Showing 1063 items
matching prisoner of war
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Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Sue Ebury, Weary: The life of Sir Edward Dunlop, 1994
... -and-the-dandenong-ranges world war 1939-1945 - prisoners and prisons ...A biography of the varied and inspirational life of Sir Edward DunlopIndex, bibliography, notes, ill (b/w)non-fictionA biography of the varied and inspirational life of Sir Edward Dunlopworld war 1939-1945 - prisoners and prisons - japanese, sir edward dunlop - biography -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Kenneth Seaforth Mackenzie, Dead men rising, 1973
... -and-the-dandenong-ranges prisoners of war - japan - fiction cowra break-out ...A fictional account of the Cowra break out of 1944.p.288.fictionA fictional account of the Cowra break out of 1944.prisoners of war - japan - fiction, cowra break-out - fiction -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Macmillan, P.O.W. : Australian prisoners of war in Hitler's Reich, 2011
... -and-the-dandenong-ranges World war 1939 – 1945 - Prisons and prisoners ...Australians from every field of conflict in World War II found themselves as prisoners in Hitler's notorious Stalags, or prisoner of war camps. Most were forced to labour in factories, down mines or on the land - often in conditions of enormous privation and hardship. All suffered from shortages, overcrowding and the mental strain of imprisonment. Peter Monteath's fascinating narrative history is exhaustively researched, and compelling in its detailed evocation.Index, bibliography, notes, ill, p.523.non-fictionAustralians from every field of conflict in World War II found themselves as prisoners in Hitler's notorious Stalags, or prisoner of war camps. Most were forced to labour in factories, down mines or on the land - often in conditions of enormous privation and hardship. All suffered from shortages, overcrowding and the mental strain of imprisonment. Peter Monteath's fascinating narrative history is exhaustively researched, and compelling in its detailed evocation.world war 1939 – 1945 - prisons and prisoners – germany, prisoners of war - australia -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Ex-Prisoners of War and Relatives' Association, Loyalty : special commemorative edition to celebrate the 65th year of the News Bulletin, 2011
... -and-the-dandenong-ranges Ex prisoners of war and relatives association Ex ...Commemorative issue celebrating the 65th year of News BulletinIll, maps, p.130.non-fictionCommemorative issue celebrating the 65th year of News Bulletinex prisoners of war and relatives association, ex prisoners of war - biography -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Readers Book Club et al, The one that got away, 1958
... -and-the-dandenong-ranges Franz von Werra prisoners of war - Germany ...In World War II James Leasor was commissioned into the Royal Berkshire Regiment and posted to the 1st Lincolns in Burma and India, where he served for three and a half years. His experiences inspired him to write such books as Boarding Party (filmed as The Sea Wolves). He later became a feature writer and foreign correspondent at the Daily Express. Here he wrote The One that Got Away.p.255.non-fictionIn World War II James Leasor was commissioned into the Royal Berkshire Regiment and posted to the 1st Lincolns in Burma and India, where he served for three and a half years. His experiences inspired him to write such books as Boarding Party (filmed as The Sea Wolves). He later became a feature writer and foreign correspondent at the Daily Express. Here he wrote The One that Got Away. franz von werra, prisoners of war - germany - escapes -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Penguin, We were there : Australian soldiers of World War II tell their stories, 1988
... - Prisoners of war (POW's). Index, ill, p.470. We were ...Aborigines and army service - Australian women's Army - Burma-Thailand railway - Prisoners of war (POW's).Index, ill, p.470.non-fictionAborigines and army service - Australian women's Army - Burma-Thailand railway - Prisoners of war (POW's).world war 1939 – 1945 – personal narratives – australia, world war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – australia -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Readers Book Club, The edge of the sword, 1954
... became a prisoner-of-war, and the book continues ...In April 1951, at the height of the Korean War, Chinese troops advanced south of the 38th parallel towards a strategic crossing-point of the Imjin River on the invasion route to the South Korean capital of Seoul. The stand of the 1st Battalion, the Gloucestershire Regiment, against the overwhelming numbers of invading troops has since passed into British military history. In The Edge of the Sword General Sir Anthony Farrar-Hockley, then Adjutant of the Glosters, has painted a vivid and accurate picture of the battle as seen by the officers and soldiers caught up in the middle of it. The book does not, however, end there. Like the majority of those who survived, the author became a prisoner-of-war, and the book continues with a remarkable account of his experiences in and out of Chinese prison camps. This book is not an attempt at a personal hero-story, and it is certainly not a piece of political propaganda. It is, above all, an amazing story of human fortitude and high adventure.Ill, p.286non-fictionIn April 1951, at the height of the Korean War, Chinese troops advanced south of the 38th parallel towards a strategic crossing-point of the Imjin River on the invasion route to the South Korean capital of Seoul. The stand of the 1st Battalion, the Gloucestershire Regiment, against the overwhelming numbers of invading troops has since passed into British military history. In The Edge of the Sword General Sir Anthony Farrar-Hockley, then Adjutant of the Glosters, has painted a vivid and accurate picture of the battle as seen by the officers and soldiers caught up in the middle of it. The book does not, however, end there. Like the majority of those who survived, the author became a prisoner-of-war, and the book continues with a remarkable account of his experiences in and out of Chinese prison camps. This book is not an attempt at a personal hero-story, and it is certainly not a piece of political propaganda. It is, above all, an amazing story of human fortitude and high adventure. korean war 1950-1953 - history, korean war - campaigns - gloucestershire regiment -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Time-Life Books in association with John Ferguson, Prisoners of war, 1988
... -and-the-dandenong-ranges Prisoners of war - Australia World war 1939-1945 ...This is a profoundly courageous story of Australians struggling to survive the consequences of a war-ravaged world. It is a singularly outstanding account of men wrenched from battle, but not from the annals of their nation's history.Index, bibliography, ill, maps, p.168.non-fictionThis is a profoundly courageous story of Australians struggling to survive the consequences of a war-ravaged world. It is a singularly outstanding account of men wrenched from battle, but not from the annals of their nation's history.prisoners of war - australia, world war 1939-1945 - prisons and prisoners -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Nelson, The war diaries of Weary Dunlop, 1986
... -and-the-dandenong-ranges World war 1939-1945 - Prisoners and prisons ...A personal recollection of the experiences of Weary Dunlop during the war and as a prisoner of war.Index, ill, maps, p.301.non-fictionA personal recollection of the experiences of Weary Dunlop during the war and as a prisoner of war.world war 1939-1945 - prisoners and prisons, prisoners of war - australia -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Shandy Press, Captives of empire : the Japanese internment of allied civilians in China, 1941-1945, 2006
... -and-the-dandenong-ranges World war 1939-1945 - Prisoners and prisons - Japan ...Here for the first time is the definitive history of the internment of Allied civilians ib ChinaIndex, ill, maps, plans, p.738.Here for the first time is the definitive history of the internment of Allied civilians ib Chinaworld war 1939-1945 - prisoners and prisons - japan, internment camps - china -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Corgi Books, Die like the carp! : the story of the greatest prison escape ever, 1978
... -and-the-dandenong-ranges Escaped prisoners of war - Australia Japanese ...Escape of Japanese prisoners of war held at Cowra, N.S.W., Australia.Ill, p.285.non-fictionEscape of Japanese prisoners of war held at Cowra, N.S.W., Australia.escaped prisoners of war - australia, japanese prisoners of war - australia -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Harry Gordon, Voyage from shame: The Cowra breakout and afterwards, 1994
... -and-the-dandenong-ranges Escaped prisoners of war - Australia Japanese ...Escape of Japanese prisoners of war held at Cowra, N.S.W., Australia.Index, bibliography, ill, p.313.non-fictionEscape of Japanese prisoners of war held at Cowra, N.S.W., Australia.escaped prisoners of war - australia, japanese prisoners of war - australia -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Faber and Faber et al, Escape to danger, 1946
... -and-the-dandenong-ranges World War 1939-1945 - prisoners of war - Germany ...Story of the captivity, experiences and escapes of of British airmen in World war Two.Ill, p.341.non-fictionStory of the captivity, experiences and escapes of of British airmen in World war Two.world war 1939-1945 - prisoners of war - germany, world war 1939-1945 - personal narratives -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, William Heinemann, Sandakan : the untold story of the Sandakan Death Marches, 2013
... -and-the-dandenong-ranges World War 1939-1945 - Prisoners of war - Sandakan ...The untold story of the Sandakan death marches of World War II. After the fall of Singapore, in February 1942, the Japanese conquerors rounded up tens of thousands of British and Australian soldiers and shipped them to prison camps scattered throughout Hirohito's newly won Empire. The fall of Britain's 'impregnable fortress' was the greatest humiliation in British military history, for which Churchill never forgave the Japanese. But nothing would surpass the wretched fate of some 2,700 British and Australian prisoners who were shipped to British North Borneo later that year. They landed in Sandakan, on the east coast of the island, after a 10-day voyage on a Japanese 'hell' ship, and were herded into a jungle camp some eight miles inland. Thus began the three-year ordeal of the Sandakan prisoners of war - a barely known story of unimaginable horror.Index, bibliography, notes, ill, p.688.non-fictionThe untold story of the Sandakan death marches of World War II. After the fall of Singapore, in February 1942, the Japanese conquerors rounded up tens of thousands of British and Australian soldiers and shipped them to prison camps scattered throughout Hirohito's newly won Empire. The fall of Britain's 'impregnable fortress' was the greatest humiliation in British military history, for which Churchill never forgave the Japanese. But nothing would surpass the wretched fate of some 2,700 British and Australian prisoners who were shipped to British North Borneo later that year. They landed in Sandakan, on the east coast of the island, after a 10-day voyage on a Japanese 'hell' ship, and were herded into a jungle camp some eight miles inland. Thus began the three-year ordeal of the Sandakan prisoners of war - a barely known story of unimaginable horror.world war 1939-1945 - prisoners of war - sandakan, japan - prisons and prisoners of war -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Scribe, Ghost plane : the untold story of the CIA's torture programme, 2013
... -and-the-dandenong-ranges Prisoners of war - Abuse of - United States Central ...In December 2005 Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State, assured the world that the flights of CIA private jets that have criss-crossed Europe since 9/11 had no role in sending prisoners to be tortured. 'The United States has not transported anyone, and will not transport anyone, to a country when we believe he will be tortured,' she said. Tony Blair assured Parliament: 'I have absolutely no evidence to suggest that anything illlegal has been happening here at all.' But as Stephen Grey reveals in this book, Rice's claims were false - and the British governemnt has also turned a blind eye to a CIA operation that systematically out-sources the hasrh interrogation of its captives. Grey reveals how the Agency's programme, known by the euphemism 'extraordinary rendition', has transported hundreds of prisoners to foreign jails and its own secret facilities in the full knowledge they will face harsh torture.Index, notes, p.339.non-fictionIn December 2005 Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State, assured the world that the flights of CIA private jets that have criss-crossed Europe since 9/11 had no role in sending prisoners to be tortured. 'The United States has not transported anyone, and will not transport anyone, to a country when we believe he will be tortured,' she said. Tony Blair assured Parliament: 'I have absolutely no evidence to suggest that anything illlegal has been happening here at all.' But as Stephen Grey reveals in this book, Rice's claims were false - and the British governemnt has also turned a blind eye to a CIA operation that systematically out-sources the hasrh interrogation of its captives. Grey reveals how the Agency's programme, known by the euphemism 'extraordinary rendition', has transported hundreds of prisoners to foreign jails and its own secret facilities in the full knowledge they will face harsh torture.prisoners of war - abuse of - united states, central intelligence agency -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, The Miegunyah Press, A merciful journey : recollections of a World War II patrol boat man, 2005
... of rounding up Japanese prisoners of war and guarding them in New ...In 1939 Marsden Hordern's mother refused to sign the paper allowing her seventeen-year-old son to fight overseas with the Royal Australian Air Force. 'I did not rear you to be killed in an airplane,' she said. 'Join the navy.' He took her advice and in doing so determined his future. In small patrol boats, Fairmiles and a Harbour Defence Motor Launch, he patrolled the shores of Japanese-held territory, assisted beleaguered commandos in Timor, and was finally caught up in the drama of rounding up Japanese prisoners of war and guarding them in New Guinea.Index, bibliography, notes,maps, ill, p.334.non-fictionIn 1939 Marsden Hordern's mother refused to sign the paper allowing her seventeen-year-old son to fight overseas with the Royal Australian Air Force. 'I did not rear you to be killed in an airplane,' she said. 'Join the navy.' He took her advice and in doing so determined his future. In small patrol boats, Fairmiles and a Harbour Defence Motor Launch, he patrolled the shores of Japanese-held territory, assisted beleaguered commandos in Timor, and was finally caught up in the drama of rounding up Japanese prisoners of war and guarding them in New Guinea.world war 1939-1945 - naval operations - australia, royal australian navy -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Hamlyn, Anzac and Empire : the tragedy and glory of Gallipoli, 1990
... treatment of the sick and wounded, the plight of prisoners of war ...The book investigates aspects not often covered fully in works on Gallipoli, including treatment of the sick and wounded, the plight of prisoners of war, and the place occupied by Australian issues in the wartime port-mortem on the campaign, the Dardanelles Commission of 1916-17. It also deals with origin of Anzac Day and the place of Gallipoli in the Australian ethos.Index, bib, notes, ill, maps, p.318.non-fictionThe book investigates aspects not often covered fully in works on Gallipoli, including treatment of the sick and wounded, the plight of prisoners of war, and the place occupied by Australian issues in the wartime port-mortem on the campaign, the Dardanelles Commission of 1916-17. It also deals with origin of Anzac Day and the place of Gallipoli in the Australian ethos.world war 1914-1918 - campaigns - gallipoli, australia - military relations - great britain -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Pan Books, Death Railway, 1973
... -and-the-dandenong-ranges world war 1939-1945 - prisoners of war - japan ...The building of the Burma - Thailand Railway by allied prisoners of warIll, maps, p.159.non-fictionThe building of the Burma - Thailand Railway by allied prisoners of warworld war 1939-1945 - prisoners of war - japan, burma - thailand railway -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Allen & Unwin, Railroad to Burma, 1990
... -and-the-dandenong-ranges Japan - prisons and prisoners of war Burma ...A 25 year old Australian, James Boyle, was one of thousands of prisoners of war who worked in inhuman conditions to build the Thailand/Burma railway. He was determined to record his experiences and thos of his mates - at the limits of human endurance.Index, ill, maps, p.198.A 25 year old Australian, James Boyle, was one of thousands of prisoners of war who worked in inhuman conditions to build the Thailand/Burma railway. He was determined to record his experiences and thos of his mates - at the limits of human endurance.japan - prisons and prisoners of war, burma - thailand railway -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Panther, Empire of the sun, 1985
... -and-the-dandenong-ranges world war 1939-1945 - fiction World war 1939 – 1945 ...The heartrending story of British boy Jim's four year ordeal in a Japanese prison camp during the second world war. Based on J. G. Ballard's own childhood, this is the extraordinary account of a boy's life in Japanese-occupied wartime Shanghai--a mesmerising, hypnotically compelling novel of war, of starvation and survival, of internment camps and death marches. It blends searing honesty with an almost hallucinatory vision of a world thrown utterly out of joint. Rooted as it is in the author's own disturbing experience of war in our time, it is one of a handful of novels by which the twentieth century will be not only remembered but judged.p.351.fictionThe heartrending story of British boy Jim's four year ordeal in a Japanese prison camp during the second world war. Based on J. G. Ballard's own childhood, this is the extraordinary account of a boy's life in Japanese-occupied wartime Shanghai--a mesmerising, hypnotically compelling novel of war, of starvation and survival, of internment camps and death marches. It blends searing honesty with an almost hallucinatory vision of a world thrown utterly out of joint. Rooted as it is in the author's own disturbing experience of war in our time, it is one of a handful of novels by which the twentieth century will be not only remembered but judged. world war 1939-1945 - fiction, world war 1939 – 1945 - prisons and prisoners - japanese -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Corgi, Escaper's progress, 1978
... -and-the-dandenong-ranges prisoners of war - Germany - Escapes World war 1939 ...David James was serving in Motor Gun Boats when he was captured in February 1943. Imprisoned initially in Dulag Marlag, he immediately decided to escape. In December 1943 he succeeded in escaping disguised as an officer of the Royal Bulgarian Navy. He was captured while attempting to board a ship at Lubeck.Undeterred, in February 1944 he broke out again, this time dressed as a Swedish sailor. He eventually succeeded in reaching Stockholm after two and a half days in a ship's engine room.maps, p.157.non-fictionDavid James was serving in Motor Gun Boats when he was captured in February 1943. Imprisoned initially in Dulag Marlag, he immediately decided to escape. In December 1943 he succeeded in escaping disguised as an officer of the Royal Bulgarian Navy. He was captured while attempting to board a ship at Lubeck.Undeterred, in February 1944 he broke out again, this time dressed as a Swedish sailor. He eventually succeeded in reaching Stockholm after two and a half days in a ship's engine room. prisoners of war - germany - escapes, world war 1939 – 1945 - prisons and prisoners – germany -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Futura Publications, Return from the river Kwai, 1980
... -and-the-dandenong-ranges World war 1939 – 1945 - Prisons and prisoners ...2000 survivors of the Burma railway were sent to Japan but their ship was sunk by an american submarine.Index, ill, maps, p.320.non-fiction2000 survivors of the Burma railway were sent to Japan but their ship was sunk by an american submarine.world war 1939 – 1945 - prisons and prisoners - japanese, burma - thailand railway -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Simon, Reported to be alive, 1965
... -and-the-dandenong-ranges Prisoners of war - Abuse of - United States Vietnam ...An American news photographer is held in brutal captivity for fifteen months by Communist Pathet Lao - and for his courage is awarded the Medal of Freedom by President John F. Kennedyp.350.non-fictionAn American news photographer is held in brutal captivity for fifteen months by Communist Pathet Lao - and for his courage is awarded the Medal of Freedom by President John F. Kennedyprisoners of war - abuse of - united states, vietnam war - 1961-1975 -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Allen & Unwin, Gull Force : Survival and Leadership in Captivity 1941-1945, 1988
... -and-the-dandenong-ranges World war 1939 – 1945 - Prisons and prisoners ...The captivity experiences of Gull Force taken prisoner by the Japanese in Ambon in 1942Index, bib, ill, map, p.220.non-fictionThe captivity experiences of Gull Force taken prisoner by the Japanese in Ambon in 1942world war 1939 – 1945 - prisons and prisoners - japanese, prison camp - ambon -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Kangaroo Press, Diggers at Colditz, 1997
... -and-the-dandenong-ranges World war 1939 – 1945 - Prisons and prisoners ...On June 23 1943 Lieutenant Jack Champ of the 2nd/6th Australian Infantry Battalion was marched into one of the most famous prisoner-of-war camps in Germany. Known then as Oflag IVC, it is now better know as Colditz. By the end of the war there were nineteen Australians in Colditz, and this is the first book to look at life there specifically from their point of view. It was a very special camp. It was designed to retain under escape-proof conditions, a select group of Allied prisoners who had already escaped from other camps and who had been recaptured whilst still in occupied territory. Having seen action in the Western Desert and in Greece, Jack Champ had been captured by the Germans in 1941. He was, however, a reluctant prisoner and took part in two escapes from different POW camps, one of which was a mass break-out of sixty officers through a tunnel that had taken weeks to make. Although the guards frequently outnumbered prisoners, there were more escapes from Colditz than from any other prison of comparable size during both World Wars. In this vivid book Jack Champ and Colin Burgess explain what it was like to be a prisoner in Nazi Germany. It is a curious blend of brutality and humanity, of routines and dreams, and occasional and dramatic excitement as men tried to turn those dreams into the reality of freedom.Index, ill, maps, p.224.non-fictionOn June 23 1943 Lieutenant Jack Champ of the 2nd/6th Australian Infantry Battalion was marched into one of the most famous prisoner-of-war camps in Germany. Known then as Oflag IVC, it is now better know as Colditz. By the end of the war there were nineteen Australians in Colditz, and this is the first book to look at life there specifically from their point of view. It was a very special camp. It was designed to retain under escape-proof conditions, a select group of Allied prisoners who had already escaped from other camps and who had been recaptured whilst still in occupied territory. Having seen action in the Western Desert and in Greece, Jack Champ had been captured by the Germans in 1941. He was, however, a reluctant prisoner and took part in two escapes from different POW camps, one of which was a mass break-out of sixty officers through a tunnel that had taken weeks to make. Although the guards frequently outnumbered prisoners, there were more escapes from Colditz than from any other prison of comparable size during both World Wars. In this vivid book Jack Champ and Colin Burgess explain what it was like to be a prisoner in Nazi Germany. It is a curious blend of brutality and humanity, of routines and dreams, and occasional and dramatic excitement as men tried to turn those dreams into the reality of freedom.world war 1939 – 1945 - prisons and prisoners – germany, world war 1939-1945 - personal narratives - australia -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Jove Books, Bataan : the march of death, 1984
... -and-the-dandenong-ranges World war 1939 – 1945 - Prisons and prisoners ...The story of the infamous Bataan death marchIndex, ill, map, p.242.non-fictionThe story of the infamous Bataan death marchworld war 1939 – 1945 - prisons and prisoners - japanese, atrocities - japan -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Hugh V. Clarke and Colin Burgess, Barbed wire and bamboo : Australian POWs in Europe, North Africa, Singapore, Thailand and Japan, 1993
... -and-the-dandenong-ranges World war 1939 – 1945 - Prisons and prisoners ...A collection of stories of capture, imprisonment and escape in World War I and II. Covering experiences in Europe and in South East Asia, the book presents contrasting PoW experiences - of daring escapes from Colditz Castle, and of endurance and slow suffering in Japanese camps.Ill, maps, p.159A collection of stories of capture, imprisonment and escape in World War I and II. Covering experiences in Europe and in South East Asia, the book presents contrasting PoW experiences - of daring escapes from Colditz Castle, and of endurance and slow suffering in Japanese camps.world war 1939 – 1945 - prisons and prisoners - japanese, world war 1939 – 1945 - prisons and prisoners – germany -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, George Allen & Unwin, Twilight liberation : Australian prisoners of war between Hiroshima and home, 1985
... -and-the-dandenong-ranges World war 1939 – 1945 - Prisons and prisoners ...Australian prisoners of war in Japan in the aftermath of The Japanese surrenderIll, p.165non-fictionAustralian prisoners of war in Japan in the aftermath of The Japanese surrenderworld war 1939 – 1945 - prisons and prisoners – japanese, world war 1939-1945 - personal narratives - australia -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, University of Queensland Press, Captives: Australian Army Nurses in Japanese Prison Camps, 1986
... -and-the-dandenong-ranges World war 1939 – 1945 - Prisons and prisoners ...The story of the experiences of Australian Army nurses as Japanese prisoners of warIndex, ill, p.162.non-fictionThe story of the experiences of Australian Army nurses as Japanese prisoners of warworld war 1939 – 1945 - prisons and prisoners - japanese, australian army nursing service -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, P.O.W. : prisoners of war, 1985
... -and-the-dandenong-ranges World war 1939 – 1945 - Prisons and prisoners ...Within three months of the Japanese entering World War II on December 8, 1941 over 22 000 Australians had become prisoners-of-war. They went into camps in Timor, Ambon, New Britain, Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Singapore and Malaya, and a few were scattered to other points in what was briefly part of the Japanese empire. Later most of the prisoners were to be shifted further north into South-east Asia, Formosa, Korea, Manchuria and Japan itself. They were captives within lands and cultures and to experiences alien to those known to all other Australians. At the end of the war in August 1945, 14315 servicemen and thirty service women were alive to put on new, loose-fitting uniforms and go home. One in three of the prisoners had died. That is, nearly half of the deaths suffered by Australians in the war in the Pacific were among men and women who had surrendered. Another 8174 Australians had been captured in the fighting in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa: but of these men only 265 died as a result of wounds, disease or execution.By any quantitative measure the imprisonment of so many Australians is a major event in Australian history. For many soldiers it was living --and dying --in captivity which made World War II different from that of World War I. But the prisoners have received no permanent place in Australian history. Their story is not immediately recalled on celebratory occasions. In a general history of the nation in which a chapter is given to the war the prisoners might be mentioned in a sentence, or part of a sentence. Where the horror, stoicism and gallantry of Gallipoli have become part of a common tradition shared by all Australians, the ex-prisoners are granted just the horror. The public may be sympathetic; but the horror is for the prisoners alone. To make another comparison: in five months of fighting on the Kokoda Trail in 1942 the Australians lost 625 dead, less than the number who died on Ambon. Yet the events on Ambon are unknown to most Australians. There were no reporters or cameramen on Ambon and, for the 309 who defended Ambon's Laha airfield, no survivors. How many of them died in battle or died as prisoners will never be known. But there are more than just practical reasons why the record of the prisoners of war is so slight and uneven in the general knowledge of Australians. They have not tried to find out. No historian has written a book to cover the range of camps and experiences, and only in specialist medical publications has anyone investigated the impact of prison life on subsequent physical and mental health. The complexity of the experience and its impact on particular lives have not been expressed in a way to give them significance for other Australians.Index, bib, ill, maps, p.224.Within three months of the Japanese entering World War II on December 8, 1941 over 22 000 Australians had become prisoners-of-war. They went into camps in Timor, Ambon, New Britain, Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Singapore and Malaya, and a few were scattered to other points in what was briefly part of the Japanese empire. Later most of the prisoners were to be shifted further north into South-east Asia, Formosa, Korea, Manchuria and Japan itself. They were captives within lands and cultures and to experiences alien to those known to all other Australians. At the end of the war in August 1945, 14315 servicemen and thirty service women were alive to put on new, loose-fitting uniforms and go home. One in three of the prisoners had died. That is, nearly half of the deaths suffered by Australians in the war in the Pacific were among men and women who had surrendered. Another 8174 Australians had been captured in the fighting in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa: but of these men only 265 died as a result of wounds, disease or execution.By any quantitative measure the imprisonment of so many Australians is a major event in Australian history. For many soldiers it was living --and dying --in captivity which made World War II different from that of World War I. But the prisoners have received no permanent place in Australian history. Their story is not immediately recalled on celebratory occasions. In a general history of the nation in which a chapter is given to the war the prisoners might be mentioned in a sentence, or part of a sentence. Where the horror, stoicism and gallantry of Gallipoli have become part of a common tradition shared by all Australians, the ex-prisoners are granted just the horror. The public may be sympathetic; but the horror is for the prisoners alone. To make another comparison: in five months of fighting on the Kokoda Trail in 1942 the Australians lost 625 dead, less than the number who died on Ambon. Yet the events on Ambon are unknown to most Australians. There were no reporters or cameramen on Ambon and, for the 309 who defended Ambon's Laha airfield, no survivors. How many of them died in battle or died as prisoners will never be known. But there are more than just practical reasons why the record of the prisoners of war is so slight and uneven in the general knowledge of Australians. They have not tried to find out. No historian has written a book to cover the range of camps and experiences, and only in specialist medical publications has anyone investigated the impact of prison life on subsequent physical and mental health. The complexity of the experience and its impact on particular lives have not been expressed in a way to give them significance for other Australians.world war 1939 – 1945 - prisons and prisoners – japanese, world war 1939-1945 - personal narrativies - australia