AMERICAN AIRMEN'S MEMORIAL SERVICE - SUNDAY JUNE 14TH

     Once again the Taiwan POW Camps Memorial Society held a service to honour and remember the American airmen who were shot down over Taiwan during raids on the island from October 1944 to May 1945.                   A number of these men died, and those who survived were held in the former Taipei Prison.

     We remember those who were incarcerated in the prison under terrible conditions, and especially the 14 young airmen who were needlessly murdered there 81 years ago at this place.

     The ceremony took place by the American Airmen’s Memorial plaque on the wall of the old Taipei Prison on Sunday, June 14th at 11:00 am. More than 30 supporters and friends attended the service, including representatives from the American Institute in Taiwan, the ROC Veterans Affairs Commission, the French War Graves Memorial Society, and the VFW and MOTH veterans groups..

          The old wall of the former Taipei Prison is located at Lane 44, Jinshan South Road Sec. 2, Taipei. [金山南路2段44巷 - for taxi ] about a block south of Xinyi Road on the west side of the street. The lane and the wall are right next to the Chunghwa Telecom Building. The memorial site is also just a short walk from Dongmen MRT Station Exit # 3.

     We thank all those who joined with us in remembering the sacrifice of those who fought and died for the freedom that we enjoy today. 

THE PRICE THAT WAS PAID – WE WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER. . .

APRIL – A MONTH TO REMEMBER

  The month of April holds special memories for all the veterans, POWs and their families who have a connection to those who were involved in the Pacific War.

BATAAN SURRENDER AND DEATH MARCH

      On April 9th 1942, after five months of intense fighting, with the Japanese onslaught on the Philippines taking its      toll in lives, along with the fact that hundreds of his soldiers were suffering from diseases and starvation, Commanding General Edward P. King decided to end the misery and ordered the men to surrender. He told them, “You did not surrender, I ordered you to surrender”, and for the next three years as a prisoner of war, he wondered what would happen to him after the war for making that decision.

      Upwards of 75,000 American and Filipino troops were surrendered and immediately the Japanese began their reign of terror on the already sick and starving POWs. Having no reliable means to transport their captives to prison camps, the Japanese decided to make the men walk the 65 miles to Camp O’Donnell in north-central Luzon. The march began at Mariveles on the southern end of the Bataan peninsula where the American and Filipino forces had fought fiercely trying to hold back and defeat the superior Japanese.

      The march became known as the Bataan Death March and one of the greatest atrocities of World War II in the Pacific, as the men were forced to walk – helping those unable to do so, in unbearable tropical heat with little water and almost no food. Men who fell out of the line to try to get a drink from puddles along the road were shot or bayoneted and those who could no longer walk were simply shot, bayoneted or run over by Japanese trucks and tanks. It is estimated that between 600 – 700 Americans and perhaps as many as 12,000 Filipinos perished on the march.

     April 9th has become known as POW-MIA Day in America and is now remembered every year with various ceremonies and marches. (One thing should be noted here – none of the men who were surrendered at the fall of Corregidor the following month were involved in the Death March as it was over before the island fell on May 5th.)                

Photos showing the surrender, capture, the men on the Death March and the fate of so many.

POW ESCAPE IN TAIWAN

     Another tragedy happened on April 1st 1943 related to the Taichu POW Camp in Taiwan. Taiwan’s only POW escape attempt took place on the night of February 28th when one British and one American POW decided to escape from the camp.

     The men had heard that the Japanese would not go into the mountains in fear of the aboriginal people living there who would kill them, so the two young men figured that if they could reach the mountains the local people there might protect them and they would be safe in their village. So they stuffed their beds and telling no-one, they escaped in the night. There was a terrific uproar in the camp the following morning with the Kempeitai severely beating all of the men in the hut from where the escape took place.

     Sadly, after  several days on the run, the two men were caught on March 4th and brought in chains back to the camp where they were severely beaten up and held in solitary confinement in the punishment cells or ‘iceboxes’ as the POWs called them. They remained there for several days, being constantly beaten all that time. Then on March 6th the men were brought before the rest of the camp and they were so badly beaten that they were unrecognizable by their mates. The camp commandant told the assembly, “Take a good look at your friends for you will not see them again”.

      The two men were taken to the Japanese 8th Unit Detention Centre, and then on April 1st they were murdered there by a firing squad. Their bodies were returned and buried in the POW camp cemetery.

BATTLE OF OKINAWA

      Two years later in 1945, April once again held a significant event for the Americans and the Allies – that was the invasion of the island of Okinawa as the allied forces made their way closer to Japan. On April 1st the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific Theatre of World War II began and continued for 62 days until the island was finally overrun and cleared of Japanese and Okinawan defenders in June. Included with the allied forces were elements of the British Royal Navy and Fleet Air Arm, along with Australian, Canadian, New Zealand and South African personnel.

     It was the bloodiest battle of the Pacific war. The defenders put up a terrific resistance resulting in the deaths of from 14,000 – 20,000 allied personnel and tens of thousands of Japanese military along with civilian Okinawans. Upon completion of the battle and the occupation of the island, it put the Allies just one step closer to the Japanese homeland and from which the planned conquest of the Japanese main islands would be launched.

   Onto the Okinawa beaches         Fighting  the enemy     By the cross of a mate        The Okinawa Memorial

      There is  a memorial to all those killed in the battle located at the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum which was established in 1975 on Mabuni Hill, next to the “Suicide Cliffs” where the Battle of Okinawa ended.  The 'Cornerstone of Peace Memorial' is a semi-circular avenue of stones engraved with the names of all the dead from the Battle of Okinawa, organized by nationality (or by ethnicity for Okinawans, Chinese, Taiwanese and Koreans). I visited Okinawa in 2016 and spent some time at the museum and the memorial park. I found one plinth with the names of those from the British Commonwealth engraved on it. More than 240,000 names are carved on 32 huge black marble panels commemorating all those who died in the conflict. It was sobering to see.

The sacrifice of so many military and civilians is something that must not be forgotten and never repeated!

MAY WE NEVER FORGET !

UPCOMING SCHEDULE OF EVENTS . . .

Please try to join with us in honouring and remembering those who gave us our freedom at the following events: 

SATURDAY, AUGUST 15TH: FEPOW (FAR EAST PRISONER OF WAR) DAY -  A day to remember and honour all of the Allied POWs (military and civilian) held in Taiwan and across Asia by the Japanese in WWII. This is the 19th year it has been celebrated in Taiwan. The event is held in the SPOT THEATRE - 18, Zhongshan North Road Sec. 2 (台北市中山北路二段18號) in downtown Taipei near the Zhongshan MRT Station (台北之家－光點電影院). Doors open at 6 pm.

   As in previous years there will be a display of WWII POW and military artifacts; a short memorial service to remember the POWs, and then a movie “TBA” will be shown. More information will be forthcoming closer to the date.I

REMEMBRANCE WEEK & REMEMBRANCE DAY:  Our 29th annual Remembrance Week event will take place from NOVEMBER 4th - 11th with Remembrance Day on SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8TH. Overseas families of the former POWs and all interested are invited to participate in a week of visits to the former Taiwan camps, memorial services, local sightseeing and a very special Remembrance Day service held in the former Kinkaseki POW Camp on SUNDAY NOVEMBER 8th.

Assistance in planning your visit is available and for more information please email the Society at www.powtaiwan.org. We hope to see many guests in November. Local announcements for Remembrance Day service will be forthcoming.

Please be sure to mark your calendar and datebooks for these important events.

SPRING-SUMMER 2026 NEWSLETTER NOW AVAILABLE . . .  

The Society's Spring-Summer 2026 newsletter "Never Forgotten" is up on our website now.

Click here for the direct link to the page. It is also available from the link on the 'homepage' below in the "What's New on the Website" section.

You can also access the newsletter - and all of our previous ones, by looking in the 'Society Section' of our website and clicking on the Spring-Summer 2026 Newsletter in the newsletters box.

We hope you are having a good year and thank you for your continued interest and support for our work of remembering the Taiwan Prisoners of War. Have a safe and happy summer.

'NEVER FORGOTTEN' - THE TAIWAN POWS' STORY. . . 

    We are happy to announce that with the 2nd printing of  'Never Forgotten. . . The story of the Japanese Prisoner of War Camps in Taiwan during World War II', by Society director, Michael Hurst MBE, the book is once more available for purchase by ordering directly from the POW Society.

     This is the only book ever written that provides the complete, little-known story of all the Taiwan Prisoner of War camps and the men who were interned in them. Whether for POW family members, historians or others, you will find this a fascinating book.

Description: Softcover Book: 23.5 cm x 16.5 cm (9 1/2 x 6 1/2 inch) format, with cover photo featuring the sculpture of the two POWs in the Taiwan Prisoner of War Memorial Park in Jinguashi, Taiwan. The book contains 620 pages of text and is lavishly illustrated with 850 photos, POW artwork and ephemera (many in colour). Printed on high-quality glossy paper, they visually enhance this epic saga making its 32 chapters and appendices come alive for the reader.

Summary: This highly researched history of the little-known Japanese POW camps on Taiwan in World War II features the accounts of former Taiwan prisoners of war through numerous interviews, the collection of materials supplied by them and their families, and thousands of hours spent poring over their diaries and letters, as well as other material from war records, regimental diaries and archives. It is their story, told in their words from what they have shared with the author, and that which was discovered during 24 years of research. This is a must read for anyone interested in the history of World War II and the prisoners of war in the Far East.

For those wishing to purchase a copy, two easy methods of payment are possible. Check out 'THE BOOK'  page for further information and details for payment. Once we receive payment, the book will be shipped within 1 – 2 days, and included with every book is a complimentary bookmark.

Thinking about buying the book - want to see what others who have purchased it said about it? For more details, and to read the comments and reviews, kindly click on 'THE BOOK' page in the menu on the left and scroll down to read the reviews. 

Those wanting a book can contact the Society from overseas - and also locally in Taiwan, by email to order a copy. Thank you for helping to honour those men who suffered and died for our freedom, and for helping to keep their story and memory alive!

2026 - A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT TAIWAN TO REMEMBER AND HONOUR A LOVED ONE!

GOOD NEWS: Our POW camp tours program is in full swing and we are getting many requests for camp tours. We invite the families of former POWs, military historians, researchers and anyone interested, to contact us regarding setting up a possible tour.

     We highly recommend that persons wishing to visit Taiwan do so during our annual Remembrance Week Event which is held every year in mid-November in the week around Remembrance Day. At that time we organize visits to the camps and arrange memorial services. Participants will be able to fellowship with other family members in a common purpose of honouring and remembering their loved ones. Also, the costs per person are usually less when we have a number of guests attending the event as they are divided equally among the participants. Applications for the 2026 Remembrance Week event - which will be held from November 4th to 11th inclusive are now open. Please contact us early to ensure you have a part in this exciting program.

     If November is not convenient, then visitors may come at pretty well any time throughout the year - subject to the availability of the Society director to host the tour. This needs to be worked out well in advance by contacting the Society and giving proposed dates of the desired visit.

     We invite anyone who is interested in a tour to consult the 'POW CAMP TOURS' page in the website menu and we look forward to hearing from you.

     "Taking a pilgrimage is important for a variety of reasons. For those who lost family and loved ones on the battlefields or in prison camps, or for those who had family veterans who returned, a pilgrimage is a way to shorten the distance between home and the site of their conflict. For people who only connect with the battlefields and prison camps through history books, visiting these sites is an opportunity to more fully understand the sacrifices that were made by many for the freedom that we continue to enjoy today".

     Here is a comment noted from one couple who took part in our program... "“My wife and I were taken around the camps by the POW Society. It was an incredibly emotional trip. We planned to be there on Remembrance Sunday and the ceremonies they had were incredible. We met a whole group of other people whose family members had been prisoners of war like my father and now we meet up regularly.”

     More reviews of our guests' experiences can be found at the end of the 'POW CAMP TOURS' page.

80 YEARS LATER - THE AFTERMATH OF WORLD WAR II AND JAPAN TODAY. . .

     The following is a collection of articles and comments regarding the postwar position of the Japanese government and also those of the various allied governments in the aftermath of World War II. Some of these facts will be shocking to readers, but they are included here so that all may know of the corruption and collaboration that has gone on in the 80 years since the end of the world’s greatest conflict.  For example . . . 

* The United States granted immunity to Emperor Hirohito and Prince Asaka - who ordered the Rape of Nanking and also the massacre of doctors, nurses and patients in the hospitals in Hong Kong. Evidence shows that General Douglas MacArthur and his senior aides and Japanese high court officials schemed to fix testimony at the Tokyo War Crimes Trials so as not to implicate Hirohito and other members of the Imperial Family.

* MacArthur also managed to have Generals Homma and Yamashita captured and brought to mock trials very soon after the Japanese surrendered - even before the war crimes trials were properly set up and convened . . .

CLICK HERE to read the full story from the Articles and Stories section.

AMERICA'S DOUBLE STANDARD EXPOSED

U.S. deports 95-year-old who was a Nazi concentration camp guard

Excerpts from an article by LI COHEN / CBS NEWS

      A 95-year-old man who was a Nazi concentration camp guard during WWII was deported from the U.S. to Germany in 2021. Friedrich Karl Berger, who lived in Tennessee, was deported "for participating in Nazi-sponsored acts of persecution" while serving at a concentration camp in 1945, the Justice Department said.

     A 2020 trial by the Department of Justice found that Berger served the Nazi regime at a Neuengamme sub-camp near Meppen, Germany, during the Holocaust. Many of the prisoners who were Jewish, Russian, Dutch and Polish, were held at the camp in the winter of 1945. "The conditions were "atrocious", as the prisoners were forced to labor outdoors "to the point of exhaustion and death," the DOJ said. On the day that the camp was evacuated, there were 1,773 imprisoned at the camp. 

     Berger worked at the camp until the Nazis evacuated it in March 1945, at which time the prisoners were forced to go on a death march to the main Neuengamme camp. "The two-week transfer was made in inhumane conditions", according to the DOJ, "and 70 people who were imprisoned died in the process". 

     Berger is the 70th person identified as a Nazi persecutor to be removed from the U.S., according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). 

     Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Tae Johnson said the department "will never cease to pursue those who persecute others." "This case exemplifies the steadfast dedication of both ICE and the Department of Justice to pursue justice and to hunt relentlessly for those who participated in one of history's greatest atrocities," Johnson said, "no matter how long it takes."

Ed. Now this begs the question, "WHAT ABOUT THE JAPANESE WHO COMMITTED SIMILAR OR WORSE ATROCITIES AGAINST AMERICANS AND THEIR ALLIES IN ASIA IN WORLD WAR II ?" 

     Why over all these many decades since World War II, has the US Department of Justice never "pursued those Japanese who persecuted others, or hunted relentlessly those who participated in another of history's greatest atrocities in Asia, no matter how long it took."? There is definitely a double standard being applied here.

     The war crimes trials held all across Asia after World War II were terribly flawed and lacking, and there is doubtless a huge difference and a double standard in the attitude of the US and the other Allied nations today regarding their belief in justice and their efforts to also right the many wrongs and atrocities committed against POWs and civilians in Asia in World War II. America and those other nations should hang their heads in shame for not properly ensuring that real "justice for all" - as their constitutions state, was done.

     In thousands of cases justice was never served for those who were tortured, starved, beaten and murdered in the "Asian Holocaust". It seems that it is too late for that to happen now, given the current world situation, but that doesn't mean that America and its Allies won't go down in history as glossing over some of the worst atrocities of all time.      LEST WE FORGET!

A WORD FROM A VETERAN FOR OUR TROUBLED TIMES . . .

     Here is a word to America - and to us all, from a WWII veteran – very fitting and timely for these days in which we live, and in which so many are suffering and dying from racism, anarchy and tyranny.

      Lt. Sr. Grade S., TOM MORRIS, USNR, a member of Torpedo Bombing Squadron VB-80 on the USS Ticonderoga,  served in the South Pacific – and had this to say about those troubled times and his wartime duty:

     “I think all of us, all of the United States, were almost to a man united during those years - and everybody in the country, was dedicated to one thing, and that was defeating our enemies: Germany and Japan. So all of us were just doing what we knew we had to do. We were all in the same boat.”

     Tom was one - a part of the ‘Greatest Generation’, who loved and fought for his country and did everything he could to protect her and make sure she stayed strong, united and FREE. May we never forget their example or their sacrifice!

     In WWII when our countries were threatened and attacked by enemies, everyone knuckled down, sacrificed and worked together for everyone's good and that of their country. It seems that spirit no longer exists in so many of our countries today. We have become so selfish in our hearts and lives that we no longer care for others or stand together for what is right to defeat these enemies of our nations.

     What a shame that so many millions in America as well as in Canada, the UK, the EU and other freedom-loving countries, couldn’t embody that same spirit today, and all pull together as we fight to defeat the tyranny and the threats of war in Asia and Europe and the domestic mess our countries are in today. May God grant us the strength and the courage and the unity we need in these dire times.

If we are united, there is no way that we can lose.  If we continue to be divided, there is no way that we can win!

Information on obtaining a POW's war records

British Service Records

     Service Records do not contain a wealth of detailed information, but they do establish the basic facts and dates of a serviceman's history and therefore they could be useful for any research. Records can be issued only to the Serviceman concerned, their widow, or their next of kin if both are deceased. They can only be issued to other parties with the written consent of the appropriate aforementioned persons, and if the serviceman is deceased then the Ministry of Defence will require proof of death. A full copy of the record can be requested, but original documents, discharge papers or books cannot be replaced. The MoD will also provide extracts from service records.

     When applying you should include as much of the following information as you are aware of: the serviceman's full name, date of birth, service number, rank at discharge, dates of service and, for Army only, the most recent Regiment or Corps with which you know the serviceman to be associated. A charge of approximately £20 may be made (the serviceman or widow are exempt from any charge), if applicable a Declaration of Kinship form will be sent to you and upon receiving that, and any other information that is required, they will start a search which can take up to two years  to complete and send out.

HOWEVER before rushing to do all that, one should be aware that the war records contain little or no details of the man's time as a FEPOW. After  looking at a large number of POW service records obtained by the families of the FEPOWs in over 20 years of research, they are consistent in what they contain. This is usually only three lines stated as follows -

1. Reported missing - date - usually 15.2.42

2. Prisoner of war in Japanese hands - date - usually in the case of most captured in Singapore, it is 15.2.42

3. POW released by Allied forces in the Far East - usually 'date not known'

Here is a copy of the typical war record issued to FEPOW families and relatives -

     So you can see from this that the only points mentioned are those stated above. So you may as well save the £20 and the long response waiting time and use the resources of reliable researchers to learn more about your POW relative and what they experienced in World War II. We are here to help you, and there is no charge for our services. We do this in honour and remembrance of those who gave so much for our freedom..

POW WEBSITE PHOTOS - MORE WANTED

     Over the past 28 years we have gathered photos of more than 800 former Taiwan prisoners of war and have added them to our listing of the 4,370 men who were interned in the various camps in Taiwan. Now, in addition to listing the POW’s name, rank, regiment and the camps where he was interned, a photo of the man has been added to that listing where available. Also, if the man died as a POW in Taiwan we have included a copy of his grave photo from the Honour Roll. We hope this new format will help these men to be remembered more personally with the addition of their photos, as this is what our site is really all about.

     We are still looking for more photos of the former Taiwan POWs - hopefully in uniform taken around wartime, but photos taken later after the war are acceptable too. We invite you to contact us and share photos of your Taiwan POW relative to add to our collection which will help us to further ensure that they are not forgotten.

If the photos are seen, then the men who are in the photographs are remembered.

Our Honour Roll consists of the names of all the men who died while POWs resident in camps on Taiwan during World War II.

Click to view Honour Roll