The number and proportion of Indian prisoners surviving captivity is unclear. It seems that about 8,000 Indians were transported to New Guinea. On the basis of figures cited by Ms MAEKAWA Kaori it is possible that about six in ten of the Indian prisoners of war died, a death rate almost double that of European prisoners.[1] Based on the records of one group of 240, of whom at least 130 died, this figure may be too high.[2]
However, there is also the figure given in the Indian official history that at the war’s end 5,589 Indians were held in camps in the Gazelle Peninsula, some of whom had been concentrated by the Allies on New Britain from New Guinea.[3] Evidently prisoners in different parts of New Guinea suffered different rates of sickness and death. The Wewak drafts suffered the highest mortality, with 2,000 of the 3,000 dying in the sinking of the Thames Maru.[4] The New Britain drafts, many of whom accepted the status as Japanese "sub-soldiers" fared rather better than did their counterparts in New Guinea, who generally resisted Japanese appeals to join the Indian National Army.
The subject awaits more detailed investigation.
Notes
1. MAEKAWA Kaori, "Forgotten soldiers of the Japanese Army: asian personnel in Papua New Guinea", paper presented to the symposium, "Remembering the war in New Guinea", Australian National University, Canberra, October 2000, 8.
2. AWM 54, 423/9/34, ‘Information obtained from Indian Army soldiers, captured by Japanese in Malaya & Bougainville [sic] and recovered by Allies’
3. Singh, Post-War Occupation Forces: Japan & South-East Asia, 190.
4. Genevieve Thompson, "Nobody’s heroes: Indian prisoners of war in New Guinea", BA Hons thesis, Australian National University, 1996,13.
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.
AWM ART22840
