ARTICLES & STORIES

FORGOTTEN NATION . . . FORGOTTEN HEROES - A South African Remembers

By Mark Wilkie – with introduction from Michael Hurst  MBE

     Among the more than 4,350 allied prisoners of war held on Taiwan during World War II there were ten South Africans: Lambert  Rees, Lieut. Royal Engineers; William Reid, Spr. Royal Engineers; John M. Henderson, Pte. Royal Army Service Corps, and recently discovered (2022-23) - Frederick N. Croft, Capt. Royal Engineers; Stuart E. Dawson, Lieut. Royal Engineers, Michael P. Wright, Lieut. Royal Engineers, Pte. George Mills, 2nd Btn. East Surrey Reg't., Edward B. Rice, Grp/Capt. Royal Air Force, Maj/Gen. Berthold W. Key, Commander of the...

OTHER COMMONWEALTH PRISONERS OF WAR IN TAIWAN. . .

The story of the five Canadian and two New Zealand prisoners of war in Taiwan during World War II.

(Updated March 20, 2026)

     The Taiwan POW Camps Memorial Society wants to ensure that the memory of all the former Taiwan POWs - including those from the other Commonwealth countries of Canada, New Zealand and South Africa are remembered, as well as those from the countries that had the majority of POWs on Taiwan.

     In addition to the British, American, Dutch and Australian POWs who made up most of the prisoners held by...

THE KINKASEKI MEMORIAL - HOW IT ALL BEGAN. . .

THE STORY OF THE KINKASEKI MEMORIAL

     The war was over; the Japanese, who had ruled Taiwan for 50 years, left the island, and the Taiwan Metal Mining Co. took over the operation of what had been the largest copper mine in the Japanese Empire. The prisoners of war who had been forced to slave in the dark depths of the mine were also gone, repatriated home to rebuild their lives.

     In time - the ore having run out, the mine eventually closed. Tall grass overgrew the mine sites, and the mine equipment...

THE KINKASEKI COPPER MINE

     Taken from an Allied intelligence report on POW Camps and conditions on Formosa compiled in October 1945. . .

     "The Kinkaseki Copper Mine had the largest output of copper in the Japanese Empire. It was a commercial enterprise, although run along military lines - with the foremen and staff wearing insignia denoting seniority or rank. The main mine head was situated one mile from the Kinkaseki Prisoner-of-War Camp.

     Although mining conditions universally are severe, it is to be emphasized that few can equal the hazards of this mine....

LIFE AS A PRISONER

Conditions in the Kinkaseki Camp...

..." the food was never enough - the meager rice ration was supplemented at morning and night by about ½ pint of watery vegetable soup. . . we only had two thin blankets and had to sleep on wooden boards with only about 1 ½ feet of space per man... at every conceivable opportunity the guards would find an excuse to hit us.

. . .we were screamed at, shouted at, slapped, kicked and bashed. . . for the slightest infringement (of the rules) anyone could be sentenced to the...

THE KINKASEKI MEMORIAL DEDICATION

     On Sunday November 23rd 1997, the final chapter in the story of Kinkaseki was written, as over 150 friends and supporters gathered in the park that now stands on the site of the former POW camp, to dedicate the memorial to the more than 1,000 Kinkaseki Prisoners of War and those who were held in all the other prisoner of war camps on Taiwan. The weather was appropriate - slightly cloudy, but bright; a lovely fall day in Taiwan.

     Present with us for the dedication ceremony were three former Kinkaseki POWs -...

THE REST OF THE STORY. . .

by Michael Hurst - from the Winter 2001 newsletter

     Early in December 2001, I read an article in an American POW newsletter by historian Greg Michno, who had written a soon to be published book on the subject of the hellships, called 'Death on the Hellships'. Greg had somehow obtained official Japanese records and decrypts of sailing rosters and orders for all of the convoys and ships carrying POWs. He also had captured records and documents, plus offical US Navy records showing ships sunk, places and dates. His research is exhausting, and he finally corrects...

JAPAN’S UNWARRANTED CRITICISMS

June 2004. . .

     We recently received an article relating to the news that Japan had condemned the atrocities committed by American troops on some of the Iraqi prisoners of war. While these acts are certainly not right and should be condemned, as the following article points out, Japan is hardly in any position to criticize the actions of a few soldiers when their entire military was responsible for the slaughter of tens of thousands of prisoners of war held under their jurisdiction during World War II.

     In addition to this, hundreds...