Orders, Decorations & Medals - Australian Groups

Lot 4489    SESSION 18 (2.30PM FRIDAY 31ST MARCH)    Orders, Decorations & Medals - Australian Groups

Estimate $500
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $680

GROUP OF FIVE TO POW: 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Pacific Star; War Medal 1939-45; Australia Service Medal 1939-45. VX23197 G.H.Turner. All medals impressed. Contact marks, otherwise very fine.

George Havelock Turner, born 22Sep1913 at South Yarra, Vic; Enl.06Jun1940 at Caulfield, Vic; Disch.13Dec1945 as Private ex 2/2 Aust Pioneer Bn; captured by Japanese and held POW in Thailand at 80 Kilo Camp, one of the Thai-Burma Railway POW Camps.^^Pte G.H.Turner provided a sworn statement to the War Crimes and Trials held in 1946-1948. His statement (exactly as typed) reads as follows:- Date & Place - May & Aug 43 - 80 Kilo Camp - This statement is to verify that a certain Guard by the name of "SNAKE EYES" was causing lots of trouble mainly on building the Railway Line in BURMA. It was at the 80 Kilo Camp one day out on the job when it was getting very late and we were still working when SNAKE EYES struck Private Lock 2/2 Pioneers Batt. And the Lieut. J.K.B. Lee who was captured in TIMOR and then later on joined us prosted (sic - protested) against it and then waited when we got in camp and paraded him to "HITAHARI" the Korean Interpreter, said that what the guards did and said was right and then HITAHARI the interpreter bashed up Lieut Lee and Private Lock. "SNAKE EYES" said that Lock was smoking on the job. Both I and Lieut LEE and the rest of the men know Pte LOCK was not smoking and also the interpreter HITAHARI. Also a Korean bashed up Capt KENNEDY of 2/3 MG Batt when he had a bad back and suffering with it very much when HITAHARI bashed him and he also gave bashing up to nearly everybody in the camp and also NIKASHEMA was the same thing and many beatings up he did. Date of "SNAKE EYES: incident approx May 1943. Date of HITAHARI inceddent (sic) August 1943.^^With basic research.