IN HIGH SPIRITS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 31 August 1945, Page 5

IN HIGH SPIRITS

PRISONERS FROM BANGKOK PARTY BROUGHT BY AIK TO RANGOON TERRIBLE STORIES OE ATROCITIES London, Aug. 29 Nearly 100 prisoners, including British, Australians. Americans and Dutcn were brought by air to Ra .goon from Bangkok. Many were thin and bearded, but all se«*med in high spirits. They told tcnible stories of Japanese atrocities and deaths caused by disease because of lack of medical equipment. Australians in the party said some Australians sweated and toiled buildirg the Moulmein-Bangkok railway. Tlley added that in the past few days the Japanese had led them like fight•ng cocks giving them eggs, which they had not seen for years, and chicken. LIBERATION DAY FOR PRISONERS? 1 wo prisoner of war teams were among the first airborne troops to land at Atsugi, with orders to enter prison camps and expedite the transfer of internees to Atsugi for shipment to Manila. Seventy such teams will do likewise as the oc cupatiou preceeds. They have set 40 days hence as liberation day for 123.000 British and Australian. 25,000 Dutch and 20.000 American prisoners. Super-Fortresses totalling 134 continued mercy missions to-day, carrying 1.072,000 pounds of supplies to prisoners of war in the Tokio, Sendai, Osaka, Hiroshima, Hakodate, Fukuoka, Formosa, Korea and Mukden areas, Tokio radio said packages dropped from planes instantly killed four prisoners of war on Tuesday at Hanyoka, north-east Japan. ’ NOT A BLACKER HELLHOLE” The commander of the hospital ship. Benevolent, said: "There has never been a blacker hellhole than the prisoner of war hospital we are now evacuating. Evacuees are suffering from the worst malnutrition imaginable. Fractures. open wounds, concussions, burns and bestial beating were common.” The Associated Press of America correspondent said the hospital’s location is not given, but it is believed to be in the Yokohama area. SORRY PLIGHT High-ranking Br'tish subjects freed from Manchurian prison camps found an accumulation of 20.000 letters which the Japanese witheld some three years, report? the Associated Press correspondent. Sir Shenton Thomas said the Japanese crammed 2700 prisoners into quarters built for 600 in a camp near Singapore and used one building both for hospital and an insane asylum. Prisoners were removed to Formosa in rat-infested ships’ holds, crowded almost to suffocation point. The Japanese supplied one mosquito net for every five persons as a protection against millions of insects Seventy cases of dengue and malaria developed in the first month. Prisoners were underfed and poorly clad in the bitterest weather. Sir Shenton Thomas lost four stone while a prisoner. He described the Russian rescuers as wonderful. PRISONER RELIEF PARTY LANDS SEAC headquarters reports that a party has landed at the Singapore airfield to investigate the condition of prisoners of war. The Japanese say they are helping.