Does any one have relatives who were Jap prisoners of war my brother Joe Fearnehough was,

I don't have any relatives that were prisoners but many years ago I worked with an Ulsterman who was imprisoned by the Japanese and in my opinion they got what they deserved when the atom bomb was dropped on them. I regret the loss of civilian life but it sure brought the war to an end before all the prisoners were slaughtered which was part of the official plan. I suppose that in the present climate of political correctness this is construed as the U. S. being the bad guys again.

I don't have any relatives that were prisoners but many years ago I worked with an Ulsterman who was imprisoned by the Japanese and in my opinion they got what they deserved when the atom bomb was dropped on them. I regret the loss of civilian life but it sure brought the war to an end before all the prisoners were slaughtered which was part of the official plan. I suppose that in the present climate of political correctness this is construed as the U. S. being the bad guys again.

Yes, they dropped the atom bomb and shortened the war — with a WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION. They did the same in the first world war against the Germans — that time with flame-throwers, another WEAPON OF MASS DESTSRUCTION which was contrary to the Geneva Convention.

Not sure what your point is. The Japanese never signed the Geneva Convention and consequently carried out the most terrible atrocities against POWs. They experimented on them as well as civilians. Don't know what you're trying to suggest about flame-throwers in WW1 but they were extensively used in WW2 by all armies. Didn't the Germans use poison gas in WW1 which was against the Convention ? I also think that a case could be made for calling the machinegun a WMD at that point in time.

I find the use of gas by any side quite horrific but it is my understanding that although it is popularly believed that the German army was the first to use gas it was in fact initially deployed by the French. In the first month of the war, August 1914, they fired tear-gas grenades (xylyl bromide) against the Germans. Nevertheless the German army was the first to give serious study to the development of chemical weapons and the first to use it on a large scale. Various types of gas were used eg chlorine, phosgene & mustard.

As for the A bomb, if the Germans were first to develop it, or the Japanese, then I believe they would have used it. It was pretty much a question of who got there first.

Back on topic, I don't have any relatives who were Japanese POW's but I am led to believe a teacher of mine had been. Apparently 1 in 4 prisoners died.

Not sure what your point is. The Japanese never signed the Geneva Convention and consequently carried out the most terrible atrocities against POWs. They experimented on them as well as civilians. Don't know what you're trying to suggest about flame-throwers in WW1 but they were extensively used in WW2 by all armies. Didn't the Germans use poison gas in WW1 which was against the Convention ? I also think that a case could be made for calling the machinegun a WMD at that point in time.

You’re quite right, the Americans did use flame-throwers in the Second World War (I don’t like the American version WW2) and in the first world war. The Germans did use poison gas in the First World War, and you’re equally right about the use of the machine-gun which BOTH sides used. You’re also correct about the Japanese, but to kill many thousands of Japanese civilians was morally inexusable. I regret having to say this, but there was an uproar from America when terrorists used three WMD to hit the twin towers, but of course it was fine for them to use atomic bombs!

A relative of my cousin was a prisoner of the Japanese, he was put to work on the Burma Rd, I'm a bit vague about it but realised as I grew older that his life had been ruined. I called him Uncle Arther can't rmember his 2nd name. From what I remember when he came back he was in a terrible state especially his feet.

hazel

my grandad was a prisoner of war..........in burma i believe, i have a picture he took of some elephants being bathed.

he survived

hes dead now tho :(

You’re quite right, the Americans did use flame-throwers in the Second World War (I don’t like the American version WW2) and in the first world war. The Germans did use poison gas in the First World War, and you’re equally right about the use of the machine-gun which BOTH sides used. You’re also correct about the Japanese, but to kill many thousands of Japanese civilians was morally inexusable. I regret having to say this, but there was an uproar from America when terrorists used three WMD to hit the twin towers, but of course it was fine for them to use atomic bombs!
Get real. The bomb was dropped during wartime. Furthermore the Japanese were warned ahead of time and had the opportunity to surrender before both bombs were dropped and chose not to do so. All surviving allied prisoners were saved because of the bombs, this had to number a few thousand. Why not ask one of those if the bomb should have been dropped ?What about the civilians on both sides in Europe who were either incinerated or blown to bits with conventional bombs.There was no warning before the twin towers attack and there was no declared war at the time. I don't wish to insult you but I don't know what the colour of the sky is on your planet.

Well said, Chuffinell....

I have known three people who suffered at the hands of the Japanese during the second World War...

My uncle, who was 'lucky' enough to survive his incarceration, was never the same after getting home. A clever but quiet man, he was regarded as a 'bit simple' by outsiders for the rest of his life....

Also a neighbour who spent nearly two years in a prison camp, and who had been disfigured so badly by some torture, he continued to wear a glove on his left hand for the rest of his days. He never detailed the circumstances, not even to his wife and children.

Lastly, the head of a well-known (but now regretfully gone) local group of travel agencies : His feelings for the Japanese were so vehement that, even up to the 1980's, all Japan Air Lines representatives were barred entry to any of his offices.

Peterw, I feel that I owe you an apology for my choice of words used in addressing you in my last post. However much I try to rationalize it, it was a personal attack on you and I'm sorry. We are all entitled to our opinions and mine is a strong one regarding the a-bomb on Japan. It would appear that yours is equally strong but of the opposite view. My view is somewhat coloured by some of the stories I heard from the former workmate that I mentioned earlier.Let's agree to disagree and keep the thread on topic. Thanks.

Hi,

Ref; Japan's treatment of PoW's in the second world war.

I knew four who survived the Japanese prison camps. Three were dead by 1960. Only one survived to become a senior citizen.

If any of you younger people want to get a different perspective on this subject and are planning a trip to S.E.Asia any time soon, you might want to stop off in Thailand and visit a place called Kanchanaburi. Better still, take the train from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi (a 2-3 hour ride) and ride on up to Namkot, the end of what is left of the railway the Allied PoW's and locals virtually built with their bare hands. Known locally as the Death Railway. I worked in Thailand in 1993/94 and after my first visit, I kept being drawn back to the place.

When the project was first considered by the Japanese High Command, Army engineers said it would take five years to build a railway into Burma if they could get the right heavy equipment. But the PoW's and local people built it in 17 months with pick, shovel and their lives. There are about 3000 PoW buried in the cemetery in Kanchanaburi and about the same number in each of two cemeteries up the line. The rest are buried somewhere at the side of the track bed. It is also estimated that approx. 100,000 local people also lost their lives on the project. They died from mistreatment but principally from disease. The Red Cross were delivering the necessary medical supplies to the camps but this was confiscated by the Japanese.

None of this, you might say, was in accordance with the Geneva Convention or any other recognized standard for international behaviour.

Just a foot note or two:

At the end of the War, the British lifted up all the track in Burma before they left in 1946?. The section in Thailand, from Namkot to Three Pagoda's
Pass near the border, was abandoned.

Kanchanburi is also home to the Bridge over the River Kwai (The bridge is actually over a river called the Kwai Nor or Little Kwai). Its nothing like the bridge in the movie.

Incidentally, the bridge in the movie (it was shot in Sri Lanka) was designed in the Colombo Office of Husband and Co., Consulting Engineers, of Sheffield.

Regards

Arthur; Thank you all for your comments, the reason Iasked was my brother refused to talk about it saying things were so horrible he wanted to forget.

You’re quite right, the Americans did use flame-throwers in the Second World War (I don’t like the American version WW2) and in the first world war. The Germans did use poison gas in the First World War, and you’re equally right about the use of the machine-gun which BOTH sides used. You’re also correct about the Japanese, but to kill many thousands of Japanese civilians was morally inexusable. I regret having to say this, but there was an uproar from America when terrorists used three WMD to hit the twin towers, but of course it was fine for them to use atomic bombs!
I believe that the Germans were first to use flamethrowers in WW1.About the atomic bomb in WW2.If the bombs hadnt been dropped then Japan would have fought to extinction,military and civilian so everybody from Japan since then owes their live to the bombs.The Americans would have suffered terrible losses which might have affected their attitude to Europe post war and Russia would have entered the war on Japan.Russia would have had a major influence on the area after the war and who knows what would have happened.Japan were guilty of the worst crimes against people and still will not admit it.Their emperor survived without punishment.

You’re quite right, the Americans did use flame-throwers in the Second World War (I don’t like the American version WW2) and in the first world war. The Germans did use poison gas in the First World War, and you’re equally right about the use of the machine-gun which BOTH sides used. You’re also correct about the Japanese, but to kill many thousands of Japanese civilians was morally inexusable. I regret having to say this, but there was an uproar from America when terrorists used three WMD to hit the twin towers, but of course it was fine for them to use atomic bombs!

another lets bash america rant the atom bomb dropped on japan shortened the war against japan without it WWII may have carried on for ages costiing more lives both soldiers and civilians

as for flame throwers both sides in WWI used these germany used gas attacks in WWI by all accounts a trerrible way to die luckily no-one would ever use chemical weapons against an enemy in this day and age let alone their own countrymen would they?

Both my parents and their families were interned as British civilian POWs in Burma. My father was beaten on the knees and at one point faced a firing squad for beating up a Japanese soldier - he never spoke to us about it but suffered a great deal of pain throughout his life. They were perhaps more fortunate than most in that they were provided with food and during the day were allowed to work. One of the guards would warn them of air raids so they could avoid the 'hedgehoppers'. My Mum is nearly 90 and still remembers those days.

Both my parents and their families were interned as British civilian POWs in Burma. My father was beaten on the knees and at one point faced a firing squad for beating up a Japanese soldier - he never spoke to us about it but suffered a great deal of pain throughout his life. They were perhaps more fortunate than most in that they were provided with food and during the day were allowed to work. One of the guards would warn them of air raids so they could avoid the 'hedgehoppers'. My Mum is nearly 90 and still remembers those days.
Anybody who was a prisoner of the japanese has my total sympathy as many were treated very badly.The Japanese committed far more crimes than the Germans but suffered far less post war.I went to the Imperial War Museum a few years ago.1 floor was all about the extermination of the Jews by the Germans.Another floor was about crimes against humanity by nations.The Japanese were not mentioned as committing war crimes and they were the worst of all.

:( my grandad was gassed on the somme in 1916 & spent the rest of his life coughing his lungs up,his philosophy was -they started it-we finished it.as to the japs our ole fella was over there & saw summa the s**T the japs dished out to unarmed prisoners & colonial conquests[burmese etc]& allus said they were subhuman troops blinded by a pretend emperor even more fu***d up than adolph.as to the atom bomb-any 1 got relatives that fought on okinawa-say no more.after the surrounding islands fell recently declassified info shows the japs were gonna defend the homeland using P>O>W>S as human sandbags.they started it with a cowardly attack on pearl harbour & inadvertaintlly helped us achieve world peace,which we should strive to upkeep by any means nessescary.

Yes, they dropped the atom bomb and shortened the war — with a WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION. They did the same in the first world war against the Germans — that time with flame-throwers, another WEAPON OF MASS DESTSRUCTION which was contrary to the Geneva Convention.Lets not forget that the germans used poson gas in the first world war. America didn't join till 1917, the germans were using flame throwers long before that. I know you hate America but tell the truth once in your life.

Never had any relatives unfortunate enough to be taken prisoner by Japanese forces, but I did get to know, briefly, a guy who was. I worked for a short while on the G.P.O when they still did telephones, I got a job on a line gang, pulling cable through ducts.
The guy in question, his name was Earn, and I suppose that was short for Earnest, never did know his second name, had been captured, and became a P0W.
He was very quiet, thin as a rail, and worked like a demon.
I got his history second hand from the ganger, who was ex-world war two himself.
Apparently he had been forced to work on some Japanese railway project, but survived.
What got me though, was the fact that all he had, when he was released, was a bedroll and his loincloth, and that's all he had until he landed at Liverpool in the middle of winter. Bloody hell, they dont half look after you dont they.

I remember a friend of my late father(I called him uncle)was a japanese pow he was a sheffield man,hes probably long gone now havent seen/heard of him since I was a teenager his name was Lional Skinner,I remember him as being full of fun its only as an adult I realised what horrors he must of witnessed/suffered at their hands,I would imagine though that there were plenty of japanese soldiers not too keen on the inhuman treatment of prisoners!! its a bit like saying all german soldiers were like the ss/gestapo there are good and evil people in all races and lets be honest we cant be entirely admonished as regards prisoners treatment it may be a long time ago but hung drawn and quartered springs to mind!!!

There is a group in Japan which is researching the history of the POWs and their treatment. They are doing this both to help the families of those who died in the camps find out the truth about what happened, and also to educate their own citizens.

Two of the founders were awarded honrary MBEs earlier this year (links: UK Embassy, Japan (http://www.uknow.or.jp/be_e/embassy_news/E000471.htm), Daily Telegraph (http://homepage3.nifty.com/pow-j/j/20060531DT.gif)).

I contacted one of these ladies, Takaeko Sasamoto, when I was researching a family whose grave stone in Walkley Cemetery mentions a man who died in a camp in Japan. She sent me information from their database, which is now on line as part of this site POW Research Network Japan (http://homepage3.nifty.com/pow-j/e/).

Hugh

Hi
My husbands father was in Kanchanaburi pow camp. He is in his eighties now but has had various problems associated with that time. I think the people who genuinely suffered don't like to talk about it. He never really mentions it but has suffered since.

Not sure what your point is. The Japanese never signed the Geneva Convention and consequently carried out the most terrible atrocities against POWs. They experimented on them as well as civilians. Don't know what you're trying to suggest about flame-throwers in WW1 but they were extensively used in WW2 by all armies. Didn't the Germans use poison gas in WW1 which was against the Convention ? I also think that a case could be made for calling the machinegun a WMD at that point in time.
Youre 100% right in your comments. It appears to me that U.K. is full of people who in the name of PC wish to apologise [kow tow, or crawl if you wish] to any nation who they think we may have offended in the last 200 years. We are led by politicians of the same ilk. For all the posturing on Poppy Day, when you scratch the surface, there is little respect given to the men who made the big sacrifice.

Peterw, I feel that I owe you an apology...

I wish we saw more of this behavior on this forum. Bravo chuffinel.

On topic:
The guy that ran my Sunday School when I was a kid was a Japanese POW. He was the nicest person you could meet and a true 'Christian' in every sense other than turning the other cheek I guess. He would never forgive the Japanese for what they did to him and his fellow soldiers. To his dying day, he would not buy any Japanese product and I can still see the anger in his eyes if the subject was brought up. I can't imagine what he saw.

R.I.P William Porton.

My sisters' dad-in-law was a POW of the Japanese in wwII.

From what I heard from him and his family, he was extremely lucky to have made it through. Starved, tortured... He went through hell.

They also, apparently, never expected him to be up to having a family.

The first time I landed at Singapore airport I was so upset when I saw the sign Changi Airport, the name Changi was impressed in my memory from years ago.

My neighbour died in the Japanese prisoner of war camp at Changi.

His family wrote to him and sent parcels and they didn't know he was dead for four years.

I saw his mother and his sister taken into the asylum for long periods of treatment after they found out about his plight.

They were released for periods but they could never sustain a normal life, it was so upsetting to see them.

They both went to their graves in a state of madness.

It wasn't just the soldiers who suffered from the inhumanity of the Japanese, some of their families went through mental hell.

You couldn't imagine how they would feel everytime they read about the cruel treatment their sons, fathers, brothers or husbands were suffering.

Sometimes it makes me wonder if two A bombs were enough.

Unhappy Days!

I keep looking at this thread and wondering if I should reply..I was born during the war..1942....I only know what I have read or seen in films/docu's etc...The war, to my knowledge never touched me directly but I know now that I was protected from a lot of it by my parents.
My son was born in Changi Hospital in 64....I saw many memorials to the people that suffered during my 2 years in Singapore.

I now have a Japanese daughter-in-law who wasn't born at the time of the war, but when my son brought her over here for the first time, she had a male stick his face in hers and scream abuse at her in the street in London.

She fortunately didn't understand his words but understood the hatred in his expression.

I went to Japan about 10 years ago and I have to say was treated very well by everyone I met. I even took off to visit the local shops on my own and with just maybe two words of Japanese.

I don't know what my point is in posting this, maybe its to ask should I feel guilty or what, or should I have just ignored it seeing as I can't really add to it.

I was just searching for wartime threads while looking for something else.

This thread has touched me & I wanted to reanimate it.

My wife's family had a chap who was deep underground in a Japanese mine when one of the atom bombs was detonated overhead.

The POW miners & their captors remained underground for some time untill they were able to emerge & evacuate the area.

I never met the guy - I wish I had.

Just heard the stories about him.