Denny Neave - Aussie Soldier: Prisoners of War

First published in 2009

Copyright Denny Neave and Craig Smith 2009

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) allows a maximum of one chapter or 10 percent of this book, whichever is the greater, to be photocopied by any educational institution for its education purposes provided that the education institution (or body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to the Copyright Agency Ltd (CAL) under the act.

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Big Sky Publishing Pty Ltd

17 Rilatt Street

Wavell Heights, QLD, 4012

Australia

The National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry

Author: Neave, Denny, 1970

Title: Aussie Soldier Prisoners of War/Denny Neave, Craig Smith.

ISBN: 9780980325157 (pbk.)

Subjects: Prisoners of War--Australia.

Australia--History, Military--20th century.

Other authors/contributors:

Smith, Craig (Craig Edwin)

Dewey Number: 355.1120994

Senior Editor: Alistair Mival

Proofreading and edit: Diane Evans, Sharon Evans and Anna Kassulke

Cover and layout design: Think Productions

Typesetting by Think Productions

Printed in Australia by Ligare Pty Ltd

Cover photography courtesy Australian War Memorial

Main photo: AWM Negative Number E00985: Studio portrait of an unidentified First World War soldier in Australian service uniform, including greatcoat and slouch hat.

Photo insert: AWM Negative Number 11702: Singapore,1945. Members of the 2/18th Aust Infantry Battalion ex-prisoners of war of the Japanese, looking out of an opening in the wall of their native hut at the Changi Gaol.

This book is dedicated to all Australian prisoners of war and their families for all they endured during their service. They share a common bond: knowing what it is like to fight for freedom only to have it removed from them. And yet they never stopped fighting.

Contents

Acknowledgments

This instalment in the Aussie Soldier series was made possible thanks to many people. Firstly, and most importantly, to the soldiers, who gave up their time to fill out questionnaires and be interviewed. They shared some of their most treasured and personal memories with us, some of which were extremely difficult to recount. Both Craig and I were touched by the humanity and courage these soldiers exhibited. Their bodies may not be as they once were, but their minds are as sharp as they were sixty years ago. It was truly a privilege and honour to talk to them. To the family members of those soldiers who have passed away, thank you for sharing your loved ones personal records. The pride you feel can now be shared with an entire nation. A complete list of contributors to Aussie Soldier Prisoners of War can be found at the end of the book.

To the organisations that do such a fantastic job preserving our heritage: The Australian War Memorial, the National Library of Australia, the State Library of South Australia, the State Library of Victoria, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defence and the Australians At War Film Archives have again provided invaluable resources and given permission for all the material we requested to be reproduced, including official records, personal records and photos. Your support, and that of your front line staff, is very much appreciated.

Military and unit associations again played a significant role in spreading the word and helping us locate contributors. The majority of these associations are run by volunteers who work tirelessly to keep their members informed and their units histories alive. Included here is Bill Rudd, who has researched and built a fantastic website, AIF POW Freemen in Europe. Your assistance in finding POWs who served in Europe is appreciated. To Lieutenant Colonel Peter Winstanley OAM RFD (retired), who has built a similar website that keeps the memories of the POWs under the Japanese alive. The site Prisoners of War of the Japanese 19421945 and your help in providing contacts, has also proven extremely valuable. To Olwyn Green OAM, thank you for sharing and allowing access to your interviews with the Korean veterans. To Paul Rea, author of Voices from the Fortress, thank you very much for writing the Epilogue and the story of Walter Steilberg. Your uncovering of the truth of Terezn concentration camp and the Australian soldiers it held is commendable.

To the publishing fraternity for granting permission to reprint previously published material your understanding and approval has meant that many memories can be resurrected. In particular, I would like to thank the following for their permissions: Don Wall Publishing for The Heroes of F Force. The Department of Veterans Affairs for Sandakan 19421945 and Stolen Years: Australian prisoners of war. The Australian Broadcasting Commission for extracts from interviews conducted on Four Corners, Lateline and Compass.

To our families for their patience and understanding during another year of research and writing. To Craigs family, Sheree and boys Andrew, Matthew, James and Daniel and to my family, Sharon, Ziggi and Jaz. We can now all have that Christmas break!

Finally to the team at Big Sky Publishing and others who have helped shape this book. To senior editor, Alistair Mival, and sub-editors Sharon Evans, Diane Evans and Anna Kassulke, we are grateful for your effort and patience in dotting those Is and crossing those Ts. And to Pat Kan and his crew at Think Productions, your layout, design and typesetting are once again spot on.

Nearly 35,000 Australian service personnel were taken prisoner during the Boer War, World War 1, World War 2 and the Korean War. Surviving as a POW demanded extremes of courage, defiance and mateship from our servicemen and women. For many, their greatest victory would be to simply stay alive and make it home; this required as much strength of character as fighting on the front line. Those who survived to tell their tales of extreme suffering and hardship also carried with them the memories of those who died. The many moving stories about survivors and their comrades who never saw Australia again have become integral to our national identity.