The following is taken from an Affadavit from Geoffrey Thomas UNDERWOOD of Evandale, HUGHENDEN in the State of QUEENSLAND, and formerly QX11013 Gnr UNDERWOOD, G.T., 2/10 Fld. Regt., now discharged, being duly sworn, make oath and state as follows: (former POW of Fukuoka sub-Camp No. 1- there were a very small number of Australians, and were without an officer)
“Medical supplies were practically nil. The only medicines I recall having seen was a small quantity of aspirin. Many Prisoners of War were suffering from diarrhoea, dysentery, beri beri and malnutritional diseases but no medicines were available for their treatment. VX36824 Gnr L CHALKER, 4 A/Tank Regt; WX20076 Pte W. DWYER, 2/4 M.G. Bn; and S/Sgt SIMS were all suffering badly from malnutrition and diarrhoea.
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Despite many pleadings on their behalf to the Camp Commander commonly known to Prisoners as “THE OLD MAN” nothing was done for them.
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S/Sgt SIMS eventually collapsed and was admitted to the crude camp Hospital where he died a few days after his admittance. Shortly after his death approximately fifty American Officers were brought into the camp in an exhausted condition. They had been wrecked at sea and apparently had gone through a terrific ordeal. They were admitted to hospital and apparently the Japanese considered that the hospital was full. CHALKER and DWYER became very ill and, at times, were unable to move about but were still forced to work. Eventually CHALKER collapsed and was admitted to the hospital where he lay almost unattended for three days before he died. DWYER also collapsed and died within a few days of his admittance.”
(This above information will hopefully not be too distressing nor offensive to family members who may read this – information was discovered after extensive searching. http://www.mansell.com/pow_resources/camplists/fukuoka/fuk_01_fukuoka/fukuoka_01/Page02.htm -sadly this is a rare opportunity to learn the appalling conditions at No. 1 Fukuoka.
C. Mellor, Historian, 2/4th MGB Jul 2020)
His body was cremated by the Japanese however instead of being enshrined in Japan, Bill’s ashes were taken to Labuan War Cemetery, initially thought to have been carried by an Australian POW from Japan to Manila then onto Labuan.
Below: Bill Dwyer was 38 years old when he died.
