BRITISH MAJOR ON TRIAL

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24981, 16 September 1946, Page 6

BRITISH MAJOR ON TRIAL

CHARGE OF AIDING ENEMY (NJZ. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 13. Major Cecil Boon, R.A.S.C., on the sixteenth day of the court-martial before which he is charged with assisting the enemy, gave evidence on five of the 11 original charges on which the court had found that there was a prima facie case against him. Boon answered counsel’s questions all day. He said that General Maltby, the camp’s commander for the first four months, and his senior officers had not protested against the Japanese orders for prisoners. The Japanese accused a colonel, who later protested, against signing undertakings that prisoners would not attempt to escape, of leading a mutiny, and on General Maltby’s advice there was a mass signing of the undertakings. About 100 who refused were taken to Stanley Prison. When they were brought back only a halfdozen persisted in the refusal, the last of whom signed after eight days. One of the resisters told the witness that such refusals should not be made beyond the point where prisoners were taken from the camp because of the terrible treatment they then received. Major Boon said that after General Maltby was transferred the Japanese commandant ordered him to be liaison officer, telling him that all orders would come from the Japanese and not from British officers. The Japanese had told him that he must pass on the orders, see that they were carried out, and report to them if they were not. He told the Japanese that he would find it difficult to control a camp of nearly 6000 men, because he was inexperienced, and the Japanese retorted that he would not have to control them as the Japanese do it. After two prisoners escaped, he was shown their bodies. The Japanese warned him that that was the fate of all who tried to escape, or to oppose Japanese orders. He was told that no protests were possible under Japanese military law about the treatment of prisoners, and he could not argue rights or wrongs or ask for cause or reason. The Japanese assaulted him several times. He received his orders from the Japanese commandant daily. The hearing was adjourned.