The following statements of war crimes have been selected randomly from 100s and 100s so that we may have some idea of how widespread and varied Japanese brutality was. A large number are hand written, and some are typed. I have selected just a few which are easily read and sometimes just a page not more. (C. Mellor)
Singapore 1942
Below: Burma Thai Railway, Thailand through to French Indo-China
Below: French-Indo-China 1945
Below: Statement from 2/4th soldier WX13977 GEORGE FREDERICK AIREY miraculously survived a Japanese execution at Singapore 1942.
Please read about other 2/4th Ted Leadbitter and Snake Jackson
Also Statements from Major WX3435 Charles Edward GEEN who became Lt. Col Green, C.O. of 2/4th MGB on death of Lt.Col Anketell. Lt Col Green was also CO of Green Force sent to Burma end of railway.
Above: Fred Airey
Below: ‘Snake’ Jackson and his brother.
Above: WX8425 Ted Leadbitter died aged 24 years.
Below: Believed to be Burma end of Railway.
Below: At Thambyuzyat, Burma
Below: This POW was in 25 camps in 5 countries and not one camp was allowed to be marked P.O.W. so that bombing raids would not target them.
Below: Pte Darlington, 2/18th refused to let guard ‘Black Prince’ wash his underclothing in water intended for cooking at POW camp kitchen. Darlington was most severely beaten and punished.
NX40325 James (Jimmy) DARLINGTON enlisted 19 June 1940 at Tamworth aged 25 years and 7 months old. He was father of two children. He was part aboriginal.
Jimmy from Barraba was the eldest of 14 children.
He was known as a fine heavy weight boxer and won the 8th Divisions Heavyweight Title at Singapore.
After the Fall of Singapore on 15th Feb 1942, Darlington was recorded MIA since 16 Feb. It was later found he had escaped to Java.
SANDAKAN POW CAMP, NORTH BORNEO
North Borneo was stinking hot, humid and overrun by mosquitos. The lack of food and water, torture and beatings were all common.
As Japan began losing the war the brutality to POWs increased. Men were sometimes placed in a cage for 40 days and 40 nights – some dying in their cage.
Bill Young was a fellow POW with Darlington at Sandakan and recounted his brutal treatment by guards at Sandakan.
Bill Young survive but worse was watching other POWs suffer from starvation and escalating violence.
One such victim was a young Aboriginal soldier Jimmy Darlington, who had dared to strike a Japanese soldier for washing his clothes in the prisoners’ cooking pot. He was bound and tied to sharp stakes of wood and left to suffer.
“One of the Japs grabbed a bucket of water” said Mr. Young. “Another Jap was grabbing the ropes and putting them in the water and knelt him on the platform and tied him down with wet ropes. “The sun started to shine and tightened the ropes which cut into his wrists and legs.
Only after Mr Young and his mates created a diversion to distract the Japanese could another soldier, an ambulance officer, move in and cut the ropes. Without this, Mr. Young said Darlington would have died.
Jimmy Darlington was recovered from Changi Sept 1945. He was likely initially sentenced to imprisonment at Outram Road Goal
Tragically Jimmy and his wife died in an accidental house fire in 1976 and were buried at Barraba, NSW. Jimmy was 61 years.
(I wish to acknowledge and thank Virtual War Memorial for the information about Darlington and to L. Silver)
Above: A drawing by Billy Young – a man who survived Outtram Gaol and went on to write a book about his terrible experience later in life.
Orphan Young enlisted age 15 years with a forged signature from a fictitious aunt.
He was sent to Sandakan, North Borneo with a work party from Singapore.
‘After a failed escape at Sandakan, Mr Young was sent to the notorious Outram Road Gaol, where he spent six months in solitary confinement, forced to sit cross-legged for hours at a time.’
Please read further about this incredible man and his unbelievable experience.