During World War 2 the treatment of the Australian prisoners during the war was horrific. In World War 2 37 000 Australians became prisoners of war (POW's) including over 22 000 servicemen and about 40 nurses within different campaigns. At the end of World War 2 one- third of the prisoners had died. Most of the prisoners died due to disease or being executed. Australian prisoners were captured in various campaigns by the Germans, Italians and Japanese. They were captured in places such as Germany, Japan, Burma, Thailand, Borneo, Manchuria, Indochina, Formosa and Korea.
Prisoners captured by the Japanese were divided into work parties so that they could provide forced labor for the Japanese army. Due to the Japanese belief of death before dishonour they were unprepared for the large numbers of prisoners captured. Changi in Singapore was the main Japanese POW camp where the prisoners were sent to. Changi was a probably one of the smaller camps that had to accommodate about 15 000 prisoners when the facilities were designed for about 1500 prisoners. Life was a daily struggle for survival. Harsh working conditions and severe lack of food, water and medical treatment lead to many deaths within the camps. In total around 22,000 Australians were taken prisoner by the Japanese during the war and 8,000 of them died in captivity.
Approximately 8,500 Australian soldiers and airmen were captured by the Germans in North Africa and Greece. Although Germany had signed the 1929 Geneva Convention the prisoners often faced severe climate conditions and lack of food. Because of the large numbers and human devastation in Asia the Germans POW’S are sometimes forgotten. They too survived hunger, disease and dehydration. “A week in cattle trucks in the height of sweltering summer ... no seats or other amenities. All of us weak and suffering from diarrhoea, many with bleeding bowels and no sanitary arrangements whatsoever”.
Australians captured in North Africa became prisoners of the Italians. Some Italian camps were badly run and others were easier. Even after Italy surrendered in 1943 prisoners who were not able to escape were sent to German POW camps to sit out the rest of the war.
"POW stories are central to Australia's history in World War Two," Says Dr Lachlan Grant. "Prisoners of war accounted for half of our combat losses and 1-in-3 POWs died." The ongoing physical and mental issues for those that did survive would last for decades.
After the surrender of Japan and Germany it would still take many months before all POW’s were returned to Australia. They were welcomed home as both soldiers and prisoners and have become a part of the ANZAC legend.