Speech by Brigadier F G Galleghan to Australian POWs in Selarang Barracks - page 1

Address by Lt Col F.G. Galleghan D.S.O. E.D. Commander A.I.F. to all troops of “C”“R”“G” & “H” Groups and staffs of the 2/9 Fd Amb and No 2 Con Depot on parade in building occupied by A.I.F. in Barrack Square Selarang at 1800 hrs on Friday 4th Sept 1942, Changi Singapore.

I have spoken twice before – possibly I will be able to say the same thing a third time, I doubt it. Forgive me for looking at notes, because this is the first time in the army I have ever spoken from notes, but I consider this occasion sufficiently important to warrant speaking from notes.

First let me traverse this incident from last Sunday: - Last Sunday the Commands of the British and Australian forces were sent for by the Japanese and a complaint lodged with us regarding the escapees. It was pointed out to us that a Captain and three British O.R.s were then in Gaol because of an attempted escape. We were warned that we were personally responsible for the discipline of the forces and that was why we were sent for. Then this form that you have all seen was handed to us with the request that we sign it. We refused to sign because it was a question of honour. We had been told by the Japanese that it was a matter of our own free will; that those who did not sign it would be placed under stricter guard than had been the situation before. We were prepared to accept those term and conditions and came back and recommended to you all that you should not sign.

We knew that we might be consequently placed in what we may term a P.O.W. concentration camp with not so much room as we had before. We must realise that the conditions that we have existed under here as P.O.W. for six months are far better than we expected, and certainly better than we should have experienced in Germany or Great Britiain during the last war and it was a matter of our own free will and that was our choice. When it became known that all except three individuals in the whole force, British and Australian, would not sign the declaration “my friend the enemy’s” attitude changed. He tried several ways to persuade us without avail and subsequently issued the order that all who did not sign were to move to this area. In expecting concentration conditions, one did not expect inhuman conditions from a civilised power, or what they call a civilised power. This is what we got and from then on, certain negotiations have been going on.

Demands have been made twice per day by the Imperial Japanese Army for us to order you to sign them. We as often refused. The senior commanders placed several suggestions before the Japanese. In order to effect a compromise we were told that this form that you are asked to sign emanated from Tokyo and that nobody in Malaya had authority to alter it – and being from Tokyo no-one would suggest an alternative to Tokyo. Nevertheless I have no doubt the Japanese began to experience some of our own anxiety about these conditions. I do not think they asked the international Red Cross representative to come today. I am sure they would not and they, I feel were trying to effect a face saver. Further they threatened that if these papers were not signed there would be reprisals in the nature of executions and the cutting off of rations. Yesterday General Fukuye (you have another way of saying that and you are right incidentally) stopped the whole of the rations coming into this camp. So the first part went on.

What is the position we now find ourselves in? Firstly that our firewood will last one more day. Secondly that no rations have been received since we have been concentrated here, and our reserves are of necessity limited. In a few days we will find that this barrack square will be taken up by latrines - dysentery and dyphtheria rampant. Roberts Hospital, our only hospital, has accommodation for only 300 more patients. The medical directors appreciation is that by the end of the week we will have a thousand cases of disease. Yesterday we evacuated 20 dysentery and 2 dyphtheria cases today 40 dysentery and 10 dyphtheria cases were evacuated. There was no guarantee that evacuations to hospital would be allowed. And so you do not need a Changi borehole message to tell you this – I have been led up the garden path towards the place at the end.
The outcome was that last night the formation commanders decided that, in view of the medical conditions that we could expect, there remained only one thing for us to do in the interests of the whole British forces; that was to sing small and submit to the Japanese a letter of protest against being compelled to sign a declaration owing to the appalling conditions. We heard later, however, that “our FRIENDS the enemy” were considering a compromise. Having got that consideration

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Taken on: September 17, 2024

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Sets appears in: • World War 2 (1939 - 1945) • Speech by Brigadier F G Galleghan - Changi Prisoner of War Camp, Singapore - WW2

Groups appears in: • Trove: Australia in Pictures

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