A Japanese Colonel hands over his sword to a British Lieutenant Colonel (centre behind table) as ...

A Japanese Colonel hands over his sword to a British Lieutenant Colonel (centre behind table) as part of a surrender ceremony at Ban Pong, Thailand. To the right of the Japanese Colonel, facing away from the ceremony is Captain John H Bennett, British Army staff officer to the British Lieutenant colonel and the Maharajah of Baroda. The British Lieutenant Colonel was the commanding officer of the Maharajah of Baroda’s Battalion, who were responsible for the military area of which Ban Pong was the centre. Ban Pong had been a prisoner of war (POW) camp and its railway station was the starting point of the Burma-Thai Railway. During the round up of recruits for the 1st Singapore (Malaysian Unit) Coast Defence Unit by Capt Bennett and an unidentified British Army Major in the period October to December 1945 it was discovered that many Japanese Officers and other Japanese soldiers had not surrendered nor handed in their weapons. The British Government was informed and a surrender ceremony was organised for 11 January 1946.

• A Japanese Colonel having handed over his sword to a British Lieutenant Colonel (centre behind ...
• Eight Japanese officers wearing their swords, stand in a line, waiting for the surrender ceremony ...
• Group portrait of the officers of the Maharajah of Baroda’s Battalion. Identified left to right: ...
• Group portrait of some of the officers of the Maharajah of Baroda’s Battalion standing behind ...