That lovely woman with the two native boys at 0.49 is my father's sister Mary, who married Roland Bewsher before the war and were living in Sarawak when the war began. They adopted Stephen and Michael when they were in danger of being abandoned. Both have wonderful families and I was delighted to see Mike's family in Kuching a couple of years ago. Cousin's and nephews and nieces I didn't know I had. I have photos of the twins and I playing as little boys. Such a tremendous thrill to see this footage!! Thank you so much for posting it.
The way she, your Aunt, interacted with those boys--she strikes me as being a wonderful person. So sweet of her and her husband to help/adopt those boys. God bless your Aunt and her husband. A fine example to all of us.
My father was an Australian infantry officer in Kuching PoW camp. He wrote about the day that they were freed in a letter to his fiancée while returning to Australia on the Royal Australian Hospital Ship “Wanganella”: When Brigadier Eastick finished, he introduced Captain Jennings of the U S Navy. We cheered him and yelled “speech, speech”. He complied and made the most moving and earnest speech I have ever heard and also the shortest. I will try and reproduce his words. “I have spent many a long night at sea, I have fought in many battles, and being here today seeing you all made free I know that it has all been worth it. We fought for success and we have won success”. I guess it sounds pretty prosaic on paper but I doubt whether I have seen a finer looking man and the manner in which he spoke his few words and the deep sincerity with which he spoke them will always be something that I shall never forget.
Great to see these people smile after all they have been through. My father was in Philippines, New Guinea and Okinawa, and would not speak of some of the things he saw.
@ And still do today but at least more is known about it and it is being addressed. Treatment saved my life. It breaks my heart that so many committed suicide from the pain and anger that they couldn't shake till then never came back from that dark place. Still 22 US vets kill themselves every day. I understand why they do it but wish that never had to be an option or good idea given their current mindset. Rationality goes out the window and your thought process is skewed badly. HUmour is a tool to help us get through tough times. Glad to see so many of these guys smiling, I Hope they kept it up once they got home. Nice video, never seen it before
Greetings to everyone who has found interest in these videos. For some reason, youTUBE won't give me an option to respond to certain people or comments. I can't work this out. Know that I have read them all though. Cheers Corby
Hello Corby. I am a researcher at the BBC and I'd be really interested to know more about this footage. Would you mind emailing me at sophie.wogden1@bbc.co.uk and perhaps we could have a chat? Many thanks, Sophie
Markyellowcake I think this is the new revisionist history. They censor what doesn't fit into their political ideology so they can rewrite it to fit when this generation has passed. It's like many religious cults rewrite scripture to fit the leaders ideology.
Alphabet/Google is an extremely Neo-Lib, Globalist, Post-Modernist bureaucracy with quasi-governmental monopoly power. The company has complex policies and filters that affect your ability to respond and communicate with others. At this point, we can just be thankful that they still allow you to upload any videos at all.
Merci Corby pour ce témoignage vidéo. À propos qui est donc cet officier britannique bedonnant qui fait (un peu) tâche sur la pellicule ? Je plaisante... Par ailleurs on voit bien l’arrogance des japonais dans leurs yeux et leur attitude. Sans pitié ces gardes-chiourme.
At 0:15 you can clearly see a Sikh (Sardar in Turban) Officer clapping. I am about 99% sure that is my grandfather Capt. Sham Singh Sekhon (British Army). He was one of the few doctors in the POW camp. He was interned in the camp after the fall of Singapore. I would love to get go through any other videos you might have of this camp. After years of searching I finally found something. Thank you so very much for posting this online. Your grandmother and mother spent time in that camp and so did my grandfather. And here we are some 70 years later, still moved and connected by this dark episode in human history. Again, if you have any material you would love to share, please let me know and thank you again.
Very interested to read your comment. A few years ago I cane across a document written by Lt Colonel Whimster, the Senior British Officer POW Batu Lintang Camp, Kuching, praising your grandfather's courage and leadership of the Indian POWs. He was put under extreme pressure by the Japanese to go over to their side/Bose's Indian National Army but no way did he nor his men do that. I'd like to think he was one of the Indian POWs decorated for services to POWs? I'd love to know more about your grandfather.
Further to my ist message iqsekhon if you would like contact I'm a bit wary of putting my e mail address on here but if you go to the Malayan Volunteers Group website I can be contacted on its Enquiries/contact facility.
My uncle was a newly ordained Missionary of the Sacred Heart at the end of the war. He was sent by the Archbishop of Port Moresby to Rabaul to commence the medical repatriation to Australia of all the priests and religious that the Japanese had imprisoned. The Japanese had executed 3 Marist Brothers in Rabaul, and the religious sisters had been raped so many times by the Japanese, that the Bishop of Rabaul had cut up all the mass vestments and his soutanes, so that the nuns had something to cover themselves. Seeing this video reminds me of what my uncle told me he saw when he arrived in Rabaul. When he had sent all the releigious back to Australia to receive medical treatment, his Superiors sent him to Nagoya, Japan to establish a mission in the city to minister to Japanese Catholics and others. He spent 50 years in Japan; I don’t know how he did it.
the woman shading her eyes at 2:14 is American author Agnes Newton Keith whose book Three Came Home was turned into a Movie starring Claudette Colbert....also keep in mind this after they have been given decent food and medicine....
What a fascinating piece of film. My Aunt (Babs Hill) and cousin (Susan Hill) are probably amongst the civilian internees seen in it. They too were mentioned in "Three Come Home" as was my Uncle (Stan Hill) who worked for the British North Borneo Company though he did not survive. I can't wait for the other videos you say you will upload but thank you so much for uploading this one.
Thank you for sharing. My Grandmother's Aunt was Sister Dominica Collins, who taught the children in the camp. I met her in the 1980's not knowing her story. Have just finished reading 'Three came home' by Agnes Keith and she is mentioned a few times. This footage is amazing. Feeling proud!
@@hodaka1000 Agnes Keith said that she never knew how she could look so glamorous in the film., There was also a scene where the liberating Australian troops are involved in misbehavior at the women's camp that raised the hackles of those in the camp. That was not in the book and Keith had nothing to do with the dramatization. Keith had detractors and supporters from former internees as to what was clearly a "Hollywood film". Those who read her book generally supported her, although a few who saw themselves through some of the disguised personal interactions mentioned were none too happy and claimed the incidents were invented. I've actually seen her personal diaries and she was far more scathing in those...and the incidents DID occur. We also have the Kurosawa effect...several men in the men's camp said that Keith's novel wasn't emotionally realistic. But Agnes Keith could only express what happened in the women's camp.
@@gerrelldrawhorn8617 My father was one of the six survivors of the Sandakan POW camp and the Sandakan Ranua Death March if anything about his story has been consistent it has been the inaccuracies in retelling the story by the various authors of books newspapers and TV documentaries
The faces of the Resourceful, the Suffering, the Brave, the Compassionate, the Resilient. Most of them an awful long way from home in terrible times, all of them characters and great personalities. I don't know these people yet having lived among many similar abroad with the RAF in older days, all seem so familiar. Thank you for this incredible footage.
Wonderful video indeed. An important one as well, as the comments show. People are finding relatives from this camp - heroes who endured so much. Younger generations can benefit from these videos, to see the horrors of war.
I was never aware that this kind of footage existed - my father James Fraser was in this camp having been sent there along with many other Australian officers from Sandakan as a "punishment".
Wow, interesting. I’m Sarawakian. The Batu Lintang Teacher’s College is built on that POW site. My father went to college there in the early 1960’s and that’s how I came to know Batu Lintang. In the 1970’s, we, secondary school kids used to go for Bible studies at Mr. and Mrs. Hudson Southwell’s house by the little airport in Marudi and heard about some of their POW stories. They were Australian missionaries & were POWs at Batu Lintang. He wrote a book called Unchartered Waters before he died in the late 90’s and there is a large section on the Batu Lintang camp experiences.
I hope that both of your relatives were present at that event but regardless the one thing we all should remember is that all of those prisoners were heros and we should never ever forget their bravery. As a Marine Vet I stand up tonapplaud and salute their courage.
I was age 10 when the movie came out. It made quite an impression on me, which I have carried all my life. Never forgot what some people go through in wars. In a sense it was an important factor in my overall education. Some may say that this propaganda. Well, think that way if it suits you, but I wasn't born yesterday as the saying goes. Live and learn!
Corby, thank you very much for publishing this, I'm currently researching Borneo for our trip this year & I believe my grandfather Mr Charles Taylor would have been in the camp at this time, I hadn't realised there were so many Australians held with him (he was British civilian working in Jesselton at the time), so it has inspired me to factor in Kuching to our trip! I believe he either kept diaries, although reading the comments it seems more likely wrote an account afterwards, so will speak to my mum more..anyway thanks again!
+Sarah Napper Hi Sarah, firstly no, there is no sound with any of these videos. My Grandfather was a Civilian POW too. He was James Beatty and he was the Officer in charge of railways and lived and worked in Jessleton too!
Amazing! Perhaps they knew each other. My grandfather worked for Harrison Crosfield, which was dealing with rubber plantations & timber at the time I think, I'm looking forward to seeing it in person, have you ever been?
No I haven't been but my Mum has been back. Was there any other Taylors interned? I sopke to mum last night and she remembers a Taylor but it was a woman and she would need to be prompted with a first name? Thoughts? My mother and her Mother were in the women's camp.
@@elainefarley1895 There is no audio. This was shot with a handheld camera. Most WWII footage was similarly shot. When you see documentaries or newsreels, the sounds are mostly dubbed at the studio.
Until Japanese school books contain the truth re the second world war , that the Japanese initiated it in the Pacific , were cruel and brutal to prisoners of war and especially to the Chinese of whom they massacred Millions , men ,women and children and a thousand other atrocities , until these are admitted by the Government and people of Japan in open debate there will be no forgiving or forgetting .
@@georgealderson4424 It's called history. The total refusal to admit war crimes. You can talk all you want, but there are people who will never forget & will never forgive.
@@rexguy7823 The point I am making is that the current generation (on both sides) are far removed from the actions of their ancestors three generations ago. What is the point of apologising or, for that matter, expecting an apology for something which was not "their" fault nor "our" misfortune? How long to hold bitterness before it poisons again? Do we expect the same from Germans? Surely we must learn from history as we continue to make new history?
@@georgealderson4424 We're not talking about the current generation. We are talking about the days of the Imperial Japanese Army & their rampage throughout Asia You're saying we should forget because no one is left alive that lived through it? What is the point in apologising? It's to make sure that the emaciated POWs who worked on on Burma railway aren't forgotten. It's a way of hopefully Japan finally admitting guilt. The Germans have done it but not the Japanese.
If this was taken on or about September 11, 1945, when Japanese forces in Sarawak surrendered and Batu Lintang was liberated, then it was four weeks after the end of the war, and barely a week after the formal surrender in Tokyo Bay.
In 1941 The Canadian Army was sent to defend Hong Kong from Japanese invasion. They were defeated and would endure great hardships at the hands of their Japanese captors. On December 24, the Japanese overran a makeshift hospital in Hong Kong, assaulting and murdering nurses and bayoneting wounded Canadian soldiers in their beds. After the colony surrendered, the cruelty would continue. For more than three and a half years, the Canadian POWs were imprisoned in Hong Kong and Japan in the foulest of conditions and had to endure brutal treatment and near-starvation. In the filthy, primitive POW quarters in Northern Japan, they would often work 12 hours a day in mines or on the docks in the cold, subsisting on rations of 800 calories a day. Many did not survive. In all, more than 550 of the 1,975 Canadians who sailed from Vancouver in October 1941 never returned.
Two atomic bombs was not enough to pay those people back, a hundred would have been satisfying. I'm from Winnipeg and new some of those lads that made it back and what those inhuman beasts did to our boys should NEVER be forgotten OR forgiven.
Corby Green. These Formosans that you mention are from the island of Taiwan which was a Japanese colony for 50years. So they form part of the Imperial Japanese Army. In fact it was these Formosans / Taiwanese who are members of the IJA were the interpreters for the Sook Ching
Hi...i'm from Kuching, Sarawak...i love this video a lot..wish it got sound from the video, but in those days i think the camcoder cant record sound...nice to know the past and the history of ww2 in my hometown. Thank you for this video..
what amazin footage, my father was imprisoned in Kuching,sadly he passed away last year , he would have like to have seen this footage, Ive heard many stories from my father and its excellent to see the camp, thanks for sharing
Im from Bau, a small town about 40 km from Kuching.I only heard about the PoW from my late father ,who was around 20 years old at that time. Regret that the video has no sound .
Hi Richard, yes I have a couple more videos to upload. My Grandfather James Beatty was in the mens camp and donated his hearing aid set to the radio builders. I have plenty of still photos as well. If you can identify your father for me, chances are I may have some stills as well.
just imagine all the suffering and hardship that these people had been through .. i hope they all found happiness and peace in the years of freedom after
My father was in the camp. When he died, among his papers were the books recording the rations given to the internees. Also, then order of service for the service of thanksgiving you see in the film. All now in the Imperial War Museum.
Fascinating footage indeed! I figured the Asian soldiers with the star on their caps were Chinese but I wasn't aware the Formosa Chinese used a star symbol.
Thank you for sharing this memorable video. One of the native twin at frame 00:49 is a dear friend of mine and is now in his mid 70s living in Kuching, Sarawak.
My mother has been in contact with him, Rosemary Beatty. Ever since an Australian Show called "Can We Help" ran a story on the twins and my mother showed up in the footage, they have communicated. What a wonderful resource youTUBE ia and and internet connectivity!
Fascinating. It would be nice to get a person such as the forensic lip reader who analysed what people were saying in WW1 clips. Thank you for posting.
I visited the site of Batu Lintang POW camp in Kuching on 8th August 2009 and laid a wreath on the memorial. My father was shipped there as an internee from Changi in Singapore. He barely survived and I'm guessing he was probably in the hospital hut when this movie was made.
General Wootten's nephew was a POW at Sandakan and was on the first death march to leave for Ranau. When the survivors of the second death march arrived at Ranau there were only six survivors from the first death march still alive one was my father who escaped a few days latter. General Wootten's nephew had been the seventh first march survivor still alive but had died just before the arrival of the second march survivors. After the war my father meet with General Wootten to describe the circumstances of his nephew's death.
You say the guards are actually not Japanese soldiers but from Formosa. I've heard the Formosan's the Japanese used turned out to be some of the cruelest guards. I wonder if anyone has any information on this?
Yes. Actually. When Taiwan and Korea were under Japanese control the Japanese assigned Taiwanese and Koreans to be prison guards. However there were also separate infantry regiments for Koreans and other groups
@@daviddou1408Major General Sir George Frederick Wootten, had obviously not seen his willy for many years. Neither would he have been able to tie his shoe laces.
Just seen this film. Fascinating to see as my father was an Australian Officer at Batu Lintang. In the film you can see Brigadier Eastick of Australian 9th Division who arrived on 11 Sept 1945 with Captain Jennings USN. They addressed the POWs. The small man behind Eastick is Lt Col A Walsh - the senior officer in the camp. Later in the film Lt Gen Wooten arrived for a quick visit on 12 September. Again you can see Walsh behind him.
Hi Corby, this is a great video. I recently found out my Grandfather, Thomas Southern, was detained at the Kuching Sarawak camp from 1942 -45. I also found a letter from E.L.Lee (Hon. Secretary Kuching Officers Fund) thanking my grandfather for his assistance in the organisation of the "news service" and for his work as Assistant Camp Commandant. If you could recommend websites or organisations which could help me research my grandfathers army career and his time in Kuching it would be much appreciated. Unfortunately he passed away in 2000 and I was too young and lived too far away to really appreciate his stories, of which he had hundreds may be thousands. Kind regards Matt.
I am amazed at the number of women and children in that camp. Why were they imprisoned? i thought European or American non combatants were usually repatriated. What is the flag being raised at 2:20? I don't recognize it.
My father is in this. Lieutenant Max Lambe 2/18th Battalion. Amazing footage. I have seen the stills but never this. Is this in the Australian War Museum archives?
Two points. 1. Did they actually receive those orders considering the chaos and communication issues there must have been in these late stages and 2. Even if they did and chose not to, I doubt it was out of any sense of humanity rather self preservation. I would also suggest if the orders came from the camp commander he would of had shot or shot himself, anyone disobeying those orders outright. It would have ended up a fight between the Japanese at that camp. Did that happen?
Operation Ichi-Go is an operation conducted by the Japanese Army on the Chinese mainland from April 17th to December 10th, 1944 during the Sino-Japanese War. It was the last major offensive of the Japanese Army, which caused the National Revolutionary Army to be hit hard and affected during the Chinese Civil War. However, on the other hand, the United States is also mediating the conclusion of the Double Tenth Agreement with Chiang Kai-shek in order to avoid a civil war. According to a study by Barbara W. Tuchman, the results of this operation had a more significant impact on the subsequent war situation than the Japanese had imagined, and had a decisive impact on Japan's fate. According to it, Franklin Roosevelt has consistently strongly trusted and supported Chiang Kai-shek since the beginning of the war, and encouraged him in the war against Japan so that he would not drop out of the Allies in a single peace with Japan during the Cairo Conference. However, he said that he changed his mind because the front of Chiang Kai-shek collapsed due to this operation. In fact, Chiang Kai-shek has not been invited to important Allied conferences ("Yalta Conference" and "Potsdam Conference") since then. According to the Stilwell document, Roosevelt said, "Can China win?" Stilwell said, "There is no choice but to eliminate Chiang Kai-shek." During the 1944 Hengyang battle, he could not sleep at night and twice. He says he thought about suicide. The American side also planned to assassinate Chiang Kai-shek, and three methods of "poisoning", "aircraft incident", and "pretending to be suicide" were considered, but it was canceled in 1944 due to changes in the international situation such as Burma. The successor that the United States envisioned is Sun Fountain. As Roosevelt's Chief of Staff George Marshall and General Joseph Stilwell have long insisted, Chiang Kai-shek's army is actually a demoralized and corrupt organization that does not form an army. It became clear that he had no desire or ability to fight with the United States and other Allied forces. As a result, President Roosevelt changed the scenario of the operation against Japan from the conventional bombing of Japan and other countries from the air bases of mainland China to the one that MacArthur and others claimed to occupy the islands of the Pacific Ocean one after another. China was dismissed at the Yalta Conference, and the Allied nation's footsteps were disturbed, with angry Chiang Kai-shek presenting a peace plan to Japan against the will of the United States. In the Japan-US negotiations, Japan's allegations were peace by the confluence of Wang Jingwei of the Nanjing government and Chiang Kai-shek of the Chongqing government, and a proposal for defense from communism jointly by Japan and China. The US allegation was the withdrawal of Japanese troops from China, admitting only the Chongqing government. The negotiations broke down and the United States stopped oil, resulting in a war between Japan and the United States. The Japanese Operation Ichi-Go attack left the National Revolutionary Army with 750,000 casualties. This caused the Kuomintang to lose to the Communist Party in the civil war. China would not have been dominated by the dictatorship Communist Party if it had made peace with Japan and cooperated in protecting it from communism.
Your video of Batu Lintang is wonderful - the first I have ever seen of this camp. I am very interested to learn more, and would like to see Colonel Suga (who appears in the beginning of the video). Do you have more films and photos of him? This man risked a lot when he refused 3 times to march is prisoners, saying that they could not survive it. I would really like to hear from you and others who are interested in this subject soon and exchanges ideas. You have done us all a great service.
Colonel Suga Tatsuji was the commandant of prisoner of war and internee camps in Borneo. He was apprehended as a war criminal and taken to a Batu Lintang and tried for war crimes against Allied prisoners of war, especially in relation to the atrocities at Sandakan and Rimau. Before he could be executed, Colonel Suga committed suicide early in the morning of 16 September 1945 by stabbing his throat with a table knife. In his office were details of the proposed killing of ALL the internees of the camp. The Australian War Memorial has his seal and photos of his body. My friend Cpl John Trelease Hanson (formerly of 2/2 Independent Unit at Timor) had been left to run the camp of interred Japanese at the time. He told me the American Officers reaction at the time was "well, he's dead aint he?"
The father of a childhood friend is listed in the casg & crew of "Back to Bataan". Featured in a snippet during the un-edited version of the film is Lt. E.L.Manson (DC) USN. He told me that the Cabanatwan prisoners had to fattened up for 6 weeks before the crews were allowed to film them. Narragansett Bay
I'm struck by the seemingly fairly good physical condition in these videos. I was in grade two in a trailer park in Canada and we had a guy that was captured in Hong Kong. He was basically a walking skeleton. His body never recovered.
Some food was smuggled in or left in "drop spots". Guards were bribed to bring in some food items. The Japanese Commandant Suga was considered to be a fairly "soft" disciplinarian, although he was under surveillance by the Kempetai. Still he was involved in enough atrocities (see below) that he was later thought to be likely to be executed or subjected to a long prison term. He committed suicide before trial. Batu Lintang was actually several camps...separating male and female civilians, the different nationality troops, and enlisted lower ranks from officers. They didn't mix much. Most of the civilians from North Borneo were transferred to Kuching and were able to cache money and items later traded for food in their clothing. Only at the very end of the war did they receive Red Cross packages and mail, although these had been sent, and arrived, for years before. A few soldiers were and they were fortunate, given what occurred in Sandakan later (the Ranau Death March). There were some of the leaders in the Batu Lintang camp, including the Chief Secretary of Sarawak and ranking official remaining i n Kuching at the time of invasion, Cyril Drummond Le Gros Clark, the "camp master", that were later taken from the camp in the final days prior to the liberation and executed Those included the Chinese consul, Cho Haun Lai, and Dr. Val Stookes. Le Gros Clark was the major impetus to drafting the new Constitution of Sarawak in 1941 devolving the power of the Rajah to an elected Legislature. The others taken were an estate manager from Sarawak (Donald McDonald), an American engineer (H W Webber), two members of North Borneo Civil Service (S G Hill and R S Abbott) and two Dutchmen from Pontianak (Bunte and Kribbe). After a court martial (even though several were civilians and the charges not specific) the nine were given prison sentences ranging from six months to six years. But all died before the end of the war-the first five mentioned above were shot by machine gun at Keningau on the 6th July 1945 and the other four died from illnesses in Jesselton (Kota Kinabalu) jail.
6 weeks of some decent food would help to fill them out a bit. Lost an uncle at Ambon. Never saw pics of my father and another uncle when they left Changi but can imagine how they were.
Thank you for sharing this AMAZING video,.i have been researching my partners grandfather,who was captured in JAVA in march 1942.you have just made my day with this clip as he is in it. his details are as follows. name...Leonard Cyril Hatton army No...837535 rank...Gunner unit..78th battery 35th light anti aircraft royal artillery. spent time in TANJONG PRIOK camp. CHANGI camp before going to KUCHING in early 43. if you freeze this clip at 2.33,he is the man 3rd from Left looking over the others shoulders. if you do have any thing else of relevance to this clip,i would love to see it...Thanks again Mr GREEN. Yours Gratefully Heather
Hi Heather, I am so glad this video has brought you such joy. I had a look at the frame on 2:33, but this is not a face I am familiar with so no other resources at my end that would help you any more. I have uploaded the only clips I have. I know these are Australian War Memorial films however they were given to my mother by someone writing a book at some stage about POW's in Borneo. As all my family were Civilian POW's and not Service Personnel, I am only familiar with those faces and photos from their camps. Thank you for your feedback, and do look carefully at some of the other footage. You just don't know where you might spot Leonard again! Cheers Corby
Such a contrast to the POW's from other camps who were so terribly treated. Did they have a "decent" Japanese commander of their camp or were they only captured later in the war?
Tatsuji Suga was responsible for all the Japanese internment camps in Borneo. While he was fairly decent at the one at Batu Lintang, he definitely would have faced execution for many of his activities, such as ordering the Sandakan-Ranau Death March. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatsuji_Suga
Dear Corby, I am currently making a documentary on a POW Dr. Would you be able to tell me where you got this original footage, it is very powerful. Gary
Life in the camp was harsh, with POWs and civilian internees alike forced to endure food shortages, disease and sickness for which scant medicine was made available, forced labour, brutal treatment, and lack of adequate clothing and living quarters. Of the approximately 2,000 British POWs held there, over two-thirds died during or as a result of their captivity. The camp was liberated on 11 September 1945 by the Australian 9th Division. On liberation, the camp population was 2,024, of whom 1,392 were POWs, 395 were male civilian internees and 237 were civilian women and children. Amongst official Japanese papers found at the camp following its liberation were two "death orders". Both described the proposed method of execution of every POW and internee in the camp. The first order, scheduled for enactment on 17 or 18 August, was not carried out; the second was scheduled to take place on 15 September. The timely liberation of the camp may have prevented the murder of over 2,000 men, women and children. See below for details of Death Orders -
Are those Orthodox priests? RE: the NOTE. A lot of the Japanese guards at POW camps were not Japanese. They were Koreans, Formosens and others. You don't use you best troops to guard prisoners. Are all of the prisoners from British forces or are there Australians, Americans and Dutch?
Note how the IJA troops (whether Japanese or Formosans or what) are still armed. In many cases in these somewhat remote locations, they were the source of law and order. Remember that Indonesia was allowed to declare their independence by the Japanese so that there was already sort of a revolution or civil war underway against the British and Dutch returning. Late 1945 was a very complicated time in Asia - Japanese surrendered, lack of Allied troops in all locations but trying to reassert colonial authority, national independence movements of various types...
Edward Gilmore....back then sound was very rare on movie film !!!! The equipment for it was large, bulky and rare !!! You do know dumb ass that all the convienences we have today did NOT always exist !!! DUUUHHH !!!!! I remember not having a phone, indoor plumbing, no TV, no cell phones No calculators.....etc.........
The minute the Japanese surrendered they should have cut their food to the POW’s level. Yes, I know at that point in the war they were starving as well. But, they could have done so much more to them as payback. They were so hateful to their prisoners it’s simply Evil!
Does anyone have a history of this camp? The women and children looked in good condition considering. They received better rations I take it. Wish there was sound. My USA Dad (eventually Colonel Richard Brown) met my NZ Mom (sang to the troops in New Caledonia--Audrey McNamara) in WW II. Few good things come out of war.
Not sure about what's going on here. Were the priests, nuns and women and children held in camps? If so did the Red Cross make any attempts to repatriate these people?
@@obuohsokadbatuh1831 The Batu Lintang camp was actually several camps...There were camps for the civilians...separated into mens and women's/childrens/nuns camps. Then there was an officers camp, a camp for men in lower ranks, and a camp for Indian troops/police (the latter were heavily propagandized to serve as troops in a Indian revolutionary army). The POW's (as opposed to the civilians) were usually troops captured in Borneo or in the vicinity, although some were transferred over from Changi..likely to prevent organization in that camp. The civilians in North Borneo were originally housed on Berhala Island (a former leper colony) off Sandakan...the transferred after about a year to Kuching.Most military forces were assigned to a new camp outside of Sandakan. Somehow a few were transferred with the civvies to Kuching. They were actually very lucky, avoiding the Death March from Sandakan to Ranau, on Mt. Kinabalu, in the waning days of the war.
The number of people involved was huge, as were the distances. My father in law (not a prisoner) didn’t return to Australia until November, three months after the end of the war. My father flew many trips to the islands returning Australian soldiers but the biggest transport aircraft available at the time was the DC3, tiny by modern standards.
That lovely woman with the two native boys at 0.49 is my father's sister Mary, who married Roland Bewsher before the war and were living in Sarawak when the war began. They adopted Stephen and Michael when they were in danger of being abandoned. Both have wonderful families and I was delighted to see Mike's family in Kuching a couple of years ago. Cousin's and nephews and nieces I didn't know I had. I have photos of the twins and I playing as little boys. Such a tremendous thrill to see this footage!! Thank you so much for posting it.
The way she, your Aunt, interacted with those boys--she strikes me as being a wonderful person. So sweet of her and her husband to help/adopt those boys. God bless your Aunt and her husband. A fine example to all of us.
Roland, I was wondering what became of the two boys. I am so pleased that I scrolled down the comments and came across your wonderful story.
Now that is cool!
You must be very proud.
Thank you for the history! She looked like a lovely person and I’m so happy they rescued the boys, what a heart
My father was an Australian infantry officer in Kuching PoW camp. He wrote about the day that they were freed in a letter to his fiancée while returning to Australia on the Royal Australian Hospital Ship “Wanganella”:
When Brigadier Eastick finished, he introduced Captain Jennings of the U S Navy. We cheered him and yelled “speech, speech”. He complied and made the most moving and earnest speech I have ever heard and also the shortest.
I will try and reproduce his words. “I have spent many a long night at sea, I have fought in many battles, and being here today seeing you all made free I know that it has all been worth it. We fought for success and we have won success”.
I guess it sounds pretty prosaic on paper but I doubt whether I have seen a finer looking man and the manner in which he spoke his few words and the deep sincerity with which he spoke them will always be something that I shall never forget.
The speeches look like they started at 21 seconds with Brigadier Eastick and Captain Jennings in the white uniform.
Great to see these people smile after all they have been through. My father was in Philippines, New Guinea and Okinawa, and would not speak of some of the things he saw.
@ And still do today but at least more is known about it and it is being addressed. Treatment saved my life. It breaks my heart that so many committed suicide from the pain and anger that they couldn't shake till then never came back from that dark place. Still 22 US vets kill themselves every day. I understand why they do it but wish that never had to be an option or good idea given their current mindset. Rationality goes out the window and your thought process is skewed badly. HUmour is a tool to help us get through tough times. Glad to see so many of these guys smiling, I Hope they kept it up once they got home. Nice video, never seen it before
Dear Corby, also many thanks. I was so happy to see my grandmother, who recently past away at age 98. Her name was Jane Toorop-Lugten.
Greetings to everyone who has found interest in these videos. For some reason, youTUBE won't give me an option to respond to certain people or comments. I can't work this out. Know that I have read them all though. Cheers Corby
Hello Corby. I am a researcher at the BBC and I'd be really interested to know more about this footage. Would you mind emailing me at sophie.wogden1@bbc.co.uk and perhaps we could have a chat? Many thanks, Sophie
Markyellowcake I think this is the new revisionist history. They censor what doesn't fit into their political ideology so they can rewrite it to fit when this generation has passed. It's like many religious cults rewrite scripture to fit the leaders ideology.
I'd be very careful about giving anything to the bbc knowing there track record for changing facts to suit their agenda.
Alphabet/Google is an extremely Neo-Lib, Globalist, Post-Modernist bureaucracy with quasi-governmental monopoly power. The company has complex policies and filters that affect your ability to respond and communicate with others. At this point, we can just be thankful that they still allow you to upload any videos at all.
Merci Corby pour ce témoignage vidéo. À propos qui est donc cet officier britannique bedonnant qui fait (un peu) tâche sur la pellicule ? Je plaisante... Par ailleurs on voit bien l’arrogance des japonais dans leurs yeux et leur attitude. Sans pitié ces gardes-chiourme.
At 0:15 you can clearly see a Sikh (Sardar in Turban) Officer clapping. I am about 99% sure that is my grandfather Capt. Sham Singh Sekhon (British Army). He was one of the few doctors in the POW camp. He was interned in the camp after the fall of Singapore. I would love to get go through any other videos you might have of this camp. After years of searching I finally found something. Thank you so very much for posting this online. Your grandmother and mother spent time in that camp and so did my grandfather. And here we are some 70 years later, still moved and connected by this dark episode in human history.
Again, if you have any material you would love to share, please let me know and thank you again.
Very interested to read your comment. A few years ago I cane across a document written by Lt Colonel Whimster, the Senior British Officer POW Batu Lintang Camp, Kuching, praising your grandfather's courage and leadership of the Indian POWs. He was put under extreme pressure by the Japanese to go over to their side/Bose's Indian National Army but no way did he nor his men do that. I'd like to think he was one of the Indian POWs decorated for services to POWs? I'd love to know more about your grandfather.
Further to my ist message iqsekhon if you would like contact I'm a bit wary of putting my e mail address on here but if you go to the Malayan Volunteers Group website I can be contacted on its Enquiries/contact facility.
NOOOoooo no no....the guy in the turban was my father. He was know by the British as Jumper Linggam Singh.
He his a Hero among Hero's.
A dark episode turned light by good people like your grandfather.
My uncle was a newly ordained Missionary of the Sacred Heart at the end of the war. He was sent by the Archbishop of Port Moresby to Rabaul to commence the medical repatriation to Australia of all the priests and religious that the Japanese had imprisoned. The Japanese had executed 3 Marist Brothers in Rabaul, and the religious sisters had been raped so many times by the Japanese, that the Bishop of Rabaul had cut up all the mass vestments and his soutanes, so that the nuns had something to cover themselves. Seeing this video reminds me of what my uncle told me he saw when he arrived in Rabaul. When he had sent all the releigious back to Australia to receive medical treatment, his Superiors sent him to Nagoya, Japan to establish a mission in the city to minister to Japanese Catholics and others. He spent 50 years in Japan; I don’t know how he did it.
Sorry to hear what happened to the nuns
The comments are worth the time and effort to read. Thank you for posting this film footage.
the woman shading her eyes at 2:14 is American author Agnes Newton Keith whose book Three Came Home was turned into a Movie starring Claudette Colbert....also keep in mind this after they have been given decent food and medicine....
Thank you for uploading this video. It means a lot to me. I'm from Borneo by the way,,
What a fascinating piece of film. My Aunt (Babs Hill) and cousin (Susan Hill) are probably amongst the civilian internees seen in it. They too were mentioned in "Three Come Home" as was my Uncle (Stan Hill) who worked for the British North Borneo Company though he did not survive. I can't wait for the other videos you say you will upload but thank you so much for uploading this one.
Thank you for sharing. My Grandmother's Aunt was Sister Dominica Collins, who taught the children in the camp. I met her in the 1980's not knowing her story. Have just finished reading 'Three came home' by Agnes Keith and she is mentioned a few times. This footage is amazing. Feeling proud!
We are organising a trip to Kuching next year kuchingtour2020.com
The movie "Three Came Home" is on RUclips
@@hodaka1000 Agnes Keith said that she never knew how she could look so glamorous in the film., There was also a scene where the liberating Australian troops are involved in misbehavior at the women's camp that raised the hackles of those in the camp. That was not in the book and Keith had nothing to do with the dramatization. Keith had detractors and supporters from former internees as to what was clearly a "Hollywood film". Those who read her book generally supported her, although a few who saw themselves through some of the disguised personal interactions mentioned were none too happy and claimed the incidents were invented. I've actually seen her personal diaries and she was far more scathing in those...and the incidents DID occur. We also have the Kurosawa effect...several men in the men's camp said that Keith's novel wasn't emotionally realistic. But Agnes Keith could only express what happened in the women's camp.
@@gerrelldrawhorn8617
My father was one of the six survivors of the Sandakan POW camp and the Sandakan Ranua Death March if anything about his story has been consistent it has been the inaccuracies in retelling the story by the various authors of books newspapers and TV documentaries
my great uncle Dennis Day died at this camp in August 1945.
May he Rest in Peace. God Bless.
Your uncle was brave may he rest in peace...
Salute, may he rest in honored peace.
Was that right before or right after liberation?
@@tedmccarronSadly just before liberation. He had a twin brother, Kenneth who also died in Indonesia in 1943. We have their medals.
The faces of the Resourceful, the Suffering, the Brave, the Compassionate, the Resilient.
Most of them an awful long way from home in terrible times, all of them characters and great personalities.
I don't know these people yet having lived among many similar abroad with the RAF in older days, all seem so familiar.
Thank you for this incredible footage.
Wonderful video indeed. An important one as well, as the comments show. People are finding relatives from this camp - heroes who endured so much. Younger generations can benefit from these videos, to see the horrors of war.
I was never aware that this kind of footage existed - my father
James Fraser was in this camp having been sent there along with many other Australian officers from Sandakan as a "punishment".
My father is Keith Botterill one of the six survivers from Sandakan.
Wow, interesting. I’m Sarawakian. The Batu Lintang Teacher’s College is built on that POW site. My father went to college there in the early 1960’s and that’s how I came to know Batu Lintang. In the 1970’s, we, secondary school kids used to go for Bible studies at Mr. and Mrs. Hudson Southwell’s house by the little airport in Marudi and heard about some of their POW stories. They were Australian missionaries & were POWs at Batu Lintang. He wrote a book called Unchartered Waters before he died in the late 90’s and there is a large section on the Batu Lintang camp experiences.
Where is Agnes Newton Keith?? I read the book, "Three Came Home " in 2020. It was a hard read but incredible.
I hope that both of your relatives were present at that event but regardless the one thing we all should remember is that all of those prisoners were heros and we should never ever forget their bravery. As a Marine Vet I stand up tonapplaud and salute their courage.
This was EARNED. WE OWE OUR WORLD TO THESE BRAVE SOULS
I was age 10 when the movie came out. It made quite an impression on me, which I have carried all my life. Never forgot what some people go through in wars. In a sense it was an important factor in my overall education. Some may say that this propaganda. Well, think that way if it suits you, but I wasn't born yesterday as the saying goes. Live and learn!
Corby, thank you very much for publishing this, I'm currently researching Borneo for our trip this year & I believe my grandfather Mr Charles Taylor would have been in the camp at this time, I hadn't realised there were so many Australians held with him (he was British civilian working in Jesselton at the time), so it has inspired me to factor in Kuching to our trip! I believe he either kept diaries, although reading the comments it seems more likely wrote an account afterwards, so will speak to my mum more..anyway thanks again!
+Sarah Napper Hi Sarah, firstly no, there is no sound with any of these videos. My Grandfather was a Civilian POW too. He was James Beatty and he was the Officer in charge of railways and lived and worked in Jessleton too!
Amazing! Perhaps they knew each other. My grandfather worked for Harrison Crosfield, which was dealing with rubber plantations & timber at the time I think, I'm looking forward to seeing it in person, have you ever been?
No I haven't been but my Mum has been back. Was there any other Taylors interned? I sopke to mum last night and she remembers a Taylor but it was a woman and she would need to be prompted with a first name? Thoughts? My mother and her Mother were in the women's camp.
I would love to hear the audio.
Same here.
@@elainefarley1895 There is no audio. This was shot with a handheld camera. Most WWII footage was similarly shot. When you see documentaries or newsreels, the sounds are mostly dubbed at the studio.
Thanks so much for posting this. The man at 2.30 at the back with the hat on was my great uncle Leonard Hatton. Would love to see more videos
Until Japanese school books contain the truth re the second world war , that the Japanese initiated it in the Pacific , were cruel and brutal to prisoners of war and especially to the Chinese of whom they massacred Millions , men ,women and children and a thousand other atrocities , until these are admitted by the Government and people of Japan in open debate there will be no forgiving or forgetting .
There is no one left to forgive and forget. The war ended 75 years go!
Totally agree. There are so many lives that have been forever broken or scarred because of the actions of the IJA. We will never forget
@@georgealderson4424 It's called history. The total refusal to admit war crimes. You can talk all you want, but there are people who will never forget & will never forgive.
@@rexguy7823 The point I am making is that the current generation (on both sides) are far removed from the actions of their ancestors three generations ago. What is the point of apologising or, for that matter, expecting an apology for something which was not "their" fault nor "our" misfortune? How long to hold bitterness before it poisons again? Do we expect the same from Germans? Surely we must learn from history as we continue to make new history?
@@georgealderson4424 We're not talking about the current generation. We are talking about the days of the Imperial Japanese Army & their rampage throughout Asia You're saying we should forget because no one is left alive that lived through it? What is the point in apologising? It's to make sure that the emaciated POWs who worked on on Burma railway aren't forgotten. It's a way of hopefully Japan finally admitting guilt. The Germans have done it but not the Japanese.
If this was taken on or about September 11, 1945, when Japanese forces in Sarawak surrendered and Batu Lintang was liberated, then it was four weeks after the end of the war, and barely a week after the formal surrender in Tokyo Bay.
Thank you for sharing this
And also the information about your mother and grandmother.... they suffered through allot
God bless your family
In 1941 The Canadian Army was sent to defend Hong Kong from Japanese invasion. They were defeated and would endure great hardships at the hands of their Japanese captors. On December 24, the Japanese overran a makeshift hospital in Hong Kong, assaulting and murdering nurses and bayoneting wounded Canadian soldiers in their beds. After the colony surrendered, the cruelty would continue. For more than three and a half years, the Canadian POWs were imprisoned in Hong Kong and Japan in the foulest of conditions and had to endure brutal treatment and near-starvation. In the filthy, primitive POW quarters in Northern Japan, they would often work 12 hours a day in mines or on the docks in the cold, subsisting on rations of 800 calories a day. Many did not survive. In all, more than 550 of the 1,975 Canadians who sailed from Vancouver in October 1941 never returned.
Two atomic bombs was not enough to pay those people back, a hundred would have been satisfying. I'm from Winnipeg and new some of those lads that made it back and what those inhuman beasts did to our boys should NEVER be forgotten OR forgiven.
I totally agree, not enough atomic bombs were dropped.
God bless who was allied POWs and their families. Greetings from Brazil !
Corby Green. These Formosans that you mention are from the island of Taiwan which was a Japanese colony for 50years. So they form part of the Imperial Japanese Army. In fact it was these Formosans / Taiwanese who are members of the IJA were the interpreters for the Sook Ching
ruclips.net/video/fN97FNMpnRQ/видео.html
Correct. Koreans and Formosans (Taiwanese) were IJA soldiers and often used a prison camp guards. And were often brutal.
Hi...i'm from Kuching, Sarawak...i love this video a lot..wish it got sound from the video, but in those days i think the camcoder cant record sound...nice to know the past and the history of ww2 in my hometown. Thank you for this video..
what amazin footage, my father was imprisoned in Kuching,sadly he passed away last year , he would have like to have seen this footage, Ive heard many stories from my father and its excellent to see the camp, thanks for sharing
We are organising a trip to go there next year kuchingtour2020.com
@@michaeleastick4086 how is it now because of covid 19?
Im from Bau, a small town about 40 km from Kuching.I only heard about the PoW from my late father ,who was around 20 years old at that time.
Regret that the video has no sound .
Hi Richard,
yes I have a couple more videos to upload. My Grandfather James Beatty was in the mens camp and donated his hearing aid set to the radio builders. I have plenty of still photos as well. If you can identify your father for me, chances are I may have some stills as well.
Such a memory that needs remembering. A joy after such suffering.
just imagine all the suffering and hardship that these people had been through .. i hope they all found happiness and peace in the years of freedom after
My father was in the camp. When he died, among his papers were the books recording the rations given to the internees. Also, then order of service for the service of thanksgiving you see in the film. All now in the Imperial War Museum.
This place is my college now. Do come here to visit our museum of POW.
Fascinating footage indeed!
I figured the Asian soldiers with the star on their caps were Chinese but I wasn't aware the Formosa Chinese used a star symbol.
In reading a lot of these comments, I keep getting reminded that history lives.
Wonderful... I will definitely share this with my followers at North Borneo Historical Society.. thanks again
Thank you for sharing this memorable video. One of the native twin at frame 00:49 is a dear friend of mine and is now in his mid 70s living in Kuching, Sarawak.
My mother has been in contact with him, Rosemary Beatty. Ever since an Australian Show called "Can We Help" ran a story on the twins and my mother showed up in the footage, they have communicated. What a wonderful resource youTUBE ia and and internet connectivity!
Never apologized and still teaching they were dragged into the war...the Japanese you gotta love them.
Fascinating. It would be nice to get a person such as the forensic lip reader who analysed what people were saying in WW1 clips.
Thank you for posting.
Their saying that we wish we wernt F, here!!
They would need to be able to translate, Dutch, English and Javanese
I can only imagine what the internees thought when they saw that big fat officer.
@@daviddou1408 A good reply to someone who judges too quickly, without the benefit of knowledge or history.
They thought yay we're free!
@@daviddou1408 General Douglas MacArthur described him as "the best soldier in the Australian Army
I think he has that little officer next to him eyed up for lunch
I forget his proper name but his nickname 'Tubby ' Wooton, he was a very capable general of one of the Australian divisions, 7th I think.
I visited the site of Batu Lintang POW camp in Kuching on 8th August 2009 and laid a wreath on the memorial. My father was shipped there as an internee from Changi in Singapore. He barely survived and I'm guessing he was probably in the hospital hut when this movie was made.
Beautiful. They will always live on. My father served in u.s. army invasion of Berlin and served in Kyoto, Japan with occupied forces.
Thanks Corby, I was pleased to see my grandfather Major General Sir George Wootten at the end of this video. Thanks for posting.
Is that the guy that looks like Gen. Leslie Groves.
General Wootten's nephew was a POW at Sandakan and was on the first death march to leave for Ranau. When the survivors of the second death march arrived at Ranau there were only six survivors from the first death march still alive one was my father who escaped a few days latter. General Wootten's nephew had been the seventh first march survivor still alive but had died just before the arrival of the second march survivors. After the war my father meet with General Wootten to describe the circumstances of his nephew's death.
Former POWs singing in the Church Service is a very moving site,
What a magnificent time in history captured here.
You say the guards are actually not Japanese soldiers but from Formosa. I've heard the Formosan's the Japanese used turned out to be some of the cruelest guards. I wonder if anyone has any information on this?
Yes. Actually. When Taiwan and Korea were under Japanese control the Japanese assigned Taiwanese and Koreans to be prison guards. However there were also separate infantry regiments for Koreans and other groups
The Japanese despised the Formosans (Taiwanese) who then took it out on the POWs. But you know - they were all brutal.
Great footage - great story. Thank you!
I have all the books by Agnes Keith and visited her old home at Sandakan
my father was in this camp, thanks for sharing
British Officer weighed at least four times tha of POW.
Yes, a damn shame they didn't realize the effect of such comparisons....what did he do? Eat his way through WWII?
@@daviddou1408Major General Sir George Frederick Wootten, had obviously not seen his willy for many years. Neither would he have been able to tie his shoe laces.
@@daviddou1408 I ran 10km in 29mins...as for getting off my arse...your best??
@@michaeladrian2210 The Flash!
@@michaeladrian2210 GIve up. He was probably brought back from the reserve list during the war.
Who was the heavy gent at the end of the video.
Just seen this film. Fascinating to see as my father was an Australian Officer at Batu Lintang. In the film you can see Brigadier Eastick of Australian 9th Division who arrived on 11 Sept 1945 with Captain Jennings USN. They addressed the POWs. The small man behind Eastick is Lt Col A Walsh - the senior officer in the camp. Later in the film Lt Gen Wooten arrived for a quick visit on 12 September. Again you can see Walsh behind him.
Do you know if Lt Col A Walsh was one of the officers moved to Kuching from Sandakan?
Claire, the senior officer of the Kuching camp was my father, Lt Col T. C. Whimster, RAOC. He took over when Lt Col Russell (?) died.
@@Candleflower100
Hi Sylvia.
My father was Keith Botterill one of the six survivors from the Sandakan Ranau Death March.
@@hodaka1000 wow! He was so lucky to survive. A few days more and most of those in Kuching would have been killed - and I for one wouldn't be here!
Hi Corby, this is a great video. I recently found out my Grandfather, Thomas Southern, was detained at the Kuching Sarawak camp from 1942 -45. I also found a letter from E.L.Lee (Hon. Secretary Kuching Officers Fund) thanking my grandfather for his assistance in the organisation of the "news service" and for his work as Assistant Camp Commandant. If you could recommend websites or organisations which could help me research my grandfathers army career and his time in Kuching it would be much appreciated. Unfortunately he passed away in 2000 and I was too young and lived too far away to really appreciate his stories, of which he had hundreds may be thousands. Kind regards Matt.
Awesome footage. Thanks for sharing this 😊✌️
I am amazed at the number of women and children in that camp. Why were they imprisoned? i thought European or American non combatants were usually repatriated.
What is the flag being raised at 2:20? I don't recognize it.
My father is in this. Lieutenant Max Lambe 2/18th Battalion. Amazing footage. I have seen the stills but never this. Is this in the Australian War Museum archives?
We are organising a trip to go there next year kuchingtour2020.com
It is fascinating to see footage from an Asian POW camp as distinct from the more frequently seen and well known German sites. Thank you
It should be mentioned that the guards were ordered to execute everyone in the camp but the orders were not carried out.
Two points. 1. Did they actually receive those orders considering the chaos and communication issues there must have been in these late stages and 2. Even if they did and chose not to, I doubt it was out of any sense of humanity rather self preservation.
I would also suggest if the orders came from the camp commander he would of had shot or shot himself, anyone disobeying those orders outright. It would have ended up a fight between the Japanese at that camp. Did that happen?
Thank you for your sacrifices for Sarawak. I believe today marks the anniversary of the liberation.
May you be remembered.
At 3:05 was that Brigadier "Black Jack" Gallagher, the former allied CO of Changi POW camp?
Operation Ichi-Go is an operation conducted by the Japanese Army on the Chinese mainland from April 17th to December 10th, 1944 during the Sino-Japanese War.
It was the last major offensive of the Japanese Army, which caused the National Revolutionary Army to be hit hard and affected during the Chinese Civil War.
However, on the other hand, the United States is also mediating the conclusion of the Double Tenth Agreement with Chiang Kai-shek in order to avoid a civil war.
According to a study by Barbara W. Tuchman, the results of this operation had a more significant impact on the subsequent war situation than the Japanese had imagined, and had a decisive impact on Japan's fate. According to it, Franklin Roosevelt has consistently strongly trusted and supported Chiang Kai-shek since the beginning of the war, and encouraged him in the war against Japan so that he would not drop out of the Allies in a single peace with Japan during the Cairo Conference. However, he said that he changed his mind because the front of Chiang Kai-shek collapsed due to this operation. In fact, Chiang Kai-shek has not been invited to important Allied conferences ("Yalta Conference" and "Potsdam Conference") since then.
According to the Stilwell document, Roosevelt said, "Can China win?" Stilwell said, "There is no choice but to eliminate Chiang Kai-shek." During the 1944 Hengyang battle, he could not sleep at night and twice. He says he thought about suicide. The American side also planned to assassinate Chiang Kai-shek, and three methods of "poisoning", "aircraft incident", and "pretending to be suicide" were considered, but it was canceled in 1944 due to changes in the international situation such as Burma. The successor that the United States envisioned is Sun Fountain.
As Roosevelt's Chief of Staff George Marshall and General Joseph Stilwell have long insisted, Chiang Kai-shek's army is actually a demoralized and corrupt organization that does not form an army. It became clear that he had no desire or ability to fight with the United States and other Allied forces.
As a result, President Roosevelt changed the scenario of the operation against Japan from the conventional bombing of Japan and other countries from the air bases of mainland China to the one that MacArthur and others claimed to occupy the islands of the Pacific Ocean one after another.
China was dismissed at the Yalta Conference, and the Allied nation's footsteps were disturbed, with angry Chiang Kai-shek presenting a peace plan to Japan against the will of the United States.
In the Japan-US negotiations, Japan's allegations were peace by the confluence of Wang Jingwei of the Nanjing government and Chiang Kai-shek of the Chongqing government, and a proposal for defense from communism jointly by Japan and China. The US allegation was the withdrawal of Japanese troops from China, admitting only the Chongqing government. The negotiations broke down and the United States stopped oil, resulting in a war between Japan and the United States.
The Japanese Operation Ichi-Go attack left the National Revolutionary Army with 750,000 casualties. This caused the Kuomintang to lose to the Communist Party in the civil war. China would not have been dominated by the dictatorship Communist Party if it had made peace with Japan and cooperated in protecting it from communism.
Respect and admiration...
Your video of Batu Lintang is wonderful - the first I have ever seen of this camp. I am very interested to learn more, and would like to see Colonel Suga (who appears in the beginning of the video). Do you have more films and photos of him? This man risked a lot when he refused 3 times to march is prisoners, saying that they could not survive it. I would really like to hear from you and others who are interested in this subject soon and exchanges ideas. You have done us all a great service.
Colonel Suga Tatsuji was the commandant of prisoner of war and internee camps in Borneo. He was apprehended as a war criminal and taken to a Batu Lintang and tried for war crimes against Allied prisoners of war, especially in relation to the atrocities at Sandakan and Rimau. Before he could be executed, Colonel Suga committed suicide early in the morning of 16 September 1945 by stabbing his throat with a table knife. In his office were details of the proposed killing of ALL the internees of the camp. The Australian War Memorial has his seal and photos of his body. My friend Cpl John Trelease Hanson (formerly of 2/2 Independent Unit at Timor) had been left to run the camp of interred Japanese at the time. He told me the American Officers reaction at the time was "well, he's dead aint he?"
The father of a childhood friend is listed in the casg & crew of "Back to Bataan". Featured in a snippet during the un-edited version of the film is Lt. E.L.Manson (DC) USN. He told me that the Cabanatwan prisoners had to fattened up for 6 weeks before the crews were allowed to film them. Narragansett Bay
That's my grandad (in the background) at 1 min 23. Tommy Foster from Salford, England. Legend.
I'm struck by the seemingly fairly good physical condition in these videos. I was in grade two in a trailer park in Canada and we had a guy that was captured in Hong Kong. He was basically a walking skeleton. His body never recovered.
Some food was smuggled in or left in "drop spots". Guards were bribed to bring in some food items. The Japanese Commandant Suga was considered to be a fairly "soft" disciplinarian, although he was under surveillance by the Kempetai. Still he was involved in enough atrocities (see below) that he was later thought to be likely to be executed or subjected to a long prison term. He committed suicide before trial.
Batu Lintang was actually several camps...separating male and female civilians, the different nationality troops, and enlisted lower ranks from officers. They didn't mix much. Most of the civilians from North Borneo were transferred to Kuching and were able to cache money and items later traded for food in their clothing. Only at the very end of the war did they receive Red Cross packages and mail, although these had been sent, and arrived, for years before.
A few soldiers were and they were fortunate, given what occurred in Sandakan later (the Ranau Death March). There were some of the leaders in the Batu Lintang camp, including the Chief Secretary of Sarawak and ranking official remaining i n Kuching at the time of invasion, Cyril Drummond Le Gros Clark, the "camp master", that were later taken from the camp in the final days prior to the liberation and executed Those included the Chinese consul, Cho Haun Lai, and Dr. Val Stookes. Le Gros Clark was the major impetus to drafting the new Constitution of Sarawak in 1941 devolving the power of the Rajah to an elected Legislature. The others taken were an estate manager from Sarawak (Donald McDonald), an American engineer (H W Webber), two members of North Borneo Civil Service (S G Hill and R S Abbott) and two Dutchmen from Pontianak (Bunte and Kribbe). After a court martial (even though several were civilians and the charges not specific) the nine were given prison sentences ranging from six months to six years. But all died before the end of the war-the first five mentioned above were shot by machine gun at Keningau on the 6th July 1945 and the other four died from illnesses in Jesselton (Kota Kinabalu) jail.
6 weeks of some decent food would help to fill them out a bit. Lost an uncle at Ambon. Never saw pics of my father and another uncle when they left Changi but can imagine how they were.
Brilliant bit of footage. My father is in this clip and he helped make the radio. Just wondered if there are any more clips available.
We are organising a trip to Kuching next year kuchingtour2020.com
Wow. What a great record to document what they went through.
Why no sound
No narration?
Did it take 6 weeks to liberate this camp?
I wish there was audio.
I heard from elders there were lots of Formosan/Taiwanese among the Japanese soldiers.
formosa was a japanese possesion long before the ww2....and they were loyal to japan
There were a lot of Taiwanese and Koreans. The Koreans were placed as prison guarde
Thank you for sharing this AMAZING video,.i have been researching my partners grandfather,who was captured in JAVA in march 1942.you have just made my day with this clip as he is in it. his details are as follows.
name...Leonard Cyril Hatton
army No...837535
rank...Gunner
unit..78th battery 35th light anti aircraft royal artillery.
spent time in TANJONG PRIOK camp. CHANGI camp before going to KUCHING in early 43.
if you freeze this clip at 2.33,he is the man 3rd from Left looking over the others shoulders. if you do have any thing else of relevance to this clip,i would love to see it...Thanks again Mr GREEN. Yours Gratefully Heather
Hi Heather,
I am so glad this video has brought you such joy. I had a look at the frame on 2:33, but this is not a face I am familiar with so no other resources at my end that would help you any more. I have uploaded the only clips I have. I know these are Australian War Memorial films however they were given to my mother by someone writing a book at some stage about POW's in Borneo. As all my family were Civilian POW's and not Service Personnel, I am only familiar with those faces and photos from their camps. Thank you for your feedback, and do look carefully at some of the other footage. You just don't know where you might spot Leonard again! Cheers Corby
I have just been shown this clip and also told to look at 2.33! Len was my great uncle. Fantastic find :) Linda
+Heather sims Hope you are still on line Heather as I have only just spotted your comment. would like to share details of Batu Lintang with you.
Such a contrast to the POW's from other camps who were so terribly treated. Did they have a "decent" Japanese commander of their camp or were they only captured later in the war?
Tatsuji Suga was responsible for all the Japanese internment camps in Borneo. While he was fairly decent at the one at Batu Lintang, he definitely would have faced execution for many of his activities, such as ordering the Sandakan-Ranau Death March.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatsuji_Suga
Dear Corby, I am currently making a documentary on a POW Dr. Would you be able to tell me where you got this original footage, it is very powerful. Gary
Try the Australian War Memorial Canberra
stunning how thin ALL these people-interness and healthy soldiers are-
Life in the camp was harsh, with POWs and civilian internees alike forced to endure food shortages, disease and sickness for which scant medicine was made available, forced labour, brutal treatment, and lack of adequate clothing and living quarters. Of the approximately 2,000 British POWs held there, over two-thirds died during or as a result of their captivity.
The camp was liberated on 11 September 1945 by the Australian 9th Division. On liberation, the camp population was 2,024, of whom 1,392 were POWs, 395 were male civilian internees and 237 were civilian women and children. Amongst official Japanese papers found at the camp following its liberation were two "death orders". Both described the proposed method of execution of every POW and internee in the camp. The first order, scheduled for enactment on 17 or 18 August, was not carried out; the second was scheduled to take place on 15 September. The timely liberation of the camp may have prevented the murder of over 2,000 men, women and children. See below for details of Death Orders -
I'm wondering if Suga would have implemented the orders. He did not follow the first dictate. And there seemed to be no preparations for the second.
I can understand them keeping soldiers as POWs but what was the purpose of keeping women (especially nuns) small children and old men?
Have you watch a programme called tenko it a story of civilian women and children who was interned by the Japanese
Sound?
The "Formosan's" (TAIWANESE) have Japanese body language and expressions. A testament to Japanese Imperialism.
1:54, una calculadora??
IIt’s an “abacus”
note we are shown no before only after the issue of new clothes and a good bath
Are those Orthodox priests? RE: the NOTE. A lot of the Japanese guards at POW camps were not Japanese. They were Koreans, Formosens and others. You don't use you best troops to guard prisoners. Are all of the prisoners from British forces or are there Australians, Americans and Dutch?
The smug arrogance of the Japanese soldiers didn't last long; they lost and history forever recorded their deeds.
Most of the Japanese prison guards are formosan.
Note how the IJA troops (whether Japanese or Formosans or what) are still armed. In many cases in these somewhat remote locations, they were the source of law and order. Remember that Indonesia was allowed to declare their independence by the Japanese so that there was already sort of a revolution or civil war underway against the British and Dutch returning. Late 1945 was a very complicated time in Asia - Japanese surrendered, lack of Allied troops in all locations but trying to reassert colonial authority, national independence movements of various types...
Throughout their horrible ordeal, no cat was ever harmed in Kuching.
pity there was no sound?
Edward Gilmore....back then sound was very rare on movie film !!!! The equipment for it was large, bulky and rare !!! You do know dumb ass that all the convienences we have today did NOT always exist !!! DUUUHHH !!!!! I remember not having a phone, indoor plumbing, no TV, no cell phones No calculators.....etc.........
The smiles the relief of liberation what a joyous feeling that must be. But it would be coloured by the deaths and trauma they suffered
One of those kids looked like my brother....who wasn't born until 1969
no sound
The minute the Japanese surrendered they should have cut their food to the POW’s level. Yes, I know at that point in the war they were starving as well. But, they could have done so much more to them as payback. They were so hateful to their prisoners it’s simply Evil!
Young girls and women were missing in the video.
Rubbish.
Does anyone have a history of this camp? The women and children looked in good condition considering. They received better rations I take it. Wish there was sound. My USA Dad (eventually Colonel Richard Brown) met my NZ Mom (sang to the troops in New Caledonia--Audrey McNamara)
in WW II. Few good things come out of war.
"Defying the Odds" - Michele Cunningham.
Not sure about what's going on here. Were the priests, nuns and women and children held in camps? If so did the Red Cross make any attempts to repatriate these people?
They are all mixed lot. Some are fathers, pastors. All European were pow during the war.
Im from Kuching, Sarawak.
@@obuohsokadbatuh1831 The Batu Lintang camp was actually several camps...There were camps for the civilians...separated into mens and women's/childrens/nuns camps. Then there was an officers camp, a camp for men in lower ranks, and a camp for Indian troops/police (the latter were heavily propagandized to serve as troops in a Indian revolutionary army). The POW's (as opposed to the civilians) were usually troops captured in Borneo or in the vicinity, although some were transferred over from Changi..likely to prevent organization in that camp. The civilians in North Borneo were originally housed on Berhala Island (a former leper colony) off Sandakan...the transferred after about a year to Kuching.Most military forces were assigned to a new camp outside of Sandakan. Somehow a few were transferred with the civvies to Kuching. They were actually very lucky, avoiding the Death March from Sandakan to Ranau, on Mt. Kinabalu, in the waning days of the war.
Why the hell were they still there 6 weeks after the end of the war?
It took a few weeks for the Allied forces to get to each camp.
The number of people involved was huge, as were the distances. My father in law (not a prisoner) didn’t return to Australia until November, three months after the end of the war. My father flew many trips to the islands returning Australian soldiers but the biggest transport aircraft available at the time was the DC3, tiny by modern standards.