V.C. BEHEADED
SAMURAI SWORD USED
MELBOURNE. September t The Japanese at Salamaua, New Guinea, beheaded Flight Lieutenant William Newton, V.C., with a Samurai sword. Newton's execution, it is now revealed for the first time, occurred in March, 1943, 11 days after his plane crashed. Newton's remains were identified after the Allies had captured Salamaua, and were buried in. the Air Force cemetery there. In October, 1943, the Government announced that Allied troops had found evidence that an R.A.A.F. officer had been beheaded, but did not identify the victim as Newton. The Japanese held Newton prisoner for 11 days, during which the authorities believe he was inhumanly tortured and finally be- | headed. Newton was awarded the V.C. before the authorities knew the Japanese had beheaded him. His remarkable divebombing exploits earned him the decoration. The award was announced posthumously only because of routine delays in making such announcements. The Commonwealth Government has cabled to the Dominions Office its dissatisfaction that no Japanese war criminals have been arrested, and ask 3 that action be taken immediately. Officials of the External Affairs Department stated that Australia would not be satisfied unless action was taken immediately to arrest every Japaiiese who had been named as a war criminal or a suspected war criminal.
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Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 55, 3 September 1945, Page 5
Word Count
209V.C. BEHEADED Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 55, 3 September 1945, Page 5
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