Today in History

1943 49 killed in Featherston POW riot

Featherston was the site of New Zealand's largest military training camp during the First World War, housing 7500 men, before being dismantled after the war. It was re-established in 1942 to house 800 Japanese prisoners of war, mostly captured in the South Pacific.

The riot broke out after some of the Japanese prisoners refused to work. Forty-eight Japanese POWs and one guard were killed. News of the riot was kept relatively quiet as a result of wartime censorship and fears that the Japanese might retaliate against Allied POWs.

An official inquiry cleared the guards of wrongdoing, accepting that they had acted in self-defence when charged by a crowd of 250 rock-throwing prisoners. It largely blamed the incident on cultural differences, made worse by the language barrier, and accused two Japanese officers, Adachi and Nishimura, of stirring their fellow prisoners into action. The inquiry also noted that the shooting ended as quickly as possible, lasting 20 or 30 seconds.

Those who defended the actions of the guards that day were quick to point out that the Japanese prisoners had been generally well fed and housed and that this incident was an exception to the rule. 

Image: Featherston incident plaque