoner broke the rules such as helping a prisoner they would have to face severe punishment, hunger and malnutrition. Many of the prisoners at the Outram Road Gaol died and for the little amount of prisoners that survived, they were scarred both mentally and physically.
Burma-Thailand Railway:
The Japanese decided to construct a railway in preparation of occupying India, so many of the Australian prisoners at the Changi POW camp in Singapore were sent to Burma and Thailand. 12000 Australians were ordered to build this railway from 1942 to 1943 and to complete the construction in August 1943. However to the prisoners this task was too big for the deadline. There were many requirements for the railway such as clearing rain forest area, moving heavy amounts of land with their bare hands and they had to work for 24 hours, switching every shift.
The Australians obliged and did their job well, however they were subject to the disease Malaria and they suffered the horrific symptoms of it. Their sanitation and health was gradually deteriorating. Many of the Australian prisoners were starving to death by not getting enough nutrients and working so hard for so long. The rice and meat that the prisoners ate was rotten so they were drastically harming their body. There were maggots growing on dead bodies and prisoners were gaining ulcers on their bodies as well as infections that couldn't be medically treated. Working on the railway was becoming extremely difficult. The prisoners were getting diarrhoea, bowel diseases, dehydrated and even their mind state was unstable.
Health wasn't the only worry to the Australian prisoners working on the railway. The Japanese treated the prisoners in a vile manner. They were hit in many places even those who were sick were hit till they were bruised. On the 16th of October of October 1943, the construction of the Railway was completed. 2646 Australian prisoners died at the Burma-Thailand Railway. Those who survived were sent back to Singapore when the Japanese surrendered.
Source 1: "Allied prisoners of war engaged in bridge building at Tamarkan."
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/118879/
This source is a primary source it was a photograph taken in the Burma-Thailand Railway of the bridge built at Tamarkan in February 1943. This photo is showing the allied POW's building the bridge therefore portrays that the allied POW's obliged to orders of the Japanese.
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/118879/
This source is a primary source it was a photograph taken in the Burma-Thailand Railway of the bridge built at Tamarkan in February 1943. This photo is showing the allied POW's building the bridge therefore portrays that the allied POW's obliged to orders of the Japanese.
Japan and Korea:
In Japan approximately 3000 Australians were POW's of the Japanese. In 1942 until 1945 the prisoners were beginning to be sent off to Japan and Korea. At the Korean POW camps Australians were treated fairly well and got to eat a few things. However in Japan the treatment of Australian women in the POW camps was quite harsh but they stayed alive. The Australian women were set to work in labour jobs. In July 1942, 19 Australians were taken to Japan consisting of 19 women who were kept in the prisoner camp of Totsuka and Australian officers were sent to work at Nisi Asi-Betu in coalmines.
In November 1942, 563 Australians were sent to Japan from the Changi POW camp in Singapore. Then later in April 1943 another group of Australians were sent to Japan with 200 men and finally in May on the same year, 300 Australians arrived in Japan. There was also the survivors of the construction of the Burma-Thailand railway, 2250 Australians from Java and Timor as well as more Australians from Singapore with 1000 prisoners. The Australian prisoners were split up around Japan into different POW camps. Just like the experiences at the Burma-Thailand Railway, Australians were exhausted from their long shifts, malnourished and suffered from environmental sicknesses such as pneumonia (extreme cold weather).
Between 1944 to 1945, the allied forces were doing air raids over Japan. Then on the 6th of August 1945, Hiroshima in Japan was subject to atomic bombing by the allies and that was what ended World War 2.
In Japan approximately 3000 Australians were POW's of the Japanese. In 1942 until 1945 the prisoners were beginning to be sent off to Japan and Korea. At the Korean POW camps Australians were treated fairly well and got to eat a few things. However in Japan the treatment of Australian women in the POW camps was quite harsh but they stayed alive. The Australian women were set to work in labour jobs. In July 1942, 19 Australians were taken to Japan consisting of 19 women who were kept in the prisoner camp of Totsuka and Australian officers were sent to work at Nisi Asi-Betu in coalmines.
In November 1942, 563 Australians were sent to Japan from the Changi POW camp in Singapore. Then later in April 1943 another group of Australians were sent to Japan with 200 men and finally in May on the same year, 300 Australians arrived in Japan. There was also the survivors of the construction of the Burma-Thailand railway, 2250 Australians from Java and Timor as well as more Australians from Singapore with 1000 prisoners. The Australian prisoners were split up around Japan into different POW camps. Just like the experiences at the Burma-Thailand Railway, Australians were exhausted from their long shifts, malnourished and suffered from environmental sicknesses such as pneumonia (extreme cold weather).
Between 1944 to 1945, the allied forces were doing air raids over Japan. Then on the 6th of August 1945, Hiroshima in Japan was subject to atomic bombing by the allies and that was what ended World War 2.