The Airmen, the Headhunters and the Japanese
 

An interesting PBS documentary on american liberator crews shot down over Borneo during World War Two and the Dayak/Kelabit/Kayan headhunters who saved some of these crews.

Link: http://video.pbs.org/video/1327179571

My Dad was in the Navy Amphibious Forces in the Pacific and was in Australia and then New Guinea in 1942-1943.

He never said much about his experiences in the PTO in WW2, but when his brother (an ETO vet) would visit, he used to talk from time to time about some of the Papuan headhunters (as he called them) encountered in New Guinea - how the Japanese feared them and how they were recruited by the Allies to help with personnel recovery from the jungles.

He said they never saw any 'headhunting' or cannibalism, but it was not unusual to encounter decapitated Japanese soldiers and there were enough rumors to make them wary of the natives.

He had an album with some pics of him standing in fatigues and pith helmet with his holstered .45 and a Thompson among some of the Papuan natives in their villages - National Geographic looking bare-chested women and pretty fierce looking warriors.

Richard :munchin

That's interesting Richard.

I know the area in which the documentary is based on and headhunting was common and there still remains a number of B-24's out in the jungles below gunung murud that have never been found as well as bodies.

A number of american crews who were unfortunate and were captured were beheaded in Beaufort after being found by locals who sold them to the Japanese for a reward.

Looks like they worked both sides of the fence!.......:confused:

Big Tedd y:munchin

History Channel is running a special on:
 

WWII in HD right now.

Stay safe.

Not the kelabit, kayans or muruts who were "traditional" headhunters but rather coastal natives who were muslim who got paid for the american airmen who they "rescued" when they sold them to the Japanese.

I know of one such case in which the captured airmen were beheaded but I know not what what happened to their remains or if the remains were re-patriated after the war by the grave units.

*refer to Tom Harrison's "The World Within" where he talks about saving a small number of Liberator bomber pilots (one radio operator stayed on and helped them out with communications) and then talks about the poor lads who weren't so lucky.

Was watching that the other day, I highly recommend watching it, makes me look at that part of history differently, especially when our Soldiers liberated the death camps.

Netflix has a few episodes on watch instantly, great stuff! :lifter Its too bad people can't equate the evil we fought then to the evil we fight now...:(