| On August 15th 2005, the world celebrated the 60th Anniversary of VJ Day and the end of World War II. In many countries parades, marches and memorial services were held to commemorate the end of the bloodiest and most costly war in human history.
The Republic of China under the leadership of Chiang Kai-Shek was one of the five major Allied powers in World War II, fighting alongside the United States and the British Commonwealth Forces to defeat the then “axis of evil” – Germany, Italy and Japan. The Chinese actually began their fight with Japan on September 18, 1931 when Japan invaded Manchuria and their war carried on for fourteen long, hard years until the dropping of the atomic bombs which brought the war to an end. During World War II more than 30 million Chinese were killed. Following the Chinese Civil War the nationalists moved the government of the Republic of China to Taiwan. One of the ways in which the Republic of China on Taiwan celebrated the 60th anniversary of the end of the war was to carry out major renovations to the National Armed Forces Museum in downtown Taipei and put together a large display commemorating the 14 year “War of Resistance against Japan”. In recognition of the Taiwan POW Camps Memorial Society’s work of uncovering and telling the story of the former Japanese prisoner of war camps on Taiwan during World War II, the ROC Ministry of Defense, Historical and Translation Dep’t. asked the Society if we could contribute a special exhibition for the 60th Anniversary Year – to which we readily agreed. After weeks of preparation the display was completed just on time for the opening ceremony which was held on Monday August 15th. |
Following the opening address by Acting Director-General of the ROC Armed Forces Military History and Translation Dept. Mr. Fang Yung, Michael Hurst shared a few words on behalf of the POW Society. Also present that morning were representatives from Australia, Canada, Netherlands, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. The POW display features artifacts, documents and photos depicting the story of the 15 Taiwan prisoner of war camps and the men who suffered in them. There is a map showing the location of all of the camps on the island and also a copy of the Japanese “Order to Kill All the Prisoners” which was found in the Kinkaseki Camp by the War Crimes Investigation Team in 1946. The display will run until December 31st and it is hoped that many Taiwanese as well as foreign visitors – including many Japanese, will view the display and learn more of this little-known story of World War II. |
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Views of the Taiwan Prisoner of War display in the ROC National Armed Forces Museum, Taipei |
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