900 PERISH ON PRISON SHIP

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLXI, Issue 15233, 24 December 1942, Page 3

900 PERISH ON PRISON SHIP

JAP CRUELTY RECOUNTED GHASTLY STORY RELEASED ONLY FEW SURVIVORS United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. NEW YORK, Dec. 22. Th© Japanese left hundreds of prisoners of war from Hongkong to drown when a prison ship bound for Shanghai was torpedoed off the China coast. Several Japanese ships cruised around the doomed vessel machine-gunning tlie prisoners as they jumped overboard. The gruesome story is related by survivors to the United Press correspondent in China Robert Martin. The identity of th© survivors cannot be revealed, says the correspondent, but tlie accuracy of tlieir story is unquestionable'. Aboard the prison ship were 1500 British and Canadian prisoners of war. ragged, diseased and starving, after nine months of close confinement in Hongkong where appalling sanitary medical and food conditions prevailed causing many deaths and rendering hundreds almost walking skeletons.

All the prisoners were placed below tlie decks with barely room to lie down. Nevertheless, they were brightened because the food served on the first day was better than at Hongkong. On the second day they heard shouting on deck and the ship shuddered but continued to move. Then the nightmare began. The Japanese closed all the hatches and covered them with tarpaulins, leaving no air inlets. Hour by hour the hold became more unbearable and several men died

Next morning the ship seemed to be settling and there was no sound on deck. The stronger men succeeded in forcing the hatch and discovered that the prison-ship was being towed but no Japanese were left aboard. Then the Japanese cast off the towline and the prison-ship lurched and foundered.

The prisoners, although they lacked lifebelts, jumped overboard amid machine-gun fire from several Japanese vessels. Some continued to fire at the swimming prisoners, many of whom were so weak that they* were drowned immediately. The Japanese picked up some of the prisoners but did not lower boats, consequently only a few hundred were rescued.

Th© survivors swam ashore where Chinese fishermen fed and clothed them. After hiding for several days because of puppet troops searching for survivors, small groups began tlie long trek to Free China. The Associated Press’ version of the torpedoed prison transport says that the British Embassy has released the story of the experiences of Warrant Officers J. C. Fallance and W. C. Johnston© and Mr A. J. W Evans, of the British Aemrican Tobacco Company. They said they and British naval and military officers of the Hongkong garrison were crammed into a hold without provision for sick although many of the prisoners wer© suffering from dysentry, berriberri and diphtheria. The ship left Hongkong on September 29 and was torpedoed on October 1. After the torpedoing they were forced to remain below all dav without food or water. In other * respects the United Press’ story is corroborated. The British Embassy quoted the Japanese Hongkong News Despatch indicating that over half of the 1816 English and Canadian prisoners aboard tlie prison transport went down with tlie ship. Nino hundred survivors were taken to Moji, in South-western Japan. After being in the water for three hours Fallance, Johnstone and Evans were picked up by a Chinese fisherman who landed them on an island, but next morning a Japanese destroyer aj peared and forced the majority to surrender. The trio hid successfully and eventually reached Free China. They are now on their way to India.