Picture of Japanese soldier cutting Aussie sailors hair.

[Free Christian]

Hi, ages ago i told someone here i had a picture of a Japanese soldier who was among numerous others which the navy ship my late father served on. They were left behind by the Japanese, abandoned, and Aussie Navy ships went around the pacific islands picking them up. Often coming under fire from them as they needed convincing the war was over. This picture is my Dad getting his hair cut by one of them. Many did not want to return to Japan as they felt betrayed. This one pleaded to stay with the Aus ship and be taken back with them to Australia. They couldnt though and were all returned, much to their dissapointment. If my memory serves me right i think it was Pergamum who wanted to see it. Any way, i finally found it. Funny huh how the Aus guys bore no grudge against them so imediate after the war. My Dad getting his hair cut, unreal, his own Dad was captured by them and treated like a dog in Changi. Now thats forgiveness.:

 

[johnny]

There was no love lost on both sides, after a while nobody bothered with keeping prisoners.

I found this on wiki but I have read this before at a war memorial in Australia

QUOTE:
Throughout the fighting in Papua, most of the Australian personnel captured by Japanese troops were murdered. In response, Australian soldiers aggressively sought to kill their Japanese opponents for the remainder of the war. The Australians generally did not attempt to capture Japanese personnel, and some prisoners of war were murdered.

I am a bit biased in that my wife is Japanese.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_history_of_Australia_during_World_War_II#Papuan_campaign

 

[johnny]

And I do agree they were pretty hard to capture anyway as they generally fought to the death.
There are also stories of Japanese feigning surrender while strapped with grenades, the first suicide bombers.

 

[Free Christian]

Hi John. Yeah, my Dad told me some of the things my Grandfather told him of his time in the war, brutal stuff indeed. As a side, i was in Melbourne last week visiting. Hows this for a combination. Aussie, Italian and Japanese together making home made salami. Great day and the best salami you could ever eat.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

That was amazing. Thanks for sharing this.

 

[Pergamum]

Brett:

Yes, it was me. Thanks for the photo.

I've been reading through the war in the Pacific in the past few years, since my grandfather fought in it. His ship was hit twice by kamikaze attacks (once killing his entire gun crew except for him). His ship was the BB-40, the New Mexico. My grandfather said that many of the Americans did, in fact, bear quite a grudge against the Japanese for many years and they all uniformly supported the nuclear bombs and saw them as saving their own lives.

I believe we might have been talking about Australia's part in the War in the Pacific regarding New Guinea, where they fought in dense jungles along the Kokoda Trail. But that has been awhile since we've talked. Glad you are back on the Puritanboard, so good to hear from you!

 

[Pergamum]

Here are several pictures from my grandfather's ship:

 

[Nathan]

Incredible. Thank you for sharing this with us, brother.

May the Lord keep you,

-Nathan

 

[Cymro]

We are just back from Singapore, and visited the Changi War Museum and the chapel. It was a very sobering and yet uplifting experience. On the one hand it was horrendous in the atrocities that were committed against the men, women and children at the fall of Singapore. The Singaporeans were horribly abused and cruelly murdered, as well as the British,Australians and others. But also the vindictiveness perpetrated against the innocent brought out tha best of human kindness. It brought tears to see and read of men volunteering to lay down their lives that others may live. Which brought home very keenly how Christ,the holy innocent laid down His life for those who were enemies. Lest we forget.

 

[Free Christian]

Yeah it was a while ago Pergamum. I was going through some old photos with my sister after my Mum recently passed away, in the Lord with a strong faith she went well, and as soon as i saw that picture i remembered you or someone wanted to see it. Has been a while since i was here, my last device got smashed by a virus and i gave up on the internet. But i got a new phone with virus protection which alerts me and shuts down connection if anything sus is detected. Anyway glad to have finally been able to share it with you all, like those pictures of your Dads too there is just something about those Navy ships that sort of says "Dont mess with this"