Treatment Of POW's
Our work here was to dig cuttings through the hills. Primitive were the methods used... Scorching hot days with the perspiration just pouring off us when working, followed at night by bitter cold was our lot for the next few months... Footwear would not stand up to the hard usage in the work we had to do... Never have I seen anything in Australia which could be compared to a tropical ulcer. The beginning is a small festering sore which rapidly spreads and deepens if not given the proper treatment, until whole tendons are eaten away, the bone exposed, and covering areas up to six square inches and causing the victim untold agony.
- Sergeant Fred Howe, POW on the Burma Railway
Australian and Allied prisoners of war lived in very harsh conditions. they had to work and live in uninhabitable jungle and had little water and food. Everyday they had to go through physical labour that left them exhausted afterwards. They had no medical treatment and often died of dehydration or starvation. The Japanese had no mercy towards the POW's as they were beaten, abused or often killed.The way the Japanese took care of the POW's was not in accordance to the international conventions of the human rights of the prisoners. When the POW's were captured, they were taken to several different prison camps in Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Changi. There were various prison camps such as the Changi prison shown below.
Australian POW's that were taken to Thailand had to work in the construction of the Thailand-Burma Railway. They were put into groups of 2,000 to 12,000 workers to build a total of 415 km of railway through the jungle. POW's were forced to build the railway even if they had poor physical or health capabilities. The railway was constantly bombed and the death rates rose incredibly. Workers had to work 33 hour shifts and often starved to death. Dead bodies would be buried in shallow graves along the railway and when the monsoon came the shallow graves would re-open and dead bodies would rise up, bringing dirt and diseases. POW's worked until death in the railway.
POW's After The War
The Australian soldiers returned to Australia shortly after Japan surrendered. They returned with horrible memories, sorrow and anger. Most Australians wanted revenge against Japan, more than 8000 people died in captivity. The soldiers were given medical treatment but lacked in psychological help. Due to the huge amounts of war crimes that took place the Geneva Convention was re-written. They made more rules to protect prisoners of war. The Geneva Convention states that there needs to be equality between the prisoners and the enemy, there needs to be humane respect towards prisoners, the prisoners are protected from violence and intimidation, they are to keep their possessions when captured, they need to receive sufficient food, water and clothing if necessary and prisoners are to receive the medical attention needed.