History, Events And Facts

The Laha Massacre, 3rd - 17th February 1942. (The massacre of  300 Australian & Dutch PoW's) (Photo: A mass grave found near Laha airstrip, Ambon. The grave contained the remains of 71 Australian servicemen. Ambon was captured by the Japanese forces in February 1942 and the Australian barracks at Tan Tui became a PoW camp for the remainder of the Australian forces on the Island. Conditions were poor in the PoW camp and nearly 75 per cent of the PoWs died before liberation in September 1945. (AWM))   Two graves, about five metres apart, were dug in a wooded area near the village of Tawiri adjacent to Laha airstrip on Ambon Island, The graves were circular in shape, six metres in diameter and three metres deep. Soon after 18:00hrs, a group of Australian and Dutch PoW's, their arms tied securely behind them, were brought to the site. The first PoW was made to kneel at the edge of the grave and the execution, by samurai beheading, was carried out by a Warrant Officer Kakutaro ...