Prisoners

Last weekend was the 80th anniversary of the 'Featherston Incident'. FLYNN NICHOLLS sat down with Mark Pacey to explain the history of New Zealand's only ...

I always want to bring these things back here.” FLYNN NICHOLLS sat down with Mark Pacey to explain the history of New Zealand’s only prisoner-of-war camp in WWII. On February 25, 1943, a riot broke out and the guards opened fire, resulting in the deaths of 48 Japanese prisoners of war Over 800 prisoners were interred at the camp over the course of the war, of whom about 240 were Japanese soldiers. Tensions escalated in the lead-up to the riot because while the guards expected the prisoners to work, the Japanese army code of conduct instructed soldiers to be defiant even after capture, Pacey explained. “I have some amazing materials, including photos sent by the granddaughter of one of the prisoners – she sent a photo of her grandfather and a photo of the ship he served on.