Australian prisoners of war: Second World War - Prisoners of the Japanese, Java and Timor

Black Force, under Brigadier A. S. Blackburn (7th Division), became prisoners of the Japanese after Java fell on 9 March 1942. Other Australians captured on Timor (from 2/40th Infantry Battalion, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel W. W. Leggatt, which was a component of Sparrow Force) were transferred to Java and Singapore, and thence to Thailand, Japan and elsewhere.

Australian troops were imprisoned in several camps in Java, the main ones were as follows:

Bandung camp, under Lieutenant Colonel E. E. “Weary” Dunlop. In October 1942 this group and others were moved to Makasura, near Batavia. In January 1943, as part of the 900-strong Dunlop Force (under Lieutenant Colonel Dunlop) the prisoners were transported from Java to Konyu, Thailand, via Singapore.

Bicycle Camp, Batavia. Brigadier A. S. Blackburn was the senior officer there. Black Force included 300 Australian seamen from HMAS Perth . On 4 August 1942, 20 officers and 20 NCOs under Lieutenant Colonel Leggatt arrived from Timor. On 11 October 1942, a group of 362 Australians (under Major L. J. Robertson) embarked for an unknown destination (it was A Force in Burma). In November 1942 prisoners from Bicycle Camp moved to Makasura (under Lieutenant Colonel Dunlop). Some six Java parties moved through Changi on their way to join other forces. Dunlop was commander of the sixth Java party.

Other camps were at Serang, Leles and Garut.

Official Records

Official records held by the Memorial include:

• [Timor (1941-1942) - (Sparrow Force and Lancer Force) - Operations:] Relief of Lancer (Sparrow) Force, 2/2 Independent Company - Dutch Troops - Nominal Roll of members of AMF who were serving in Timor, and who are now recorded as prisoners of war and missing. AWM54 571/4/28
• [Timor (1941-1942) - (Sparrow Force and Lancer Force):] - Sparrow Force (Timor) Account of action by Lieutenant Colonel W.W. Leggett. AWM54 571/4/56
• [Timor (1941-1942) - (Sparrow Force and Lancer Force) - Operations:] War diary [Diary made by Sgt Ronald Stuart Kirkwood WX212, 2/2 Independent Company (2/2nd Commando Squadron), includes dates of movement and some events]. AWM254 373
• War Crimes and Trials. Affidavits and Sworn Statements. AWM54 1010/*
• Death certificates mostly in Japanese language of Australian prisoners of war who died after the Japanese transport ship, Tamahoko Maru was torpedoed by a US submarine off Nagasaki- 24 June 1944. AWM127 Item 69
• Records of Australian Military Forces prisoners of war and missing, Far East and South West Pacific Islands. Contains nominal rolls and paybook photographs arranged by theatre of war. AWM232. The nominal rolls are available online.

Private Records

Private records held by the Memorial include:

• William Watt Leggatt, DSO, MC (Lieutenant Colonel). As commanding officer of "Sparrow Force" (2/40 Infantary Battalion) during the defence of Timor and later when in captivity at Changi POW camp, he includes nominal rolls, casualty lists, financial reports and operational reports for Sparrow Force units plus recommendations for honours and awards. PR89/099
• Norman Eadie, (Lieutenant-Colonel, 2/3 Australian General Hospital , 2/2 Casualty Clearing Station). Papers describe experiences of POW in Java, Singapore, Thailand, Borneo, Sumatra, Indo-China and Japan. Two documents cover the history of 2/2 Pioneer Battalion after capitulation in 1942 and conditions during transport of POWs from Java to Burma in 1942. PR90/043
• Sir Edward "Weary" Dunlop, The papers of Sir Edward Ernest Dunlop document his life from 1922 to 1993 and cover educational, military and prisoner of war experiences. PR00926
• Arthur Seaforth Blackburn, (Brigadier, VC, CMG, CBE, ED). Surrender of allied forces (including "Blackforce") Bandoeng, Java 12/03/1942. Blackburn instructs his troops as to discipline and behaviour. Medical staff elect to stay with their patients. Later notes on location of troops within the POW camp. EXDOC084
• Arthur Seaforth Blackburn, (Brigadier, VC, CMG, CBE, ED). Diary kept by Blackburn while a prisoner of the Japanese, covering April 1942 - November 1944. Discusses capitulation at Java and subsequent internment at numerous camps and treatment by Japanese. PR00014

Books/Articles

Books and articles available in the Research Centre include:

• E.F. Aitken, The story of the 2/2 nd Australian Pioneer Battalion (Melbourne: 2/2nd Pioneer Battalion Association, 1953)
• E.E. Dunlop, The war diaries of Weary Dunlop: Java and the Burma-Thailand Railway 1942-1945 (Melbourne: Nelson, 1986)
• Peter Henning, "Tasmanians in Timor 1941-42 ", Journal of the Australian War Memorial October (1984): 5
• Allan S. Walker, Middle East and Far East, Australia in the War of 1939-1945, Series 5 (Medical), vol. II (Canberra: Australian War Memorial, 1953)
• Lionel Wigmore, The Japanese thrust, Australia in the War of 1939-1945, Series 1 (Army), vol. IV (Canberra: Australian War Memorial, 1957) : Chapter 24 and 25 : maps of railway on pages 542 and 563