Japanese Surrendered Personnel

The Allied power most involved in this was the British Empire, which was looking for manpower sources to counter logistical problems and reassert European control over their Asian colonies after the war.

[citation needed] Due to a severe manpower shortage after 1945, JSP were not just used as guards and labourers by the British but were frequently pressed into active combat duties as well.

Retaining their wartime uniforms, organisational structure and officer corps, armed JSP fought alongside Allied troops in the Indonesian National Revolution.

Their performance was such that in November 1946, British Army general Philip Christison recommended a JSP, a major named Kido, be awarded the Distinguished Service Order.

[3]Being aware of the potential questions that would be raised if it was discovered that they were using the same troops they had just fought against as laborers and soldiers, the Allies worked successfully to conceal the extent of Japanese involvement in these post-war activities.

By this point, all Japanese war criminals had been sentenced by Allied tribunals, and some JSP were deported to the Republic of China and the Soviet Union and subject to forced labour.