WWII American POW Statistics in the Pacific

[legionnaire]

World War Two POW Statistics POWs of the Japanese:
Death Rates by Nationalities (all figures approx.)


American Total POWs: 25,600

POW Deaths: 10,650-------------Percentage Dead: 41.6%


British, Australian, British Indian Total POWs: 130,000

POW Deaths: 8,100-----------------Percentage Dead: 6.2%


Dutch Total POWs: 37,000

POW Deaths: 8,500-----------------Percentage Dead: 23%


Forced Laborers from The Netherland East Indies (Indonesia) Laborers: 300,000

Laborer Deaths: 230,000------------Percentage Dead: 76.6%



American POWs HELD IN WWII Military Personnel Held

There were 130,201 US Military captured and interned in WWII. As of January 1, 2000, 38,114 were still alive (29.2%). Of the total count of US POWs in WWII, 36,260 were captured and interned by the Japanese. On January 1, 2000, 5,745 were still alive (15.8%).
Here is the grim news--the comparison of those military held by Germany and Japan.


Captured and interned by Japanese - 36,260 Died While POW: 13,851 - 38.2% -

Alive on Jan1, 2000 5,745 - 15.8%


Captured and Interned by Nazis - 93,941 Died while POW: 1,121 - 1.1%

Alive on Jan1, 2000 44,773- 47.6%


Civilians Held
There were 18,745 US Civilians captured and interned in WWII. As of January 1, 2000, 3,018 were still alive (16.1%). Of the total civilian POWs in WWII, 13,996 were captured and interned by the Japanese. On January 1, 1999, only 1,497 were still alive (10.7%).
Again, here are the grim statistics--the comparison of US civilians interned by Germany versus those held by Japan.


Captured and interned by Japanese: 13,996

Died while a POW: 1,536 - 11% Alive on Jan1,2000 - 1497 or 10.7%


Captured and interned by Nazis: 4,746

Died while a POW: 168 - 3.5% Alive on Jan1,2000 - 1,521 or 32%



Behind Bamboo: American POWs in the Pacific Estimated number captured, died and returned to U.S. control.

American Soldiers Captured by Country

Philippines: 22,000

Wake Island : 1,555
Java (Indonesia): 890
Guam: 400
Japan & elsewhere : 300
Celebes (Indonesia): 255
China: 200

Total : 25,600


American Killed or Died in Captivity by Country

Philippines: 5,135

On prison ships: 3,840
Japan: 1,200
Manchuria (China): 175
Burma: 130
Wake Island: 100
Korea: 70

Total : 10,650


American POWs Liberated by Country

Japan: 11,400
Philippines: 1,500
Manchuria (China): 1,200
Burma-Thailand: 480
Celebes (Indonesia): 200
Korea: 150
China: 20

Total: 14,950


Source: Surrender and Survival:
The Experience of American POWs in the Pacific by E. Bartlett Kerr, 1985


From Japanese Statistics
Country Total POWs ------- POW Deaths --- Death Rate (%)

Australia - 21,726 ---------- 7,412 ------------ 34.1%

United States - 21,580 ---- 7,107 ------------ 32.9%

Britain - 50,016 ------------- 12,433 ----------- 24.8%

Holland - 37,000 ------------- 8,500 ----------- 22.9%

Canada - 1,691 ----------------- 273 ----------- 16.1%

New Zealand - 121 --------------- 31 ----------- 25.6%


Total ; 132,134 --------------- 35,756 -------- b] 27.1%[/b]


Source: Horyo Saishu Ronkoku Fuzoku-sho B, Feb. 19, 1948


Comparative Statistic for Japanese prisoners of war held in the Soviet Union:

Out of 575,000 internees, 55,000 died in captivity, a death rate of 9.6%.

[victoree]

That number is pale compared to the Philippino deaths. Think how horrilbe that number would have been if they had not release them.

Martin

[VeeVee]

I think I read that about 1 million Filipinos died in the war including civilians... that's huge since the total Filipino population in WW2 was only about 17 million.