Documents reveal horrors mistreated New Zealand war prisoners endured

This is horrific, removing of breast and other documentation reveal horrors mistreated New Zealand war prisoners endured

Documents that have been declassified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade have revealed the sordid actions of enemy soldiers committing war crimes during World War II.
Among the letters detailing poor treatment is an account from one Norma Smallfield, who said she was living with her husband in British North Borneo in May 1942 when they were captured and detained.


"With 48 other women and children I was interned in the convent at Jesselton," Smallfield said.

"We were stationed at the convent for about four months. We were [then] transferred to Kuching Internment camp in Sarawak. We travelled to Kuching for five days by ship.

"Conditions on the ship were very crowded, no sleeping accommodation was provided other than the deck, half of which was used by the Japanese soldiers."

Smallfield, who was 48 when she was captured by the Japanese, said there were several times when women were attacked by soldiers while they were prisoners.

"Sometime about January 1945, I cannot remember the exact date, I was witness to a beating given to Mrs Caroline Bishop, an internee, by a Japanese guard," she said in one example.

"I do not remember the name of this guard. He was referred to as 'Caroline's friend' because of the beating he had given Mrs Bishop."

She said Mrs Bishop was punched at least 14 times because she would not remove a head band while cooking, and the commandant of the camp later made an order that women were indeed allowed to wear head bands while cooking meals.

The newly-released documents are available for viewing at Archives New Zealand in Wellington.

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