Experiences of Jesselton prisoners of war Camps

during world war 2

By Jeneane and Juan

The Jesselton POW Camp is located in North Borneo.Map of where the Jesselton prisoners of war camp is located in Borneo.

Pictures of the Camp

Living conditions in Jesselton

The beginning of their journey

• On the 13th of October 1000 men disembarked the food for men left on board was bad many used the red cross parcels they had, to the Japanese Jesselton camp.

Informing Prisoners

• Major Suga, commandant of prisoner of war camps in Borneo welcomes the prisoners and informed them they could be going to Jesselton and would be under Lt. Nagata’s command.

Arriving at Miri

• The red cross rations were getting very low for prisoners who stayed on board the ship arriving at Miri.

First day of work

• On the 23rd of October 230 prisoners were put to work at 7AM these included ten officers. This continues until heavy rain stops work.

The down sides

• The Japanese were getting more aggressive towards the prisoners and plenty of bashings and the death toll being rides.

Comrade cemetery in Borneo

• They left on the 6th of April and the prisoners sailed back leaving behind 51 of their comrades in the cemetery at Jesselton. Your chances of dyeing was 20%

ExplanationAustralian prisoners of war were held in four main camps in Borneo: Sandakan, Kuching, Labuan and Jesselton. Conditions were bad in 1942 and got worse and worse over the years. In January 1945, as the rainy season came in, the Japanese, were scared of an Allied invasion. So they began a series of forced marches from Sandakan to Ranau – a distance of 260 kilometers along the jungle tracks. The weak and sick prisoners starved to death on the way because food became scarcer and people had to savior every last crumb because the journey was so long. They had no medical supplies and the terrain was muddy and treacherous. If a man collapsed and could not get up, he was usually shot dead by the Japanese.

Autobiography

His name is Ivan Quartermaine from Australia at the time, working as a Civil servant who fought in Malaysia.

What he experienced in the camp?

He thought the health of the prisoners was really poor, he believed they had only three months left to live. “We were in bad shape,” he said. After liberation, he and other prisoners sought weapons from Australian soldiers, to take revenge on Japanese personnel, but were refused.

Thank you =3

Bibliography

http://www.britain-at-war.org.uk/WW2/John_Wanless/html/jesselton.htm

http://www.dva.gov.au/commems_oawg/commemorations/education/Documents/full_POW_P01913.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatsuji_Suga