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last mo.

Push Grows for Canberra Memorial to 2,800 Indian Soldiers Lost in PNG

Advocates invoke Major Chint Singh's rescue to press for recognition in Australia's capital.

Teha
Indian military personnel, including Major Chint Singh (Centre), who survived being prisoners of war in World War 2, pose with Australian soldiers after liberation in Papua New Guinea, 1945. The photograph captures a moment of relief and friendship that is rare to come by in wartime stories.

Overview

  • Media coverage in 2025 spotlights a 2022 proposal by Maj. Singh’s son, Narinder Parmar, for a permanent Canberra monument, with no official approval announced.
  • After Singapore fell in 1942, about 3,000 Indian soldiers were taken by Japanese forces to Papua New Guinea, and roughly 200 survived by war’s end.
  • Australian troops encountered Maj. Singh and his emaciated survivors at Angoram on 30 September 1945, a moment later recalled by Lt. F. O. Monk.
  • The Australians transported the men to Wewak for treatment by the 15th Australian Field Ambulance, with personnel writing letters home and nurse Sister Murch remembered for her care.
  • Earlier remembrance efforts included an RSL memorial erected at Angoram in 1971 that was later lost to floods, while Singh’s signature on the Japanese surrender flag remains on display at the Australian War Memorial.