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    Keibitai Headquarters at Rabaul East New Britain Province PNG
Location
The Keibitai Headquarters at Rabaul or Rabaul Navy POW Compound was located in the W. R. Carpenters building on Malaguna Road at Rabaul in East New Britain Province (ENBP) in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Also known as the "81st Naval Guard Unit POW Camp" or "Keibitai POW Camp" or "Japanese Navy POW Camp at Rabaul" or "Navy POW Camp Rabaul" or "Rabaul Naval Prison Camp".

Prewar
The W. R. Carpenters building was built prewar and used as the company headquarters and as a trade store serving Rabaul.

Wartime History
During January 1942, occupied by the Japanese. Immediately, this building became the headquarters for Keibitai (Naval Special Police) of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), 8th Base Force (Eighth Base Force) 81st Naval Guard Unit (81st Naval Garrison Unit).

During early 1942 Allied Prisoners Of War (POW) were detained at this location where they were beaten and interrogated harshly. They were given very little food and no medical treatment.

In early 1943, the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) 6th Kempeitai (Military Police) established the Rabaul Prisoner Compound (Rabaul POW Prison) that operated until early March 1944 then all prisoners were moved to the Tunnel Hill POW Camp.

Between 1942-1945, the Keibitai at Rabaul was responsible for many war crimes and prisoner executions. On January 14, 1944 a group of seventeen prisoners were taken from the camp an executed and buried in a mass grave on Matupi Island in a killing that became known as the "Matupi Island Massacre".

Only a few prisoners who were transfered to the Japanese Army Kempeitai (military police) at Rabaul or were transported to Japan and survived until the end of the Pacific War. The rest of the prisoners detained by the Keibitai were either executed or died in captivity.

Known Prisoners Of War detained by the Keibitai 81st Naval Guard Unit at Rabaul
List of known Allied prisoners that were detained by the Keibitai 81st Naval Guard Unit at Rabaul and summary of their capture and loss.

References
The Siege of Rabaul by Henry Sakaida
Target Rabaul (2013) 81st Naval Garrison Unit pages 52, 61, 64, 74, 241, 253, 255-256, 265, 295, 320, 363 (Appendix A - The Prisoners of Rabaul)
Thanks to Henry Sakaida and Edward Rogers for additional information.

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Last Updated
February 7, 2024

 

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