A reassuring prisoner letter from Rabaul concealed deprivation, forced labour, and shortages of food and medical supplies. The quoted book passage accuses Australian authorities of minimizing the danger after Japanese forces landed, then withholding news as families sought information about the garrison. Newspaper assurances that the defenders could hold out for weeks gave way to a news blackout. The account blames procrastination and deference to other powers for leaving those in New Britain without effective help, and describes growing difficulty suppressing escapees' accounts.
Notable Point · 2:09:08-2:12:10
Montevideo Maru, Rabaul, and the cost of official silence
A quoted account of Rabaul examines the official reassurances and censorship that preceded the Montevideo Maru disaster.