THE COWRA BREAKOUT                          

At 1.50 am on the clear moonlit night of August 5, 1944, the largest Prisoner of War breakout in modern military history occurred at Cowra. More than 1000 Japanese prisoners launched a mass 'suicide attack' on their guards, Australian soldiers of the 22nd Garrison. To the Japanese, the disgrace of capture could finally be overcome by dying in armed battle.

Armed with crude weapons, four groups each of approximately 300 Japanese threw themselves on to barbed wire fences and into the firing line of Vickers machine guns. Protected only by baseball mits, blankets and coats and using their comrades as a human bridge to cross the tangled barbed wire, more than 350 Japanese clawed their way to freedom. (From the Cowra Breakout Kit.)

All escapees were captured during the following week. A total of 107 POWs were wounded, 231 prisoners died along with four Australian soldiers.

                          REMAINS OF THE DAY FOR A NEW GENERATION                         

From the tragedy of war and the Cowra Breakout came a long lasting friendship between the people of Cowra and the nation of Japan.  There is much in Cowra today which serves as a reminder to these events.

P.O.W. Theatre - Located at the Visitor's Centre, this nine minute hologram tells the story of the Breakout and its aftermath.  The story is inspirational and the display simply amazing.  A must see for any visitor.

Australia's World Peace Bell - Located in Civic Square, the Australian World Peace Bell is a replica of the one that stands in the forecourt of the United Nations Headquarters in New York as a reminder of the continual need for all nations to work for peace. The Australian World Peace Bell was awarded to Cowra in 1992 for its long standing contribution to world peace and international understanding.

Japanese War Cemetery - Following the Breakout returned Cowra servicemen, in an act of kindness tended the graves of the Japanese soldiers killed in the Breakout.  In 1963 the Japanese government were considering the repatriation of their war dead, however they were so impressed with the attitude of the Cowra returned servicemen they proposed that a Japanese War Cemetery be built in Cowra.  All other Japanese nationals who died during the war, civilian and military alike had their remains brought to Cowra.  Since then other Japanese remains from the second World War have been interred at the cemetery.  To this day it is the only Japanese War Cemetery in the world.

Australian War Cemetery - Maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the Cowra War cemetery has become a showpiece for modern military cemeteries.  It contains the remains of the four Australian's killed during the breakout and those of other local servicemen who died during the second World War.