BEHEADED ON NAURU

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 228, 26 September 1945, Page 5

BEHEADED ON NAURU

HOW AUSTRALIAN OFFICIALS MET THEIR DEATHS

EVIDENCE OF NATIVE BOY. Reed. 8 p.m. Sydney, Sept. 25. An eye-witness of tne execution oi five Australian officials on Nauru Island by the Japanese on March 26, 1943 has told how the men met thenend. A native police boy told the “Sydney Sun’s" correspondent on Nauru that he peered through a door and saw the first man, Doctor Quinn, beheaded with a sword. He lelt panic-.-.tricken, but later saw the Japanese remove the bodies in a truck. The native says that just as dawn was breaking Japanese officers gathered all of tne men in a room and told them they were to die by beheading. The bodies were bur.ed. The Japanese took care to hide all the evidence of their crime. They burned the victims’ clothing. The correspondent adds: “Who gave the order for the execution is not known, but the police named Lieutenant-Commander Nakyama, a Marine staff officer, as having been present at the beheadings. Nakyama is now a prisoner.”

The Australian Administrator of Nauru Island, and four other officials, were executed by the Japanese at Nauru on March 26, 1943. Those executed were: The Administrator, L’eut.-Colone] F. R. Chalmers, of Tasmania. The Government medical officer, Dr. B. H. Quin, of Melbourne. The med.cal assistant of the Nauru Administration, Mr. W. H. Shugg. An engineer of the British Phosphate Commissioner’s staff, Mr. F. Harmer. An overseer of the British Phosphate Commissioner’s staff, Mr. W. H. Doyle. Revealing this atrocity the Minister of External Territories, Mr. Ward, said the executions were carved out at night kilter the first oom’mg raid on the island by the Americans. It was understood that the]' were beheaded in Samurai fashion.