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V.C. BEATEN
UP
Brig. Blackburn's
Life As P.O.W.
Australian Associated Press
TOKIO, December 2.
The hero of Bataan, Gen.
Wainwright, and other high-<*>
ranking Allied officers held in
Formosa prison camp were
"often beaten ?ip by ordinary
Japanese sentries either for no
offence or for an offence so trivial
that they did not know they bad
committed it," said Brig., A. S.
Blackburn, VC, of Adelaide, when
giving evidence before the War
Crimes Tribunal today.
Such beatings, he said, were
dally occurrences. They were de
liberate and were done under the
orders of Japanese army officers in
command of the camp.
All Allied officers of the rank of
colonel and upwards were confined
to camp as wel 1 as high-ranking
civilians. These he saw beaten In
cluded Gen. Sir Arthur Percival
(C-in-c, Singapore, at the time of
the surrender), and the Governors
of Hongkong and AXalaya.
The prisoners were beaten with
rifle butts and sticks. They were
kicked and slugged on the least
provocation. Brig. Blackburn con
tinued. It was almost impossible
to keep from being beaten up. The
Japanese camp commander told
the prisoners. "You are regarded as
criminals for fighting Japan. It is
only through the MnHnfut of the
Japanese Government that you axe
stQl alive."
BrU,-. Blackburn said that once
he himself was stripped and held
by two guards while an officer
severely beat him for refusing to
promise not to attempt to escape.
A favorite trick was for Japanese
guards to bide behind boshes
between the sleeping quarters and
the latrine at night, and then to
beat up prisoners because they
failed to see the guards and to
bow to them. He was a victim of
this trick three times.
Cross -examined. Brig. Blackburn
testified that at least three times
Japanese junior officers had in
formed high-ranking Allied pri
soners that "they disapproved of
our treatment, but could do noth
ing about it because it was the
system laid down."
Japanese generals had inspected
their barracks several times, but
there had been no improvement In
their terrible conditions.
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