FREED CAPTIVES’ ACCOUNTS

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 192, 12 May 1944, Page 5

FREED CAPTIVES’ ACCOUNTS

Appalling Japanese Atrocities

(By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (Special Australian Correspondent.) (Received May 11, 10.35 p.m.) SYDNEY, May 11.

Chinese who aided Australian guerrillas in Malaya were crucified by Japanese, who nailed them to palm trees with iron spikes driven through their foreheads. This and other appalling atrocities inflicted by the Japanese- have been revealed by Indian prisoners rescued by’ American forces after their invasions of Hollandia (Dutch New Guinea) and the Admiralty Islands. Prisoners rescued at these two places numbered 621, including 462 members of a Sikh regiment captured at Singapore. Sixty-nine of the Indians were found on the Admiralty Islands and 393 at Hollandia. One hundred and fifty-nine prisoners of other’nationalities were also rescued at Hollandia. Those freed included Australians. Americans, Dutch, Chinese, Filipinos, Poles and Czechoslovaks. At Aitape, British New Guinea. 68 Javanese prisoners were rescued. The announcement of the recapture of Allied prisoners is stated briefly in General MacArthur’s communique today: “We were herded along the road like cattle during the 18 days’ march from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur,” said Jemadar Shingara Singb,. of the Sikh Regiment, telling how he had seen crucified Chinese. “Japanese tried to malic us shave off our beards. When they gave us meat it was always unclean. On our way to Manus Island 35 Sikhs died and were thrown qverboard. At Manus we had to dig slit trenches for the Japanese, but were left entirely unprotected ourselves.” 11l Men Put to Death.

Lance-Corporal Naik Gurman Singh told how 15 Sikhs who became ill were put to death by Japanese at Rabattl. The Japanese apparently decided against wasting time and medical supplies on sick men, who were given injections, after which they died. Subadar Gulzara Singn said: “I was captured at Singapore with a number of other Indian troops. We were separated from our officers and put into coolie camps. We were made to work like slaves. The Japanese showed no respect for us. Frequently we were slapped and abused and very seldom received any food from our guards. The Chinese were often kind to us, but at great risk. Those found helping us were tortured and killed. On the ship which took us to the Admiral-ties-we were herded below decks like eattle —two thousand or us were allowed out on the hatchways once a day. and usually became the sport of the Japanese soldiers, who inflicted indescribable indignities upon us from the decks above.” Had to Sleep in Rain. A nursing orderly, Mohd Afsar. of the Fifteenth Indian General Hospital, -was taken to Rabaul. “Men were beaten with ■sticks and rifle butts,” he said. "Very few of us had ground sheets and the rest had to sleep in the open in pouring rain. Many became ill through exposure and the bites of insects. Medical treatment when it was given at all was rough and crude.” The Indians rescued by the Americans were the first troops captured by the Japanese in Malaya and at Singapore. Prior to release they had been used as a labour corps by their captors. Other released prisoners. telling stories of Japanese cruelty, said that men. weakened by a diet consisting almost wholly of rice, were beaten by the guards to maintain the fast working pace sot by the foremen. No treatment was provided prisoners stricken by malaria or dysentery. The Japanese, however, seemed unable to control malaria among their own troops. One Indian sergeant estimated that 50 per cent, of the Japanese in the Hollandia area had been malarial casualties.

The Indians fought on the right flank of the Australian Eighth Division before they were captured on February 14. 1942. When they left Singapore captured Australians were working oh the roads. Japjtuese casualties since the Hollandia Aitape landings on April 22. now total 1502 killed and 290 prisoners. Details are: Hollandia, 977 killed. 259 captured; Aitape, 525 killed. 31 captured.