list of british prisoners in thailand

The camps were mainly set up in mines and the industrial areas such as Keihin (Tokyo and Yokohama), and Hanshin (Osaka and Kobe). At the time, Lances mother, Debbie Caswell who has championed support efforts for her son including her own regular video calls to him in prison, felt strongly that the psychological fallout from the sudden death of Lances beautiful Thai fiance, was a big factor in his admitted criminal actions in August 2014. sailed from Singapore on 16 May 43. After the surrender of tens of thousands of American troops during the Battle of Bataan, many were sent to a Cabanatuan prison camp following the Bataan Death March. Starvation and malnutrition were the POW's most critical problems. On November 1, 1944, Asama Maru was torpedoed and sunk by the US Submarine Atule 100 miles (160km) south of the island of Pratas. The bedding was on the floor and each bed was rolled into a bundle during the day to allow for more space. After the war, Changi Gaol once again became a civilian prison, while the Changi military area was repaired and redeveloped for use by the British garrison. 17 0 obj Note: Hellships were frequently renamed or known by other names -AKA in these listings means 'also known as'. Sailed from Singapore to Moji (Japan) departed 20/9/43 with 507 POWs. Several times a month, meat or fish was provided, but as the food situation in Japan worsened, the meat disappeared. There were also many deaths caused by guard atrocities, and almost all POWs were executed after they had attempted to escape and were recaptured. The young man, who is now 32 years of age, is believed to be suffering from the physical and mental effects of 5 years in Bangkoks Klong Prem prison on the outskirts of Bangkok in Chatuchak. Post Author: Post published: 21st May 2022 Post Category: junior architectural designer salary Post Comments: coachella festival demographics coachella festival demographics endobj The Japanese appointed Elmer Herod as leader of the internees. Sailed from Hong Kong to Japan (Moji) via Taiwan in December 1943 carrying 500 POWs. Finally, in October, he was among 1000 prisoners judged fit to work; they were moved to a lumber camp on Mindanao to engage in manual labour. Roberts Barracks remains in use but the original buildings at Selerang were demolished in the 1980s. I was hoping for a much shorter sentence and Im totally devastated, he said. Primarily a hospital POW camp it housed around 7,500 POWs mostly the US. Many of the deaths happened immediately after the POWs arrived in Japan from South East Asia. Some POWs testified that they had never received any pay in any form. On 12 February 1942, the merchant ship Vyner Brooke left Singapore just before the city fell to the Imperial Japanese Army. In most camps blankets were provided by the camp, however, many POWs reported that the severe winter cold adversely affected their health. Four other groups were sent to Fukuoka POW camps 1, 3, 4, and 17. its the last stop. The detached camp was a branch camp of a smaller size, typically a mine or factory camp. In 1942, Corporal Rodney Breavington and Private Victor Gale from the Australian Imperial Force, Private Harold Waters from the East Surrey Regiment and Private Eric Fletcher from the Royal Army Service Corps were recaptured after a failed escape attempt. Debbie, his mother, herself alluded to this on Facebook recently when she said that although she was very happy that the process was now underway, it usually took a long time. Dainichi was torpedoed on 08/10/43 by USS Gurnard, along with another Japanese ship, she was carrying a troop transport of over 2000 at this time. An armed merchant cruiser, converted from a civilian merchant ship in 1941. Even though one of Thailand's prisons, Bang Kwang in Bangkok, is sarcastically referred to as the Bangkok Hilton, the truth is that prison cells are no five-star hotels. The report of the International Red Cross Committee gives the best idea of how the visits were conducted: The duration of the visit to the camps was generally restricted to two hours, made up of one for a conversation with the camp commandant, thirty minutes for visiting quarters, and thirty minutes for an interview, in the presence of the Japanese officers of the camp, with a camp leader appointed by them. About 270 died aboard the ship, from suffocation or dehydration or were killed in the attack or from drowning while escaping the sinking ship. They were later also forced to build a 220 km long section of railway between Pekanbaru and Muaro, with 18 POW camps along the length of the railway. 12 Troubling Things That Happen To Tourists Who Get Sent To Bangkok Prison, 15 Weird Pictures Of Food (Taken By Tourists Who Traveled To South-East Asia), Creepiest Abandoned Prisons You Can Actually Visit, Tourists Face 10 Years In Prison For Vandalising Ancient Wall In Thailand, 12 Things Every Traveler Needs To Do Before They Go To Thailand, Least Populated Wyoming Towns & Their Best Attractions, 10 Beautiful Towns On New York's Hudson River Worth Visiting, 10 Restaurants In Chicago To Grab An Authentic Deep-Dish Pizza, 10 Most Beautiful Small Towns In Upstate New York, 10 Most Beautiful Towns In Italy (That Aren't The Amalfi Coast), 10 Most Fascinating Discoveries Made In Ancient Egypt You Should Know About, 10 Truly Romantic Places To Book For Valentine's Day 2023, 10 Unique South Florida Hotels With Gorgeous Rooftop Pools, Romance In Sin City: 10 Iconic Las Vegas Hotels Worth Celebrating Valentines Day At, Tucked Away In Tucson: The Ultimate Travel Guide & Things To Do There, Nordlingen: The Circular German Town Made With Millions Of Meteorite Diamonds, Appalachian Scenic Trail Is New Jersey's Most Beautiful Hike & Here's How Long It Takes, Perched On A High Cliff, Predjama Castle Is The World's Largest Cave Castle. The firing squad, consisting of four Indian National Army* soldiers stood some 50 yards away. Now both young men are still only getting into the stride of what will still be very long and painful prison term even if both are eventually transferred to home prisons. He said his son had witnessed two stabbings and an attempted rape up to that point while imprisoned there. Some 12,000 of members of the Iranian diaspora met from all over Europe on January 16 in the EU Parliament host city of Strasbourg to urge the bloc to list Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards . Due to poor sanitation, lice and fleas plagued POWs, and there was danger of spreading infectious diseases. Besides, that sent on exchange ships, mail for prisoners of war in the Far East was by July 1942 being transported across Russia to her Pacific seaboard and thence to Japan, under an agreement reached with the Soviet Government. Breavington asked to be finished off and more rounds of bullets were fired into the four.. He and his crew sent two torpedoes speeding through the icy waters of the South China Sea toward the ship, striking it on the starboard number three hold and the stern. 10/1/43 1000 Dutch transported from Java to Moulmein but sunk 15/1/43 in the Andaman sea with 961 survivors. Many prisoners, however, indicated that because of the availability of fresh vegetables in the warmer months and local fish during winter, rations were in some ways better than at Jinsen and Keijo. Of 549 men alive when the ship docked, only 372 survived the war. The more interesting material is often the returning POW questionnaires found within WO392/23 (A-D) WO392/26 (R-Z), these were collated by MI9, the British secret service department responsible for escape and evasion. Left Manila the Philippine capital on 23/7/43 taking 501 US prisoners to Japan and was torpedoed and sunk by the submarine USS Picuda (SS-382) in the Taiwan straits. Typically, they were two-storied wooden buildings in a compound surrounded by wooden walls topped with barbed wire. The smell of human faeces was so strong I wanted to vomit. Its not a secret that female prisoners across the globe face some unique challenges. Exact departure dates are confusing since some sources state 3rd June and some 5th June 1944. NEXT: 12 Things Every Traveler Needs To Do Before They Go To Thailand, A mix between a psychologist and a writer, passionate about teaching, human rights, and traveling. After the war, it became clear that there existed a high command order issued from the War Ministry in Tokyo to kill all remaining POWs. Brutal inmates often target foreigners and subject them to abuse. It was just brilliant and it really helped. She also revealed that her son receives great comfort and hope from receiving letters and visits at the prison. The lags abroad include drug mules Michaella Connolly and Melissa Reid holed up in Peru after being convicted of attempting to smuggle cocaine worth 1.5million from the South American country to Spain in August 2013. A key theme in Debbies online pronouncements is religion and the support it offers both her and her son in what appears to be hellish situation. Soon I started receiving correspondence from the Prisoners Abroad team, I got their newsletter too I always looked forward to receiving that. These nurses joined up with a group of men and injured personnel from the ship. About 500 civilians, the great majority of Americans, were interned by the Japanese at Camp John Hay. The ship then sailed from Manila on 11/10/44 to an unspecified port in Japan with 1800 Pows. Billy was held in Chiang Mai. Meanwhile, Thailand's Public Health Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, says officials are ready to approve the registration of Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine after meeting with representatives of its Asian distributor, Zuellig Pharma. CHANGI POW CAMP was opened after Singapore's fall on February 15th 1942 and was the main camp for the captured British and Commonwealth forces. Intestinal diseases soon developed. An island at the south of Singapore Island itself and the nearby beach was the scene of the infamous executions of those POWs who attempted escaped from Selerang POW camp in Changi province. Diagonal red lines drawn across the card means the serviceman died in captivity. to be used by the Japanese Armed Forces in the occupied areas. endobj Similar to the hellish conditions on the Bataan Death March, prisoners were often crammed into cargo holds with little air, food or water for journeys that could last weeks. Junsaburo Toshino, former Lieutenant and Guard Commandant aboard the hell ship were found guilty of murdering and supervising the murder of at least 16 men and sentenced to death as a Class B war criminal at Yokohama. Company guards were responsible for the POWs while they were at work. In the end, 687 Allied prisoners were killed along with forty-seven Japanese, only eighty-two Americans survived. Ireland had 222 British offenders in jail, while Australia housed 144. It had 4 floors, 440 meters long X 110 yards wide, with walls and the roof made of concrete. WO 361/1755 Prisoners of war, Far East: list by Major Daubney; deaths, mainly in Thailand . Situated in Kowloon district, this camp was the largest in Hong Kong and the main place where both professional soldiers and the Hong Kong volunteer defence corps were imprisoned during the Japanese occupation. After the Japanese surrender, Argyle Street Camp became a centre for displaced people returning to Hong Kong. "One minute the person would be in the cell with you and the next they would be gone, although they have changed now to lethal injections. Co-accused Anthony Flannaghan was sentenced to death by lethal injection after being convicted of possession with intent to sell. 12 0 obj From cramped cells to unbearable food and prison brutality, the living conditions across Thailands prisons are notorious all over the globe. Occupied originally by British POWs from F Force who had left Changi (Singapore) in April 1943. Next to the Huai Ro Khi river it had 3 large huts up to 75 metres long originally but grew in size later. A Japanese officer ordered the remaining twenty-two nurses and one civilian woman to walk into the surf. Forces and returned to the United States. An excellent resource of specific hell ship information, including voyage dates and number of POWs, carried. A Kempeitai Prison rather than a fully fledged POW camp, located in Rabaul town itself, https://www.awm.gov.au/events/conference/2002/degroen.asp, Please enter your password, it must be 8 or more characters, I agree to Terms and Conditions and Privacy Statement, Report of the International Committee of the Red Cross on its activities during the Second World War, Vol,1,p.451, prisoner-of-war and internment camps in Japan, Allied prisoners and civilians in Japanese hands, Ships from Hell: Japanese War Crimes on the High Seas in World War II, Japanese Registers of Allied Prisoners of War (PoWs), www.paperlessarchives.com/FreeTitles/POWCampsOutisdeJapan.pdf, Many exclusive records, found only on our site, 1 on 1 Personal assistance from military photo and document experts, Access to Orbats mapping tool, allowing you to trace your WW1 ancestors steps. The two camps were only separated by a small river/canal with a bridge built across it. The best site to research POW records from Taiwan is Michael Hurst MBE's POWTaiwan.org, - highly recommended. The remaining prisoners were then transported by train to San Fernando, La Union. 13 0 obj Lack of water, outside latrines, lack of screens for doors and windows, crowded buildings and the general lethargy of the prisoners contributed to poor sanitation. Before the death of his girlfriend and the drugs bust, he was a recognisable figure about the town with his friend Jake Mostraini living what many young twenty something western foreigners would consider a dream lifestyle in Thailand. But we were starving we just ate it, we had to. "Once you're on death row, the chains are welded to your ankle and they can only take them off with a wheel cutter after they've shot you or your sentence is reduced," he said yesterday. Carried 1,100 prisoners from Manila to Hong Kong, beginning October 3, 1944, then from Hong Kong to Formosa, arriving October 24, 1944. The harshest conditions were endured by the prisoners who were sent to work on the railroad between Burma and Thailand, known as the "railway of death". Russell said that conditions at Klong Prem were very harsh and had been tightened up. Sean Flanagan from Cumbria was sent to Pattaya Remand Prison Thai authorities took seven months to investigate death Initially claimed he fell off wall before admitting he was assaulted twice Man. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Toward the end of the war, the IJA moved many of the camps in the industrial areas inland or to areas closer to the Sea of Japan because of air raids by the U.S. Air Force and in anticipation of the invasion of Japan. This was not enough to keep the Japanese at bay and the British surrendered on 15 February 1942. Many of the others sentenced with me died before the sentence was carried out because they became so ill. "The normal execution was with three bursts of nine bullets from a machine-gun and you would hear it being carried out," said Mr Davies, who has a son, daughter and ex-wife in Britain. He claimed he had been framed. These listings include the following specifics for each person: Name, first names, rank, serial number, date of capture, date of liberation, branch of the services & camp* -we will continue to add more information as we source it. 2) by an air raid, 31 POWs were killed in Toshiba Tsurumi Branch Camp (Tokyo No. Sunk by US submarine USS Whale (SS-329) on 17/2/43 on a voyage from Saipan to Truk with 900 POWs aboard. K & L-365 men of themedical forces left Changi in June and August 1943 for Thailand and worked in the various hospitals along the railway. We assist British citizens during their incarceration, and we also help family and friends affected by a relative or loved one's imprisonment. Following the withdrawal of British troops in 1971 the area was taken over by the Singapore Armed Forces and still has one of the main concentrations of military facilities on the island. The list contains over 1700 names and is particularly interesting as a record of the decimation, by disease or untreated wounds, of prisoners working on the Burma-Thailand railway. The National Archive has a large number (56,000 not a complete set) of: Japanese POW index cards 1942-1945 within its collections (not digital) these are held in Catalogue WO345. Most of the POWs did not have the means to mend or repair their clothes. The new railway route commenced building on 22nd June 1942 and completed on 17th October 1943, the most famous part near the townKanchanaburi spanningthe river Mekhong is Bridge 277 the famous Bridge on the River Kwai. When searching for a camp name you already know please bear in mind the names of the camps and their locations are very often mixed up within official and non-official records, therefore try to get as many names for the same place as you can or tie it down to the main camp and the type of work to find the subcamp. He spent time in three jails, including Bang Kwang, the notorious "Bangkok Hilton". 15/5/42 Some 2000 Dutch & British POWs from Sumatra were transported to Mergui, Burma. ; Catanduvas Federal Penitentiary (Catanduvas, Paran, Brazil) - also based on . The POWs declined offers to blindfold. Admittedly, the Kiwi was reported to have a serious underlying health condition. However, on January 9th, the Enoura Maru was bombed and disabled while in harbour, killing about 350 men. Drinking water was boiled as chemicals were not available. The 7,000 men within this unit composed of 3,444 British and nearly 3,600 Australians, the Journey took 5 days and ended at Ban Pong, although then a 200-mile march ensued towards Burma. While there, the prisoners were afforded no sanitary conditions whatsoever. The Japanese Govt. The railway was started from both ends at more or less the same time with Australian POWs and Dutch internees being shipped to Burma also. All 500 internees were crowded into a single building, which had previously housed 60 soldiers, and the Japanese made little provision for food and water. Some 30 000 of these prisoners of war later worked on the Thai-Burma railway.