Spitfire - The Painful truth

[rmorton]

Sorry to spoil this but the Japanese military perpetrated many atrocities not just against the POWs but mainly against Chinese civilians. Of course many deaths were due to the general conditions in the jungle, but the POWS were treated used for slave labour and their captors had no respect for them as they had surrendered. what should be noted is that they were not the majority of Japanese who were respectful decent people. Same applies to the Germans. 

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

We're not short of atrocity stories. People on all sides, including our own, did nasty things. I'd love to see all the great examples of chivalry and kindness collected into a book. 

 

A couple of examples:

 

The Japanese dive bomber who pulled out of an attack on a US destroyer in Darwin harbour when he saw a hospital ship next to it. (The Americans had contravened the Geneva Convention.)

 

A Japanese warship which cruised into Milne Bay and left without firing a shot because an Australian hospital ship was parked there.

 

Wehrmacht soldiers defending Monte Casino put down their guns to help British troops rescue Gurkhas from under fallen masonry.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

The Australian Government was similarly totally unprepared for war...Decisions had already been taken to sacrifice northern Australia and disarm the citizens to prevent guerilla warfare continuing after occupation...

Disarm our own citizens? I was unaware of this, Kaz. More info, please.

 

 

[Bruce Tuncks]

I didn't know about disarming either.

 

One day during the war my parents were in Alice Springs and a bunch of people came down from the north saying the japs were only a few hours behind them.

 

Lots of people fled the town to camp in the bush. I bet they took their guns with them. Of course, the government would have known that there was no Japanese invasion.

 

Anyway, after the naval battles of Midway and the Coral Sea, there was no actual threat as the Japanese were a spent force.

 

 

[old man emu]

Re the abandoning of northern Australia, or the "Brisbane Line" controversy. Here is what a reliable source has to say about it:

 

https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/homefront/brisbane_line

 

As to Japanese atrocities towards POWs. I think that the Japanese used conscripted Koreans as POW guards. The reason may be that the Koreans were a conquered people, but not European, so could be conscripted to do tasks that were undignified for the Japanese to do. Also the Koreans would not be expected to fight for the Emperor with the ardor the Japanese had instilled into them. The Korean guard units were ultimately commanded by Japanese officers, and these officers were the ones tried for war crimes. Liberated Australian POWs walked past the Koreans guards without even offering them the recognition that  they were worth the effort to suffer retaliation.

 

 

[winsor68]

And the Catalinas, Hudson’s and Beaufighters, and even the Boomerangs and Wirraways, shockingly under-armed as they were.

kaz

Agreed....but the short and brutal part played by the 75th RAAF and their P-40s in a short period in the initial battle for New Guinea should be a much bigger story than ANZAC because that is where Australians on their own and despite the colonial masters took their stand and drew a line in the sand in defence of Australia.

 

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

...One day during the war my parents were in Alice Springs and a bunch of people came down from the north saying the japs were only a few hours behind them.Lots of people fled the town to camp in the bush. I bet they took their guns with them. Of course, the government would have known that there was no Japanese invasion...

 

 

One of the most shameful episodes in Australian history. The stampede of civilians and military personnel deserting Darwin in panic, heading south was known locally as the Adelaide River Stakes. Amoung the troops who stayed behind, there are stories of military officers "requisitioning" good quality furniture and other household goods which were later shipped to Brisbane.

Today we'd call that looting.