Australian Pows In World War II
Question: Assess the experience of Australian POWs in World War II.
Being captured as a POW in WW2 was never a good position to be in regardless of what nationality you were and who had captured you. Each country had their own system for managing POWs, some of which were definitely better than others but none were ever overly pleasant for the captives. Australian solders were captured and held by three different countries. These countries were: Germany, Italy and Japan.
Being captured by the German side was the best option out of the three enemy nations. Although the conditions were still brutal and harsh Germany did generally follow the 1929 Geneva Convention governing the treatment of prisoners of war. During WW2 about 8,600 Australians …show more content…
became prisoners of the Germans. These included 7,115 Australian soldiers captured in North Africa or Greece, as well as 1,476 airmen who were mostly bomber aircrew shot down over Germany in 1943–45. There was also a small number of sailors. Most captured Australian servicemen endured more than three years as German prisoners. With many being captured twice or taken to Germany after Italy’s surrender. Though Germany generally stuck rules of the Geneva Convention, prisoners still had to live in severe climates under increasingly harsh conditions as the war continued. In 1945 many undernourished prisoners were forced to march outdoors during winter to evade liberation. Eventually however the advancing Allies freed them. Sadly after the war the stories of the prisoners of Europe were largely forgotten. Greatly overshadowed by the tragedy in Asia. However as victims of war, they too experienced hunger, disease and danger, many surviving only through the few Red Cross parcels they received.
During June 1941 Australians captured in Greece were transported to Germany. They were transported by rail in closed wagons on a trip that lasted a week. {One prisoner described it in his diary as “the worst days of my life”. While another described the ordeal in more detail, “A week in cattle trucks in the height of sweltering summer… No seats or other amenities. All of us weak and suffering from diarrhoea, many with bleeding bowels and no sanitary arrangements whatsoever.”}
The Italians were in the middle in terms of the bad conditions experienced by prisoners. All Australians captured in North Africa became prisoners of the Italians. As they were sent back to Italy, many risked being targets for attack by Allied ships crossing the Mediterranean. The first man was captured in December 1940, and thousand more in 1941. They waited over than four years to be freed. Life in Italian camps varied greatly. Some were inefficient and badly run, while others were smoother. In September 1943 Italy surrendered, in the confusion, a few prisoners were able to escape to Allied lines, however those unable to escape were recaptured and sent to back to Germany to be prisoners for a further eighteen months.
In WW2 Japanese POW camps were by far the worst of the lot. Those who surrendered in battle were seen by the Japanese as being weak and inferior. Therefore if you were a soldier who had surrendered to them you were seen as garbage. The Japanese treated POWs with extreme cruelty and brutality, barely feeding them or providing medical. The Japanese had not signed the 1929 Geneva Convention, and therefore felt no need to care for POWs they held captive. During the war Over 22,000 Australian servicemen and about forty nurses were captured by the Japanese. Most were captured early in 1942 when Japanese forces captured Malaya, Singapore, New Britain, and the Netherlands East Indies. By the war’s end more than one in three Australian prisoners (roughly 8,000) had died. Most became victims of the guard’s indifference and brutality. {Tragically, hundreds died when Allied submarines torpedoed unmarked ships carrying prisoners around Japan’s wartime empire.}
In 1943 Japan’s high command decided to build a railway linking Thailand and Burma needed to supply its campaign. The line was to be 420 kilometres long through jungle. It was built almost entirely by a POW labour of around 60,000 Allied soldiers. They constructed the track solely using hand tools and muscle power. They worked relentless 18 hours days with inadequate food in deadly tropical environments causing huge losses. When the railway was finished in October 1943, at least 2,815 Australians, over 11,000 other Allied prisoners had perished. The prisoners’ sufferings on this railway now often symbolise the ordeal of Australians POWs.
Regardless of whose prisoner you were, being held as a POW is WW2 was never a good position to find yourself in. The POW camps caused many casualties, but also created heroes who helped others to endure, to survive, and to die with dignity.
Bibliography:
"Australian Prisoners of War of the Japanese in World War II." National Archives of Australia, 23 May 2013. (11.3.2017) http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/a-z/australian-pow-japanese-ww2.aspx
"Australians at War." Australians at War.
Department of Veterans' Affairs, n.d. (11.3.2017). http://www.australiansatwar.gov.au/stories/stories_war=W2_id=235.html
"Experiences of a Prisoner of a War: World War 2 in Germany." JMVH Experiences of a Prisoner of a War World War 2. Journal of Military and Veterans' Health, n.d. (11.3.2017). http://jmvh.org/article/experiences-of-a-prisoner-of-a-war-world-war-2-in-germany/
"General Information about Australian Prisoners of the Japanese." Prisoners of the Japanese. Australian War Memorial, n.d. (27.2.2017). https://www.awm.gov.au/encyclopedia/pow/general_info/
"Prisoners of the Italians." Stolen Years: Australian Prisoners of War. Australian War Memorial, n.d. (11.3.17). https://www.awm.gov.au/exhibitions/stolenyears/ww2/italy/
"Prisoners of the Japanese." Stolen years: Australian Prisoners of War. Australian War Memorial, n.d. (10.3.2017). https://www.awm.gov.au/exhibitions/stolenyears/ww2/japan/
"Prisoners of the Germans." Stolen Years: Australian Prisoners of War. Australian War Memorial, n.d. (10.3.2017) https://www.awm.gov.au/exhibitions/stolenyears/ww2/germany/
"The Thai-Burma Railway." Treatment of Prisoners. Department of Veterans Affairs, n.d. (11.3.2017).
http://hellfire-pass.commemoration.gov.au/the-enemy/treatment-of-prisoners.php
Being captured as a POW in WW2 was never a good position to be in regardless of what nationality you were and who had captured you. Each country had their own system for managing POWs, some of which were definitely better than others but none were ever overly pleasant for the captives. Australian solders were captured and held by three different countries. These countries were: Germany, Italy and Japan.
Being captured by the German side was the best option out of the three enemy nations. Although the conditions were still brutal and harsh Germany did generally follow the 1929 Geneva Convention governing the treatment of prisoners of war. During WW2 about 8,600 Australians …show more content…
became prisoners of the Germans. These included 7,115 Australian soldiers captured in North Africa or Greece, as well as 1,476 airmen who were mostly bomber aircrew shot down over Germany in 1943–45. There was also a small number of sailors. Most captured Australian servicemen endured more than three years as German prisoners. With many being captured twice or taken to Germany after Italy’s surrender. Though Germany generally stuck rules of the Geneva Convention, prisoners still had to live in severe climates under increasingly harsh conditions as the war continued. In 1945 many undernourished prisoners were forced to march outdoors during winter to evade liberation. Eventually however the advancing Allies freed them. Sadly after the war the stories of the prisoners of Europe were largely forgotten. Greatly overshadowed by the tragedy in Asia. However as victims of war, they too experienced hunger, disease and danger, many surviving only through the few Red Cross parcels they received.
During June 1941 Australians captured in Greece were transported to Germany. They were transported by rail in closed wagons on a trip that lasted a week. {One prisoner described it in his diary as “the worst days of my life”. While another described the ordeal in more detail, “A week in cattle trucks in the height of sweltering summer… No seats or other amenities. All of us weak and suffering from diarrhoea, many with bleeding bowels and no sanitary arrangements whatsoever.”}
The Italians were in the middle in terms of the bad conditions experienced by prisoners. All Australians captured in North Africa became prisoners of the Italians. As they were sent back to Italy, many risked being targets for attack by Allied ships crossing the Mediterranean. The first man was captured in December 1940, and thousand more in 1941. They waited over than four years to be freed. Life in Italian camps varied greatly. Some were inefficient and badly run, while others were smoother. In September 1943 Italy surrendered, in the confusion, a few prisoners were able to escape to Allied lines, however those unable to escape were recaptured and sent to back to Germany to be prisoners for a further eighteen months.
In WW2 Japanese POW camps were by far the worst of the lot. Those who surrendered in battle were seen by the Japanese as being weak and inferior. Therefore if you were a soldier who had surrendered to them you were seen as garbage. The Japanese treated POWs with extreme cruelty and brutality, barely feeding them or providing medical. The Japanese had not signed the 1929 Geneva Convention, and therefore felt no need to care for POWs they held captive. During the war Over 22,000 Australian servicemen and about forty nurses were captured by the Japanese. Most were captured early in 1942 when Japanese forces captured Malaya, Singapore, New Britain, and the Netherlands East Indies. By the war’s end more than one in three Australian prisoners (roughly 8,000) had died. Most became victims of the guard’s indifference and brutality. {Tragically, hundreds died when Allied submarines torpedoed unmarked ships carrying prisoners around Japan’s wartime empire.}
In 1943 Japan’s high command decided to build a railway linking Thailand and Burma needed to supply its campaign. The line was to be 420 kilometres long through jungle. It was built almost entirely by a POW labour of around 60,000 Allied soldiers. They constructed the track solely using hand tools and muscle power. They worked relentless 18 hours days with inadequate food in deadly tropical environments causing huge losses. When the railway was finished in October 1943, at least 2,815 Australians, over 11,000 other Allied prisoners had perished. The prisoners’ sufferings on this railway now often symbolise the ordeal of Australians POWs.
Regardless of whose prisoner you were, being held as a POW is WW2 was never a good position to find yourself in. The POW camps caused many casualties, but also created heroes who helped others to endure, to survive, and to die with dignity.
Bibliography:
"Australian Prisoners of War of the Japanese in World War II." National Archives of Australia, 23 May 2013. (11.3.2017) http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/a-z/australian-pow-japanese-ww2.aspx
"Australians at War." Australians at War.
Department of Veterans' Affairs, n.d. (11.3.2017). http://www.australiansatwar.gov.au/stories/stories_war=W2_id=235.html
"Experiences of a Prisoner of a War: World War 2 in Germany." JMVH Experiences of a Prisoner of a War World War 2. Journal of Military and Veterans' Health, n.d. (11.3.2017). http://jmvh.org/article/experiences-of-a-prisoner-of-a-war-world-war-2-in-germany/
"General Information about Australian Prisoners of the Japanese." Prisoners of the Japanese. Australian War Memorial, n.d. (27.2.2017). https://www.awm.gov.au/encyclopedia/pow/general_info/
"Prisoners of the Italians." Stolen Years: Australian Prisoners of War. Australian War Memorial, n.d. (11.3.17). https://www.awm.gov.au/exhibitions/stolenyears/ww2/italy/
"Prisoners of the Japanese." Stolen years: Australian Prisoners of War. Australian War Memorial, n.d. (10.3.2017). https://www.awm.gov.au/exhibitions/stolenyears/ww2/japan/
"Prisoners of the Germans." Stolen Years: Australian Prisoners of War. Australian War Memorial, n.d. (10.3.2017) https://www.awm.gov.au/exhibitions/stolenyears/ww2/germany/
"The Thai-Burma Railway." Treatment of Prisoners. Department of Veterans Affairs, n.d. (11.3.2017).
http://hellfire-pass.commemoration.gov.au/the-enemy/treatment-of-prisoners.php