Historical information

August 1945 saw Major Hugh St Clair Brockway accepting the surrender of a Marine Brigade of Japanese, at Bonis Northern Bougainville, from Naval Commander Takahashi the representative of the Japanese High Command.

For a month Major Brockway concentrated on transporting the Japanese out and returning the area, as far as possible, to a pre-war condition.

"The Japanese were in a bad way, saying no ship had resupplied them since 1942.

They had lived off fish from the sea and what they could grow. Many were sick and they had few medicines.

"Our job was basically to evacuate the Japanese and ship the troops out to a POW compound at Torakina, on the mid-eastern coast of Bougainville."

Major Brockway had a small group of about 30 to execute the operation, which included destroying all Japanese arms and ammunition of the 3000 strong naval brigade.

"They had been cut off since about 1942 and we had to clean the place up for civilian occupation again."
Source "the Wargin Argus"
BY VEANA SCOTT
27 Apr, 2005 09:36 AM

Wagin Argus
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Wagin
WA
6315
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Phone: 08 9861 1200

Physical description

Photograph in very faded colour (mainly pale pink with a square of colour visible under label) of Japanese P.O.W's resting en-route to compound at Torakina
Digitally rescanned in greyscale