Over sixty thousand Indian troops were among the Indian units captured by the Japanese in south-east Asia in 1941-42. As prisoners, many - perhaps 40,000 - decided to join the pro-Japanese Indian National Army and fought with the Japanese in Burma.
Many of those who remained loyal were sent in mid-1943 as members of Indian Working Parties to New Britain and New Guinea. They endured severe hardship and brutal treatment, and several thousand died in captivity, possibly suffering a higher mortality than other prisoners of war. From mid-1944 small numbers were liberated by advancing Australian troops in the South-West Pacific Area, especially in New Guinea, and by September 1945 over 5,000 prisoners were in camps around Rabaul.
These prisoners have been largely overlooked in the broader interpretation of Allied prisoners of the Japanese. Their stories are preserved in records of their interrogation after liberation and in their testimonies to war crimes tribunals. These records include the testimony of Jemadar Chint Singh, who was recovered by Australian troops in the Sepik area in 1945. The photographs and works of art depicting these men and their descriptions of captivity and survival are often profoundly moving historical sources. The remarkable feature of their experience, especially in the light of claims that Indian units in south-east Asia performed poorly in battle, is that these men often retained a strong identity as soldiers throughout three-and-a-half years as prisoners of the Japanese.
Indian POWs:
Overview text Longer text Readings Captured Indian units Indian National Army Indian POW mortality Indian POWs war crimes Jemadar Chint SinghClick images to enlarge.
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