More than 30,00 Australians became prisoners of war between 1940 and 1945. The Australians were captured by the Germans and Italians during the Mediterranean and Middle East campaign. They were also captured in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. Out of 8,000 Australians taken, 265 died while kept in captivity. The results of the Pacific war were much worse. The Japanese captured over 22,000 Australians, and only 13,872 of the prisoners were recovered, all the rest had died. Tragically, over 1,000 people died when Allied submarines torpedoed the unmarked Japanese ships that were carrying the Australians that were captured. Those who were captured were soldiers, sailors, airmen, and nurses for the war were all taken, as well as some civilians. They were kept in camps through out Japan ruled territories such as, Borneo, Korea, Manchuria, Hainan, Rabaul, Ambon, Singapore, Timor, Java, Thailand, Burma and Vietnam as well as Japan itself.
Here is some of the places that prisoners were kept and what happened to them while they were held in captivity;
Ambon
- In October 1942 the prisoners were divided into 2 groups, one group was transported to Hainan Island on the 5 of November, 1942 and kept at a camp their. 81 of them died.
- The other group was kept at Ambon.
Borneo
- British and Australians put on a ship from Changi to Borneo.
- Contained 500 British prisoners who disembarked at Kuching.
- Contained 500 Australia prisoners were sent to Berhala Islands.
- Borneo had 4 camps.
- First camp forced to march to Ranau in 1945.
- Second camp forced to march to Ranau later on in 1945.
- Out of 2,500 Australian and British prisoners of war that were made to march the ‘death march’, only 6 survived.
Burma – Thailand Railway
- 9,500 Australian prisoners worked on this railway.
- Building commenced at each end of the railway.
- 2,646 Australians died while working here.
- Completed on October 16th, 1943.
The Japanese and Germans were just plain horrible. The way the Australians were treated would disgust you. They were repeatedly beaten, over and over. Sometimes to death. They were spat on, as well as urinated on. The prisoners were bearly fed either. They were starved for punishment, or even just for the pleasure of the Japanese. Due to the starving, prisoners were stick thin with ribs, hip bones, spine and all different types of bones jabbing at their skin. It was brutal and something none of the Australian or British prisoners deserved.