The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
New Guinea. 5 June 1944. Two US soldiers assist emaciated Javanese prisoner of war (POW) who has a cigarette in his mouth towards shelter and food. His thin legs could not support his frail and naked body. Javanese prisoners of war (POWs) were used by the Japanese as labourers until they were too weak from starvation and ill treatment to work. Some died in their huts from exhaustion but the Japanese would not allow them to bury their dead. When rescued by US troops they had received no food for five days. Some were too weak to walk or crawl to our troops to receive food and smokes. Even then they were almost too weak to eat. they had only leaves to bandage their sores and wounds caused by ill treatment and it taxed all their strength to brush flies away from their scarred bodies. In spite of Japanese leaving these Javanese to die of hunger, only a short distance away were huge Japanese dumps with rotting food.
Dutch New Guinea. Two former Javanese prisoners of war (POWs) who were employed by the Japanese as labourers building roads at Biak Island are assisted to walk by a US soldier. Some were too weak from
Dutch New Guinea. Javanese prisoners of war (POWs) who were employed by the Japanese as labourers building roads at Biak Island hold out their hands for food. Eventually they were too weak from starva
NEW GUINEA. THIS JAPANESE PRISONER OF WAR (POW) WAS LEFT BEHIND BY HIS COMRADES TO DIE WHEN THEY EVACUATED THE SANGA RIVER AREA. HE WAS TOO WEAK TO KEEP UP WITH THE RETREATING ARMY. AT REAR HEADQUARTE
New Guinea. This Japanese prisoner of war (POW) was left behind by his comrades when they evacuated the Sanga River area. He was too weak to keep up with the retreating army. At Rear Headquarters food
Biak Island, Dutch New Guinea. Javanese workmen suffering from starvation and Japanese ill-treatment, after the capture of Biak.
KUMUIA YAMA, RABAUL AREA, NEW BRITAIN. 1945-09-17. A GROUP OF INDIAN TROOPS AT THE INDIAN PRISONER OF WAR CAMP. THEY REFLECT THE ILL TREATMENT METED OUT BY THE JAPANESE. SOME ARE TOO WEAK TO STAND. TH
