17-6-23 Garand Picture of the Day - More red arrow

[Mark in Rochester]

Exhausted Jap Prisoner Observed by Americans – American soldiers on the Buna front watch an exhausted Japanese prisoner. This picture is one of several release by the Army from among those made by Edward Widdis, Associated Press photographer, who was encamped with the fighting forces just 100 yards behind the front in Buna.” Associate Press photo dated 12-18-42.

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[Flying10uk]

I take it that it's a Japanese soldier taken prisoner by the Americans rather than a Allied soldier that had been held by the Japanese that's just been released? It's amazing how thin the man is but the awful truth is that the Japs expected British, American, Australian and other allied prisoners of war to do slave labour in this condition. It's little wonder that so many died in Japanese hands as prisoners of war and never saw their families again.

[browningautorifle]

Looks like a Hawley helmet liner on the guy kneeling at front. Big fat rim on it. '42 would be about right, you don't see those much after time passed...

[Paul S.]

I take it that it's a Japanese soldier taken prisoner by the Americans rather than a Allied soldier that had been held by the Japanese that's just been released? It's amazing how thin the man is but the awful truth is that the Japs expected British, American, Australian and other allied prisoners of war to do slave labour in this condition. It's little wonder that so many died in Japanese hands as prisoners of war and never saw their families again.

As memory serves from my readings years ago, the Japanese forces at Buna - and elsewhere in PNG - were so short of rations that some at least resorted to cannibalism and ate Allied dead. As I recall, they weren't above killing, butchering and eating Allied wounded as well.

[CINDERS]

#4 yes they resorted to that a fact which infuriated our troops along with torturing them so others could hear, the chances of a IJA soldier being taken back alive by the ausie troops was very slender indeed not that they were tied to a tree and bayoneted but I dare say a mag or two would have sufficed.
I used to know some vets whom would not talk to a Japanese person or asian for that matter.

Get a book called "The Knights of Bushido" its all there in every gory detail from chemical experiments, killing allied air crew, eating livers extracted from living patients, vivi sections on living persons tied down till they died with no anesthetic on and on.............
Its stable mate is "The scourge of the Swastika" both books are by Lord Russel of Liverpool

[Paul S.]

Mate, I grew up knowing a few old blokes who had been captured at Singapore and others who had fought their way along the Kokoda Trail and sometimes (usually on ANZAC Day after the pubs closed) would hear them talking with my dad. I'm not a fan of Japan.

[Flying10uk]

I believe that my father knew a veteran who served in the Far East against the Japs and I believe that the veteran use to say that generally they "shot first and asked questions later" when coming into contact with Japanese soldiers. This was because you never knew what dirty tricks the Japs were going to play if you tried to take them prisoner.

[Mark in Rochester]

I recall reading on one of the island campaigns the Japanese forced their Korean slave/prostitutes to stand naked and exposed with out cover and concealment in hopes of distracting the Marines - Marines did not fall for it