Lae Prisoner of War Camp
From Our Contribution
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Brief History
To avoid sending more Japanese prisoners to Australia given the war was drawing to a conclusion, it was decided to establish a POW Camp in New Guinea. In February 1945 Lae POW Camp was established at Cowra in New South Wales from the 22nd Garrison Battalion which then moved to Malahang, outside Lae in New Guinea. The unit also administered four POW Labour Detachments formed mainly from Formosan POWs that had been held at Cowra and sent to Port Moresby and Lae. In August 1945 Lae Pow Camp was split to form 20th POW Camp which operated the main cage with the Lae POW Garrison Company supervising the POW Labour Detachments.
Unit Personnel
Notes
Content has come from The Unit Guide - Volume 2 - The Australian Army 1939-1945, pages 2.415 & 2.416 - Graham R McKenzie-Smith - Big Sky Publishing - 2018