![h force thai burma railway h force thai burma railway](https://booksonwaraustralia.com/4401-medium_default/railroad-to-burma-australian-pow-f-force.jpg)
In January 1945 the first forced march to Ranau occurred, and the second in May 1945. Captain Hoshijima Susumi commanded Sandakan Camp. Of these, Sandakan contained the majority of Australians. There were four main camps in Borneo : Sandakan, Kuching, Labuan and Jesselton. Prisoners in B and E Forces included troops from the 2/18th, 2/19th, 2/20th, 2/26th, 2/29th, 2/30th Battalions, 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion, and the 2/10th Field Ambulance. In early June 1943, E Force was moved to Sandakan. It contained 500 British prisoners, who disembarked at Kuching, and 500 Australian prisoners, who were sent to Berhala Island (North Borneo). E Force embarked on the steamer de Klerk on 29 March 1943. Walsh of the 2/10th Field Regiment, it left Singapore in the Ubi Maru on 8 July 1942 and after a nine-day journey in poor conditions disembarked at Sandakan. B Force (1,496-strong) included 145 officers and medical staff. B and E Forces were sent by ship from Changi to Borneo. The Japanese conquered British and Dutch Borneo early in 1942. Those who remained on Ambon returned, via Morotai, on HMAS Glenelg, Junee, Cootamundra and Latrobe, or went directly to Sydney on the hospital ship Wanganella. They returned to Australia on HMS Vindex and the hospital ship Jerusalemme. Of the 263 prisoners of war sent to Hainan Island, 182 were still alive at the end of the war. One group was transported to Hainan Island aboard the Taiko Maru, disembarking on 5 November 1942 and being imprisoned in Haicho Camp (Colonel W. In October 1942 the prisoners were divided into two groups. īy February 1942, Gull Force was in captivity at Tantui (on Ambon). Over 200 Australians were massacred at Laha, Ambon, on 6 February and between 15 and 20 February 1942. The force of 1,090 was made up of the 2/21st Battalion and C troop 18th Anti-Tank Battery, three sections of the 2/11th Field Coy, one section Australian Army Service Corps, 2/12th Field Ambulance Detachment, 23rd Special Dental Unit, and 104 Light Aid Detachment. In December 1941, an Australian force known as Gull Force sailed for Ambon Island in the Netherlands East Indies (present-day Indonesia). Note: The spelling of place and ship names may vary: e.g., Kanchanaburi (Kanburi) Formosa (Taiwan) Korea (Chosen) Tantui (Tan Toey or Tantoei) camp Rokuyo Maru (Rokyu Maru). After the end of the war, War Crimes Trials were held to investigate reports of atrocities, massacres and other causes of death. Of the 22,376 Australian prisoners of war captured by the Japanese, some 8,031 died while in captivity.
#H force thai burma railway plus
1,2,4 and 6, plus about 10,000 workers who came under Malayan prisoner-of-war administration - worked forward from Bampong in Thailand. 3 and 5 - functioned on the Thanbyuzayat side of the railway four - nos. The railway workers were organised by the Japanese into “groups” or “branches” some branches had as few as 2,000 workers, others as many as 12,000.
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![h force thai burma railway h force thai burma railway](https://www.abc.net.au/cm/lb/6928904/data/makeshift-hospital-on-the-thai-burma-railway-and-weary-dunlop-data.jpg)
About 2,700 were distributed between Japan, Korea and Manchuria, while about 200 remained on Hainan Island. In addition, 265 were in French Indo-China about 750 were distributed throughout the islands of the Netherlands East Indies, with 385 in Java and 243 in Sumatra about 100 were on Ambon two were at Macassar seven on Bali another 150 were at Kuching in British North Borneo.
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The largest group was congregated on Singapore Island and Johore (5,549) but 4,830 were distributed in several camps and in a number of working parties in Thailand and remote areas of Burma. īy September 1945, Australian prisoners of war were scattered widely across south-east Asia. Manchuria, Indochina, Formosa and Korea.Japan : C, G and J Forces Senior Officers Party.Thailand : D, F, H, Forces and K and L Forces (medical forces).Throughout the war, Changi in Singapore was the main camp from which working parties were sent to other destinations and through which prisoners of war captured in other areas were staged.Īustralian prisoners of war were sent from Singapore to: Prisoners of war were formed into work parties to provide forced labour for the Japanese army. Australian troops were also captured on Java, Timor, Ambon and New Britain. The Army prisoners were largely from the 8th Division captured at the fall of Singapore. Over 22,000 Australians became prisoners of war of the Japanese in south-east Asia : Army (about 21,000) RAN (354) and RAAF (373).