| Place | Oceania: Pacific Islands, Bismarck Archipelago, New Britain, Gazelle Peninsula, Rabaul Area, Rabaul |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | P11152.011 |
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Black & white - Print silver gelatin |
| Maker |
RAAF Photographer |
| Place made | Australia |
| Date made | c 1942 |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
417011 Flight Sergeant (Flt Sgt) Gordon Ronald Thomas, 22 Squadron RAAF. Flt Sgt Thomas, from ...
Description
417011 Flight Sergeant (Flt Sgt) Gordon Ronald Thomas, 22 Squadron RAAF. Flt Sgt Thomas, from West Croydon, SA, enlisted on 8 November 1941 and was shot down and captured by the Japanrese on 12 September 1943. It was subsequentlly determined that Flt Sgt Thomas died of illness as a prisoner of war (POW) at Talili, New Britain on 5 March 1944. One of a series of images used by Allied prosecutors during the war crimes trials of Japanese charged with the murder of Australian pilots. The prints were produced in some numbers and used by investigative units in in South East Asia trying to locate the graves of missing RAAF pilots and aircrew. Initially showed to local natives and to Japanese prisoners of war, some were later produced in court as evidence during the trials of Japanese POW charged with the men's murder.