In 1942–45 the Japanese regularly moved Allied POWs around the Asia–Pacific region to meet their wartime needs.
While some Australians—on Ambon, Singapore, Java and Sumatra—remained more or less where they had been captured, most were moved to other locations. These included Burma (now Myanmar), Thailand, Borneo, Hainan Island, Formosa (now Taiwan), Japan, Korea and Manchuria. Australian experiences of captivity were therefore very diverse.