One of the enduring images of the Second World War shows a Japanese soldier stood over a
crouching prisoner, with a sword drawn about to take the life the man in question. This
was a shocking image that emerged after it was found on the body of a dead Japanese major.
When it was discovered by American soldiers, it is believed to show the only surviving
picture of a western prisoner of war being executed by a Japanese soldier. It was an
image that haunted many, and angered many across the world showing the brutality of
certain armies during World War 2. However today we look at the story behind that picture,
today we look at the ‘Brutal Execution of Leonard Siffleet.’ Remember to support our
channel, please make sure to subscribe.
Leonard George Siffleet was born on the 14th January 1916, in New South Wales. He was an
Australian who had a relatively normal early life, and who lived with his parents and his
siblings. He loved sport, adventure and in the 1930s he left Gunnedah, a rather small
town to head to Sydney to look for work. Siffleet’s dream was to join the Australian police force,
but during the selection process he was refused a position as a police officer as he had poor
eyesight. In August 1940, he was called up for the militia or the Australian Army Reserve
as the Second World War had broken out.
When the war started, the Australian government immediately called up 10,000 militiamen to
provide continuous service stationed at guard posts around the country, keeping an eye out
for any possible invasions. This was later expanded and 40,000 men were called up for
this service. They were given training and many men went on to then later serve in the
pacific, as the conflict came to a theatre closer to Australia. Whilst the war was occurring
in Europe, Australia was safe but as the conflict went to Australia’s doorstep following the
attack on Pearl Harbour, and the attack on British forces in Malaya, there was a huge
risk that the Japanese could invade the Australian mainline. By April 1943, the risk of invasion
was incredibly real as Malaya and Singapore were lost, and the Japanese landed in New
Guinea.
In August 1940, Leonard Siffleet was stationed in a searchlight unit at the RAAF Station
Richmond. Here he served keeping guard at the station, but only for three months. His
mother died in that time, and he then had to head home to look after his younger brothers.
He left this job, and then began to work in a shop but wished to continue to serve his
country, enlisting in the Second Australian Imperial Force in September 1941. He then
was sent to a signals company, but went AWOL twice and became engaged. It was clear that
communications may be a good role for Siffleet, and this need for an adventure plunged him
deep into the conflict of the Second World War.
He continued to train in radio communications, and then volunteered after this to take part
in special operations. He was then sent to the Services Reconaissance Department of the
Allied Intelligence Bureau in Melbourne. Here he continued to train, and was then transferred
to Z Special Unit in October 1942. This unit was a secret detachment who operated behind
Japanese lines in South Eastern Asia. It was mostly made up of Australian soldiers, but
did include British, Dutch, Indonesia, New Zealand and other members.
They mostly saw service in Bornea, and the former Dutch East Indies. During the war they
carried out dozens of operations, in which they were dropped either behind enemy lines
by parachute of submarine, conducting guerrilla warfare and gathering intelligence. They were
comparable to SOE, who operated behind enemy lines in Europe. He completed further training,
and Siffleet then was promoted to Sergeant. He transitioned to M Special Unit, another
secret recon unit based against Japan. He was considered one of the best soldiers, and
was described as a young and competent soldier. He was recruited to join Operation Whiting
because of this.
This was a joint operation between Dutch and Australian forces in New Guinea. In ran alongside
another operation, and the mission was to establish a coast watching station in the
hills above Hollandia in Dutch New Guinea. This area had been taken yb the Japanese.
The other mission Locust was to work along side it, and this involved a long trek through
Japanese territory to then establish a base camp to observe the Japanese.
The team involved in Whiting was Seargent HN Staverman, Corportal DJ Topman, Two Indonesia
privates, M Reharing, H Pattiwal and Leonard Siffleet, the radio operator. Both of the
teams flew to Bena Bena in February 1943, and began to travel and trek through the Jungle.
It took months, and on the 14th June 1943 after having walked 500 miles, and travelled
230 miles by boar they reached the Lumi airstrip. Following this, the Whiting group then left
to Hollandia with 66 native people.
By September they had arrived at Aitape. However things then went very wrong. Whilst on a reconnaissance
mission, Staverman and Pattiwal were ambushed, and Staverman was killed. Pattiwal did escape
and left back to the camp, but the three men including Siffleet who were left then decided
to flee to the south. Things seemed positive, but whilst the group were having food at Wantipi,
a group of over 100 locals surrounded them and things turned nasty. It’s clear the
locals had enough, and to force them back Leonard Siffleet fired his gun at one of the
attackers, wounding him and then he managed to for a short time evade capture and break
out. However this wasn’t for long and he was quickly caught, and was then handed over
to the Japanese by the locals.
All of the men were then beaten, tortured and interrogated at a Japanese outpost, and
were then transferred to Aitape. The Japanese treated the men terrible in an attempt to
obtain information from them about their work, however they were subject to execution for
their actions. On the afternoon of the 24th October 1943, Leonard Siffleet was marched
to Aitape Beach. He was blindfolded and had his hands bound, and a large crowd of Japanese
soldiers and natives were there to witness his execution. Vice Admiral Michiaki Kamada
of the Japanese Navy had ordered the executions of the captured men, and Siffleet was forced
to kneel down on the beach.
He was then approached by an officer, Yasuno Chikao who ordered a member of the Japanese
Army, a private to photograph him taking the head off Leonard Siffleet. This grisly image
today is one of the most haunting of the Second World War. It shows Sifleet seconds before
death, with Chikao having his sword drawn, ready to bring it down and behead the Australian
soldier who’s helpless and blindfolded. He is sitting in a pre-dug hole in the sand
and along with 2 other men, he was beheaded and then buried. What shocked many is the
brutality of the image, with Sifleet looking rather emaciated and haggard such was his
treatment.
The photograph itself was found on the body of a dead Japanese soldier near to the area
in April 1944, and it shows the only surviving image of a POW being executed by the Japanese.
This was then published in Australian newspapers, who wrongly identified it as another soldier,
and later Siffleet was identified as the soldier in the image. After the war, Yasuno Chikao
the executioner was sentenced to death for the execution, but this was later commuted
to imprisonment as he was deemed to have been simply following the orders of his superiors.
So the image of Leonard Siffleet was a haunting image during the Second World War which still
evokes a significant degree of emotion and upset still today. It’s an image that captures
the brutality, horror and sheer depravity of war. But at the heart of the image is a
young Australian soldier, who was 27 years old when he was killed on the beach.
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