Some photos have emerged showing the barbaric treatment that POWs received at the hands of Japanese troops in World War II. The Sun has published some pictures that show the horrific moment Japanese troops used British prisoners of war for target practice.

This set of pictures was found among Japanese records when British troops entered Singapore in 1945 and returned to colonial rule. Thousands of British and Commonwealth servicemen died from starvation, work, torture or disease in Japan’s prisoner of war camps during WWII.

The photos reveal the full scale of torture and atrocities inflicted on the helpless prisoners.

The Sun

In the first photo of the set, blindfolded prisoners of the Sikh Regiment of the British Indian Army are given a degrading target mark so that their captors can practice their shooting skills. Stakes placed in the ground in front of them bear the butt numbers of each target.

The Sun

A large number of Indian soldiers captured when Singapore fell to Japan in February 1942 belonged to the Sikh Regiment. In the photo, all of them sit in the traditional cross-legged prayer position - reciting their final prayers. In the second and third pictures, the Japanese troops can be seen readying their rifles and then shooting the helpless prisoners.

It is obvious from these photos that this was target practice and not a straightforward military execution by a firing squad.

The Sun

In the final picture, the prisoners can be seen dead on the ground while the Japanese troops check their dead bodies.

For more stories, follow SBS Punjabi on Facebook and Twitter.

Also read