FRENCH INDO-CHINA
1945 – Conditions at Lien Khang POW Camp
Below: Statement about 2/4th’s ‘Snake’ Jackson WX8813
Lance Corp. WX8813 Thomas Marshall ‘Snake JACKSON
LEING KHAN, FRENCH INDO CHINA
4 & 5TH JUNE
THREE AUSTRALIANS:
Gunner King, 4th Aust. A/TR RGT, Pte Jackson, 2/4th MGB & Pte Bennett 2/15th Field Regiment.
The three men were apprehended for stealing food which was missed and a search made for it in living quarters. Same was found in men’s possessions who were tortured to divulge the whereabouts of the remaining food.
The three men were tied to a tree, stripped to the waist and water forced down their throat until their stomachs were greatly distended. They were untied and their stomachs jumped on. This treatment with numerous floggings continued for four days until the men divulged the hiding place of the remainder of food.
After they gave the information they were left tied to the trees for a further 8 days during which period they were fed twice with ‘sloppy’ rice.
The men were in very poor condition and were sent out on a working party digging a big trench around the camp.
__________
THAI-BURMA RAILWAY
KUII/and or HINDAINE POW CAMP by 2/4th MGB’s WX10925 Peter Gardiner re bashing of WX84235 Ted LEADBITTER whose injuries were so serious he died month later.
Above: Peter Gardiner survived the war to return home. ‘Black Cat’ was a brutal and spiteful guard, well known to any POW who came across him.
Below: Ted Leadbitter was married prior to leaving WA. He was a former Fairbridge Farm School boy.
Collective Punishment of a Group for Offence of Others.
Below: Jimmy Darlington – SANDAKAN
A Japanese guard wanted to wash underwear in the POW Kitchen’s cooking pot!
NX40325 James (Jimmy) DARLINGTON enlisted 19 June 1940 at Tamworth aged 25 years and 7 months old. He was father of two children and unmarried. 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 found he had escaped to Java.
Bill Young was a fellow POW with Darlington at Sandakan and recounted his brutal treatment by guards at Sandakan.
“One such victim Jimmy Darlington, a young aboriginal soldier who had dared to strike a Japanese guard who was washing his underclothes in the POW Kitchen’s 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.