Prisoners of War under Japanese rule could find themselves imprisoned in a myriad of camps, of particular interest were those at Changi POW camp, and those condemned to build the Thai-Burma Railway. Following the Fall of Singapore, “the greatest capitulation in British History” (Winston S Churchill) and the subsequent capture of 80,000 Allied Prisoners of War (POW) by the Japanese condemned these men to a torturous imprisonment of varying degrees, depending on where one went. In Changi, to the far east of Singapore Island, prisoners were henned in like free range animals. Largely left to their own devices, these men created a sanctuary under uncharacteristic benign Japanese rule. Other men however were fated to build the Thai-Burma railway,…show more content… Truly both sets of men suffered a horrific fate, however, as it will be seen, the experiences on the Thai-Burma railway are unparalleled by any from Changi.
Changi POW Camp occupied Selarang Barracks, a British settlement that would once again house their troops, as prisoners. Surprisingly the Japanese simply didn’t interfere in the prisoners affairs, men still found themselves under the command of their officers and largely had the day to themselves. The camp itself was benign and this allowed the men to shape their path. An aspect of camp that highlights this freedom was the establishment of a university. The institution drew upon several men’s expertise in fields such as mathematics and latin to enlighten their fellow comrades. It is astounding that these men had the freedom as prisoners to enlighten themselves in the finer aspects of mathematics. Truly the only notable instance of Japanese cruelty occurred September, 1942. Japanese ordered all prisoners to sign an oath stating they wouldn’t attempt an escape in light of recent escape attempts. Allied leadership refused, and consequently all prisoners were confined within a single square.…show more content… A 415 Kilometre track through the dense jungle typical of tropical South East Asia, cut into the side of mountains, sometimes even through hills (in the case of Hellfire Pass) and across a multitude of streams and rivers. 62,000 POWs would form experiences of Japanese rule vastly different to their Changi counterparts. Foremostly, these men were enslaved to work the railway, a formidable task confounded by Japanese brutality and cruelty. Vastly different to the Changi’s benign prison sentence that included no forced labor. The treatment of these men was inconceivably inhumane, heralded partly by Japanese attitude and ‘honour’, Japanese values dictates no man who surrendered deserved to be treated humanely. These men were dogs, their lives at the whim at the behest of their guards. E.E.Dunlop recounts the beatings. “hammering over the face and head with wooden clogs, repeatedly thrown to the ground…kicking in the stomach and scrotum and ribs... When the men fell to the ground, they were somehow got to their feet by such painful stimuli as the above and the dose was repeated.” Prisoners were fed a starvation diet, for some their daily meal was a handful of maggot infested rice. A dire consequence of this diet was the severe malnutrition suffered by some. Beriberi, a vitamin deficiency disease was particularly rife among prisoners. The great demand for workers also placed great
