澳媒对亚包中国战俘的报导——流放在热带丛林中的抗日将士(附13)

    澳媒对亚包中国战俘的报导——流放在热带丛林中的抗日将士(附13)

有证据显示，澳军在解放亚包之前，并不清楚这里还有700-800名中国军队战俘被日军作为劳工，从中国运来，关押于此，强制劳役。下面的报道，显示澳军在1945年9月初登陆亚包之后，了解到这批作为苦工的中国军人的存在。

CHINESE TROOPS AMONG JAPS ON GAZELLE PENINSULA
(From Our Correspondent, Eric Thornton)  

RABAUL, Tuesday.  

Unexpectedly, 748 Chinese soldiers from the Nationalist forces have been discovered among Asiatic prisoners of war, 8,000 of whom are scattered throughout 50 camps on Gazelle Peninsula.  

They are the remnants of double that number of Nankinese, originally brought here. The others died from maltreatment at the hands of the Japanese. Some were captured in the days of the infamous rape of Nanking in 1937.

As the Australian party approached a company of about 20 yesterday the Chinese were holding a large banner, inscribed, “The road to victory was success. Welcome victory for our friends of the Australian Imperial Forces."

The interpreter between the Australians and Chinese was Tim Keong, who was known as Timothy Mac when he attended Wesley College, Melbourne, before the war.

The Canberra Times, Wednesday 19 September 1945, p.1.