ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXIV, Issue 241, 8 September 1944, Page 5

ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE

| JAPANESE PRISONERS AUSTRALIAjfcAJIP ATTACK (Press Assn.) WELLINGTON, Sept. B.;' In darkness, at 2 o'clock in the morning on August 5, over 900"' Japanese prisoners of war in a camp in Australia made an unpro- • voked attack upon their guard, states a message received by the Prime Minister and Minister of External Affairs (Mr Eraser) from the Minister of External Affairs in Canberra. The total casualties sustained by the, Japanese prisoners of war were oneofficer killed and 230 other ranks killed or died of wounds'or died by suicide, also one officer and 107 other ranks' wounded. The casualties of Australian personnel fortunately were light. The Japanese had armed themselves with mess knives, baseball clubs, and other improvised weapons. They first set.their sleeping huts alight ans then rushed the fences of the camp. The had prepared themselves with extra clothing, gloves and padding for surmounting- or passing through wire fences. Those who escaped into an internal camp road endeavoured to break out of the gate at each end of the camp.

Large numbers who escaped through the outer defences of the camp attacked and killed an Australian machine-gun crew and attempted to storm the garrison quarters. These attacks were met by fire from the Australian guards, who showed excellent discipline and re-

straint throughout the incident

As a result of these events a substantial number of Japanese were killed or wounded.

The prisoners who escaped after the. attack had failed were subsequently recaptured—all but a small number by nightfall on the day. of their escape. The statement received by Mr i'ra-'j ser adds that during the search for the escapees an Australian officer was" brutally murdered by, a party of Japanese.

Eighteen out of 20 sleeping huts and two administration huts in' the, camp were burnt to the ground. In the burnt huts the incinerated bodies of Japanese were found. Many other Japanese committed suicide or were killed by their comrades inside and outside the camp. FINDINGS AT INQUIRY.

A military Court of Inquiry was immediately appointed to investigate th« matter and its report is summarised as follows:

(1) That the conditions at the camp were fully in accordance with the provisions of the International Convention, that the accommodation and rations for the Japanese were provided •, on the same scale as for Australian, troops, and that the camp was at all times open for inspection by the pro*-; teeting Power and the International Red Cross delegates (such an inspee-. tion had'been made at frequent inter-' vals).

(2; That no complaints as to treatment had been made by or on behalf of the Japanese prior to the mutiny';' that the mutiny was carried out according to a premeditated, concerted plan formulated by the Japanese and put into effect following a meeting; secretly held in the camp' at midnight.

(3) That the action of the Australian garrison in successfully resisting the attack averted a greater loss of life; that the firing ceased as soon a 3 control of the camp was assured, and that adequate arrangements were made for the treatment of the wounded, many of whom have since recovered. ,'

(4) Of 231 Japanese it was found that 20 died by hanging or strangulation inflicted by the Japanese on themselves and on one another, nine by suicide from stabbing, two by suicide under a train, five from a combination of self-inflicted wounds and gunshot wounds, and 12 from causes unknown, but whose bodies were found ; in the huts burnt by the Japanese'. " Sixteen of the wounded showed evid-, ence of attempted suicide. ' • The extensive preparations made by the Japanese for the commencement!, of the mutiny during the hours of darkness and other attendant circumstances prove beyond all doubt that the onus for the incident rests entirely on the prisoners of war themselves and that it was their intention to engage in suicidal combat with their guards. In accordance with the recognised practice,- the Australian Government furnished a report on the mutiny to representatives of the protecting Power for transmission to the Japanese Government.