Approximately 1,050 Australian soldiers from Lark Force were taken prisoners by the Japanese in the Rabaul/East New Britain area in January/February 1942. Many of these were murdered on or about 4 February in the vicinity of Tol and Waitavalo Plantations at the eastern end of Wide Bay on the south coast of New Britain. The soldiers had escaped down the east coast from Rabaul and were rounded up by the Japanese while waiting to cross flooded rivers to move further west.
After the war, 158 bodies were discovered in the vicinity of Tol and Waitavalo Plantations. The survivors later described how they were rounded up on the 3 February and in the early morning of the 4th February, tied up in small groups, lead into the jungle and bayoneted or shot by Japanese soldiers. There were four separate mass murders on that day. The Japanese officer responsible for these war crimes was Colonel Masao Kusunose who later committed suicide.
It is known that eight of the soldiers taken away to be murdered were from NGVR including a survivor A L Robinson, who escaped while being led into the forest. Days later, Robinson met up with Frank Holland and with 29 other men, escaped via the north coast of New Britain. Only six other soldiers from Lark Force escaped from the Tol massacre.
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