Introducing Gautam Hazarika
These Research Papers are provided by Gautam Hazarika who is one of our most recent members. He grew up in India and moved to Singapore 20 years ago. He is a history enthusiast and is researching the lesser-known aspects of World War II in the Far East. This started when he acquired a manuscript We Published in Prison typed in Changi Prison in 1942.
At the recent Researching FEPOW Conference at Liverpool Gautam gave an eloquent presentation of the content of the Changi Newspapers he acquired. The authors Harry Miller and Gus Harold Wade of the Straits Times were the publishers of the Karikal Chronicles and Changi Guardian newspapers issued in the male civilian internee camps in wartime Singapore. Miller/ Wade were among the over 4000 men, women & children interned. Most of these men were British colonial officials, planters, mining engineers, rubber/palm oil brokers, doctors, lawyers, priests and teachers. The women (mainly housewives, teachers and nurses) and children were segregated. Their experiences were both similar and different from that of the POWs. He has spoken and written about this as he continues his research.
Gautam is also researching Indian POWs in Singapore. Many joined the Indian National Army, and most of the rest went in Hell Ships to New Guinea/ New Britain near Australia to forced labour camps where they suffered like the other Allied prisoners and Asian civilians at the hands of the Japanese. He is doing oral histories with children of the few survivors and even met a member of the Rani of Jhansi (INA) regiment, a still sprightly 95-year-old grandmother.
These Research Papers are provided by Gautam Hazarika who is one of our most recent members. He grew up in India and moved to Singapore 20 years ago. He is a history enthusiast and is researching the lesser-known aspects of World War II in the Far East. This started when he acquired a manuscript We Published in Prison typed in Changi Prison in 1942.
At the recent Researching FEPOW Conference at Liverpool Gautam gave an eloquent presentation of the content of the Changi Newspapers he acquired. The authors Harry Miller and Gus Harold Wade of the Straits Times were the publishers of the Karikal Chronicles and Changi Guardian newspapers issued in the male civilian internee camps in wartime Singapore. Miller/ Wade were among the over 4000 men, women & children interned. Most of these men were British colonial officials, planters, mining engineers, rubber/palm oil brokers, doctors, lawyers, priests and teachers. The women (mainly housewives, teachers and nurses) and children were segregated. Their experiences were both similar and different from that of the POWs. He has spoken and written about this as he continues his research.
Gautam is also researching Indian POWs in Singapore. Many joined the Indian National Army, and most of the rest went in Hell Ships to New Guinea/ New Britain near Australia to forced labour camps where they suffered like the other Allied prisoners and Asian civilians at the hands of the Japanese. He is doing oral histories with children of the few survivors and even met a member of the Rani of Jhansi (INA) regiment, a still sprightly 95-year-old grandmother.
RFHG Biblio For Changi Civilians - June 23
RFHG Far East Issues Of POW Journal - July 23
RFHG Gautam Indian POW
RFHG Indian POW Annexure
RFHG Rookie Archive Guide