Japs Failed To Terrorise Men Of A.I.F.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 215, 11 September 1945, Page 4

Japs Failed To Terrorise Men Of A.I.F.

RANGOON, Sept. 7. A TERRIBLE story of torture, ■*"* starvation and brutality by the Japanese is told by LieutenantColonel J. M. Williams, of Sefton, New South Wales, commanding the Second Pioneer Battalion, A.1.P., who arrived to-day at Rangoon from Bangkok, reports G. O. W. Harriott, Sydney Morning Herald war corespondent.

Lieutenant-Colonel Williams, who was captured in Java on March 9, 1942—and his men worked on the notorious "death railway" from Burma to Thailand.

Williams, in spite of his terrible experiences, looked fit and is only 101b under his usual weight.

"There were three A.I.F. battalions fighting on the west coast of Java against five Japanese divisions,, said Williams.

"We succeeded in beating off three strong enemy attacks, thereby covering the withdrawal of Dutch troops from Batavia and Buitenzorg.

"We then took to the hills, but, lacking food and ammunition, were forced to surrender.

"One company of my battalion, howeyer, was still fighting ip the hills in June. Some of them were later captured and others were killed by Java natives.

"I was taken to Batavia for interrogation with 12 other Australian officers. We gave our numbers, ranks and names, and refused demands for other information.

I Lure of House and Servant "During a month in Batavia gaol I was tortured continuously. First, they starved me for five days, then took me into a room with tables loaded with food and beer. They told me that if I talked I would eat and drink and would also be allowed to live in a house in Batavia with a servant. "I refused, and the torture then began in earnest. "I was held down and water poured down my throat until I felt my lungs would burst. "I was tied to a chair, blindfolded, and the Japanese then kicked the chair round the room. "They twisted my feet inwards and burnt my soles with cigarette butts. . "After 30 days of this I was taken outside and blindfolded. The Japanese drew revolvers and told me it was my last chance to talk. "When I still refused they gave up and I was taken from the gaol. "Other officers underwent the same treatment. Some had a pencil worked up and down between their fingers, until the bone was exposed. All were ultimately released from the gaol. "I do not know the name of the Japanese Gestapo colonel who was responsible for this treatment, but I could pick him out of a thousand. "From Java I and survivors of my battalion were taken to Burma, and from October, 1942, to October, 1943, we worked on the Burma-Thailand railway. . . . "I think only those blessed with a sense of humour could have come through what we went through alive and sane. We had no clothes, and were clad mostly only in a G-string. "We frequently worked 36 hours at a stretch, then were given four or five hours' rest, and taken out to work again.

Beaten and Kicked "We were beaten continuously with steel rods, bamboo sticks, or anything that was lying round, also kicked and cuffed. "One man who bent a spike had his jaw broken with a rifle butt by a Korean guard. "We were on starvation rations most of the time. I figure each man ate about nine 2201b bags of rice in the three and a half-years' captivity. Rarely, we were given a little meat. "We eked out the meagre rations by collecting jungle grass and leaves and boiling them. "Some prisoners, extremely hungry, ate rats and dogs. ! "We had to move forward each day. It was always raining. We were always soaked.

"Everyone had malaria except me; most of them had it 40 to 60 times. We had very little medicine to combat it, but in 1944 some American Red Cross supplies reached us, which saved many lives.

. "Our own doctors looked after our sick. All the Japanese doctors did was to inspect the sick and decide who was fit to work.

"Our guards, Koreans, were very cruel and brutal. Laughing was forbidden, so were singing and whistling. If three men were caught talking together they were considered to be plotting to escape and severely beaten. «

"The Japanese even tore maps of Palestine at the time of the Old Testament from our Bibles. They thought we might use them to escape. Some men tried to escape, but all were betrayed by the Burmese, caught and shot.

Secret Listening to 8.8.C. "Throughout captivity we managed to get- news from the outside world., While in Batavia we scrounged some valves and telephone batteries, from which our wireless mechanics constructed two wireless sets. These two sets gave news from the 8.8.C. short-wave service to 1500 men.

"The penalty for listening was death. Of five British officers caught with a wireless set three .were beaten to death on. the spot, and the other two were never heard of again. "It was not until August 16 that a Japanese order was issued to us stating: 'Japan has declared peace.' Even then we knew about it before the Japanese soldiers, because when we burst into cheers on hearing the news the Japanese guards wanted to know what it was all about. "We were then ordered to march to a new camp 47 kilometres away. We refused. It was the first time we ever successfully defied a Japanese order. Confident of Victory "Throughout the whole of captivity I did not know an Australian who ever doubted we would win in the end. "I brought out with me a list of about 20 war criminals. Other camp commandants have done the same. As a matter of fact, most, of the enemy we had dealings with should be classed as war criminals.' . .