|
PoWs
|
Dead
|
Recovered
|
Unaccounted
|
|
Australian
|
1706
|
207
|
31
|
|
British
|
1444
|
897
|
?
|
|
Indian
|
57
|
404
|
?91
|
|
Dutch & Indonesians
|
9
|
483
|
?Nil
|
|
Miscellaneous
|
-
|
11
|
Nil
|
|
Total
|
3216
|
2002
|
?122
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Internees
|
|
|
|
|
Australian Male & Female
|
Nil
|
20
|
?Nil
|
|
British Male & Female
|
15
|
308
|
?
|
|
Dutch Male & Female
|
18
|
266
|
?Nil
|
|
Miscellaneous
|
14
|
38
|
?Nil
|
|
Total
|
47
|
632
|
-
|
|
The above table is based entirely on information available to 3 PoW Contact and Enquiry Unit on Labuan. It does not include information from sources outside Labuan and therefore cannot be taken as an accurate or final figure.
Deaths of civilians include only those who died at Kuching, a party of 12 who were killed by the Japanese at Keningau on 6th July 1945, and 9 alien priests who are reported to have lost their lives during an Allied air raid on Sapong Estate (the former HQ of 37 Japanese Army) on 3rd July 1945.
It was impossible to discover the actual number of British PoWs still unaccounted for in British Borneo as no complete nominal roll of British PoWs who came to Borneo is available. A similar situation exists regarding Indian PoWs.
It is considered that as many as 200 British PoWs may still be unaccounted for in Bitish Borneo.
Graves of Deceased PoWs and Internees
It is considered that all graves of PoWs in British Borneo have been located with the exception of those situated on the track between the 27 mile post West of Sandakan and Ranau (Sandakan Marches). A War Graves Unit was to cover this area in March 1946, this was the earliest date at which the track will be dried out to allow though passage. Investigations by Capt Cocks in the Muanad River area confirmed the track to be impassable West of the Mauanad River owing to sever flooding.
It was understood that graves of civilians who died in internment were a BBCAU responsibility.
War Criminals
A total of 700 names of Japanese against whom some evidence was collected for war crimes was in the hands of Maj R Stewart, 9 Australian Div War Crimes Officer. They comprise all Jap PoW guards and the staff of the PoW and Internee Admin HQ at Kuching besides kempei Tai personnel and a number of miscellaneous personnel. The first trial commenced on Labuan on 4th December 1945.
It was considered that the Japanese are culpable of negligence and disobedience to the Hague Convention in that they did not:-
- Supply adequate living accommodation for PoWs.
- Maintain any state of Hygiene in PoW Compounds.
- Supply the PoWs with adequate food, the quantity in fact being considered less than that supplied to their own troops.
- Supply drugs, bandages or medical supervision except on very rare occasions.
- Permit any International Red Cross personnel to visit PoW Compounds in British Borneo.
Some very interesting information was provided in a speech by Maj Suga, the commandant of PoW and Internee Camps in Borneo, on 15th August 1942 about Japanese policy towards the treatment of PoWs.
Sentenced for War Crimes at Sandakan
|
|
|
|
Capt. Hoshijima
|
Found guilty of war crimes and hanged on 6th April 1946.
|
|
|
|
|
Capt. Takakuwa
|
Found guilty and Sentenced to Death by Hanging, sentence carried out 6th April 1946.
|
|
|
|
|
1/Lt Watanabe, Genjo
|
Found Guilty and Sentenced to Death by Shooting, sentence carried out 16th March 1946.
|
|
|
|
|
Killed 5 Officers under S/M Beppu’s Command at Ranau
|
|
|
|
|
S/M Beppu, Yoichi
|
Found guilty of war crimes and was sentenced to 15 years.
|
|
|
|
|
Kawakami, Kiyoshi
|
Found guilty of war crimes, sentenced to death by hanging.
|
|
|
|
|
Suzuki, Saburo
|
Found guilty of war crimes, sentenced to death by hanging.
|
|
|
|
|
Hashimoto, Masao
|
Formosan Guard :- Found guilty of war crimes and was sentenced to 15 years.
|
|
|
|
|
Yamamoto, Jire
|
Found guilty of war crimes and was sentenced to 15 years.
|
|
|
|
|
Nagahiro, Masao
|
Found guilty of war crimes and was sentenced ti 15 years.
|
|
|
|
|
Nakayama, Tanao
|
Found guilty of war crimes and was sentenced to 12 years.
|
|
British and Australian Rolls of those who Died at Labuan and Sandakan can be found under Atrocities
|
