The Imperial War Graves Commission has issued a statement reiterating the policy pursued since the war of 1914-18, that the Governments of Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India and Newfoundland had decided that the return home of the bodies of members of the forces buried overseas shall not be undertaken or allowed.

The task of meeting even a moderate demand for repatriation would be too great for the facilities available, and private repatriation by the few who could afford the cost would be contrary to the principle equality of treatment. France had given a generous lead by providing in perpetuity for cemeteries. Agreements with other countries concerned ensured relatives the real consolation of knowing that the last resting place of their dead was honoured and made sure cemeteries, to be laid out, as after the last war, would be reverently tended by the Commission's gardeners.

Establishment of special military courts to try war criminals in Australia and Australian territories will be provided for in a bill to be introduced in the House of Representatives by the Minister for Defence (Mr. Beasley).

Known as the War Crimes Bill, the measure will enable a court to deal with any person alleged to be guilty of any war crime against any Australian, both members of the services and civilians, and any person who has been resident of Australia.

The court will be empowered to direct that reparations shall be made for damage to property and to impose sentences, including the death sentence for war crimes.

It may sit in Australia or in any place where the crime is alleged to have been committed, and will work in conjunction with similar courts established for the trial of war criminals.

The Japanese prison ship, Montevideo Maru, carrying 845 prisoners of war and 205 civilian internees from Rabaul to Japan in June, 1942, was torpedoed near Luzon with total loss of life among prisoners and internees. The Minister for External Territories (Mr Ward) in the House of Representatives said that although few missionaries and civilians had been rescued when Australian forces entered Rabaul after the surrender, 316 civilians were still not accounted for. The roll, which it was understood contained the names of personnel on board the Montevideo Maru, was being translated in Japan so that information could be sent to next of kin.

Australian inquiry officers working with General MacArthur's forces in Japan confirmed the Government's fears that the majority of Australians captured at Rabaul and still missing lost their lives at sea, Mr. Ward said. Some time would elapse before all names were available, but names would be released as they became available. Australian prisoners who were still in Rabaul when the Montevideo Maru sailed for Japan had recently been discovered, and had been able to confirm some names of personnel embarked on the ship.

Almost 500 Australians captured at Singapore suffered leg amputations owing to Japanese cruelty, said limbless prisoners of war who returned on Monday. They said they developed tropical ulcers from kicks and beatings with bamboo, for which the Japanese had refused them treatment. Many men died. Thirty five of the 714 men who returned on the Highland Chieftain had lost legs, and three had lost arms.

All available shipping was being used to bring Australian prisoners of war home, and this was delaying the return of troops to Australia from forward areas, said the Minister for the Army (Mr Forde).

"It is expected that more ships will be available shortly from world pools," said Mr Forde. "We are using seven Australian troopships to bring prisoners home, and when this is completed these ships will be available for the return of troops to the mainland," he said.

He added that the British Government had made available to Australia for one voyage 10 ships and a number of aircraft carriers for returning prisoners of war. In addition, two Australian hospital ships were employed.

"We are using about 120,000 tons of cargo shipping to keep our forces in the islands supplied and another 180,000 tons in bringing prisoners home," he said.

"In Singapore, Australian prisoners of war are only about one-sixth of the total. Naturally, the others have to be considered."

General Tomoyuki Yamashita, the "Tiger of Malaya," who was captured at Singapore and was the highest commander of the Japanese forces in the Philippines, will be charged in Manila as a war criminal.

The trial will be held in the former residence of the United States High Commissioner, which, although once a show place in Manila, is now badly damaged and has been temporarily repaired for use as a court.

Yamashita, who will be the first Japanese war criminal to face trial, will be charged with having "unlawfully disregarded and failed to discharge his duty as commander to control operations of members of his command, permitting them to commit brutal atrocities and other high crimes."

He will thus not be able to shift the blame for the atrocities by saying they were committed without his knowledge or sanction.

The President of the United States Military Commission, which will charge Yamashita, is Major-General RH Reynolds, Assistant Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces in the Western Pacific.

There will be two other major-generals and two brigadier-generals on the commission. It is anticipated that after Yamashita has been charged the trial will be adjourned for some weeks.

Six hundred Australian airmen, who have spent the last four months under canvas in Egyptian desert camps, will return home when they are picked up by the liner Stirling Castle, which is on its way from Britain with a large number of other airmen. The ship will leave Suez next Thursday carrying the largest drafts of RAAF. personnel, also 15 wives who were married in the Middle East. The long period of waiting for repatriation has been the subject of complaints. Some aircrews have waited for six months.

The first group of the RAAF occupation force have left Labuan for Tokio in two transport planes. Group Captain WAC Dale, DSO, of Armidale, is in charge. They will survey two airfields offered by the US Air Force, select one as a base and advise what technical personnel should be sent from Labuan. The survey party comprised nine officers and several airmen. Group Captain Dale was the task force engineer for allied air operations in New Guinea.

Angry relatives are complaining that when released prisoners of war reach Australia they have to travel home in second class carriages because next of kin are not allowed to pay the difference between first and second class rail fares for them. Relatives from the country want to take the men home in the greatest comfort. Parents who had offered to make up the difference said they had been told that this was forbidden under service regulations. "Next of kin should be allowed to make up the difference," said the Secretary of the Prisoner of War Relatives' Association (Mr Smith). "These men should travel home in the greatest comfort possible."

More than 1400 Australian prisoners of war have left Manila for Australia in the British aircraft carriers, Speaker and Formidable. There are 603 aboard the Speaker, and 823 aboard the Formidable. The Speaker arrived from Japan on Wednesday with a further batch of 140 Australians, who are now in camp awaiting transport home. Between 350 and 400 Australians are still in Manila, but it is likely that most of them will leave either by ship or plane within a week. It is not expected that any further large groups of prisoners of war will be repatriated through Manila.

The demobilisation of 20,000 R.A.A.F. men in Borneo and the Netherlands East Indies had begun, said the Minister for Air (Mr. Drakeford). He said that during October, all men with 240 points or more to their credit would be posted to their homes for discharge.

Mr Anthony (Country Party, NSW) said that at the next session of Parliament he would press for a thorough inquiry and tabling of all documents on the retention of small Australian forces at Ambon, Timor, and other Pacific islands long after the overwhelming strength of the Japanese southward advance was clearly revealed. Public uneasiness about the position at Amboina was also felt about Timor, Nauru and Rabaul. "In my opinion, valuable Australian lives were recklessly and fruitlessly thrown away in all these undertakings," Mr Anthony said.

Greater Newcastle Health Committee has decided that Stockton Beach should be closed for bathing until tank traps are removed. The decision to close the beach did not mean people would be prevented from surfing there, said the Chief Health Inspector (Mr Meddows). The decision relieves the council of responsibility if surfers suffer injury while the traps remain. Newcastle branch of the Surf Life Saving Association will be informed that the authorities have been requested to remove the traps. The request for a retaining wall in front of the Stockton club's premises will be considered with Stockton beach erosion.

About 15 girls who have been making spinners for Mosquito planes will have their last shift at Lysaght's on Friday. At a lunch to mark the end of production, the girls were each presented with a photo of a Mosquito. Representatives of De Havilland (Sydney), and the Aeronautical Inspection Branch were present.

Able Seaman John Robert Timmins, of Newcastle, who was on board the infantry landing ship Manoora during operations in the South-west Pacific area, has been mentioned in dispatches. His name was contained in a list of 42 awards announced by the Navy.

Miss D. Bambach of Hebburn Street, Hamilton, has been officially informed that her brother-in-law, Sergeant Claude Anthony (Hec) Byrne, of Bar Beach, died of illness in a Japanese prisoner of war camp in 1943. Sergeant Byrne was a member of 2/15 Field Regiment and was taken prisoner in Malaya. His wife died last year unaware of his death, leaving two young children, Tony and Jennifer.

Private Ronald Rees Davies, younger son Mr and Mrs JE Davies, of Whitton Street, Wallsend, was killed in action in Malaya on February 15, 1942, only four months after he enlisted. His parents were advised last week. They were told that an officer had recorded the names of men of his battalion he had seen buried, and that particulars of their son were in the record. When he saw that his capture was inevitable, the officer buried the record. He recovered the record immediately after his liberation. Private Davies was under 18 when he enlisted. He sailed for Malaya early in January, 1942, as a member of the 2/18th Battalion. He was employed by the Commonwealth Steel before enlisting. A brother, Corporal Thomas Edward (Teddy) Davies, who joined the AIF in June, 1941, was employed by the same company before enlisting. He is now on leave.