MACASSAR, CELEBES ISLANDS 1945-09-24. OCCUPATION OF MACASSAR BY THE 2/27TH BATTALION. WHEN THE ...

MACASSAR, CELEBES ISLANDS 1945-09-24. OCCUPATION OF MACASSAR BY THE 2/27TH BATTALION. WHEN THE CITY WAS OCCUPIED BY AUSTRALIAN TROOPS, MANY ALLIED PRISONERS OF WAR AND CIVILIAN INTERNEES WERE FREED. MOST OF THE PRISONERS OF WAR WERE ROYAL NAVY SEAMEN FROM HMS EXETER, HMS ENCOUNTER AND HMS STRONGHOLD, SHIPS WHICH ALONG WITH HMAS PERTH HAD BEEN SUNK DURING THE BATTLE OF THE SUNDA STRAIT. THE EX PRISONERS OF WAR WERE TRANSFERRED TO THE SUBMARINE DEPOT SHIP HMS MAIDSTONE BY HMAS BARCOO AND HMAS INVERELL. EX PRISONERS, MOSTLY ROYAL NAVY, CROWD THE STARBOARD DECK OF HMAS BARCOO AS IT DEPARTS MACASSAR FOR HMS MAIDSTONE AND THE TRANSFER OF ITS LOAD. (PHOTOGRAPHER SERGEANT F BUTT)