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Stolen Years: Australian prisoners of war - Civilian internees

  • Introduction
  • First World War
  • Second World War
  • Korean War
  • Prisoners of the Germans
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  • Prisoners of the Japanese

 

Civilians were interned by the Japanese all over Asia. Australian civilians were held in China, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Borneo, the Netherlands East Indies, Malaya and Singapore.

In Singapore about 2,400 civilians, mainly from the British Commonwealth, were held in Changi Gaol from 1942 to 1944, and later in the Syme Road camp. Some men were sent to labour on the Burma–Thailand Railway, where they worked and died alongside military prisoners. Most remained in Singapore. As with military prisoners, they had to grow their own food and look after the sick, without the benefit of the medical and technical skills of the soldiers.

The internees included dozens of children. They experienced a traumatic childhood, suffering from hunger and diseases and missing out on vital years of schooling.

Collection Item C202802

Accession Number: 118588

Civilians in Kuching camp in September 1945. Though still thin, they already show signs of the increased rations they had received in the days following their liberation.

Collection Item C990166

Accession Number: P03770.001

Civilian internees lived in crowded, insanitary conditions such as this one, in Java, for over three years. This photograph was taken after the war’s end in 1945, when food and medical supplies had begun to arrive.
 

Prisoners of the Japanese

  • Surrender
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  • Ambon & Hainan
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  • War Crimes

Last updated: 14 November 2019

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Your generous donation will be used to ensure the memory of our Defence Forces and what they have done for us, and what they continue to do for our freedom remains – today and into the future.

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Places of Pride, the National Register of War Memorials, is a new initiative designed to record the locations and photographs of every publicly accessible memorial across Australia.

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The Australian War Memorial is open for visitors as we work to expand our galleries. All visitors require a free timed ticket to enter the Memorial Galleries and attend the Last Post Ceremony.

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The Australian War Memorial acknowledges the traditional custodians of country throughout Australia. We recognise their continuing connection to land, sea and waters. We pay our respects to elders past and present.
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The Australian War Memorial

Treloar Crescent
Campbell ACT 2612
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The Australian War Memorial

Treloar Crescent

Campbell ACT 2612

Australia

 

Opening Hours

10 am to 5 pm daily (except Christmas Day)

 

In preparation for the daily Last Post Ceremony,

galleries are progressively closed from 4 pm.

 

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