Canada: Hugh Roberts in Canada was imprisoned during WWI for refusing to bear arms (evidently Canada had no C.O. provisions then) and was incarcerated for several years. During that time he wrote the hymn “Strong in the Strength of Gentleness.”
Liberia: John Johnston (from Ireland, later Romania overseer) and Wyngrove Carter (from Barbados) were held captive several months by rebel forces during the Civil War in Liberia and threatened with death frequently. Several of the friends were killed at that time. The First Liberian Civil War was from 1989 to 1997. The Second Liberian Civil War was from 1999 to 2003.
Ecuador: Aníbal Zárate and Rojano González were imprisoned in Ecuador for several months during the Peru-Ecuador war in 1995, accused of being Peruvian spies (along with many other Peruvian men arrested in Ecuador when the war broke out). They were tortured severely during that time to get them to sign “confessions” that they were spies.
Netherlands: Some (names unknown) in the Netherlands were also imprisoned by Germans, including Matilda Smeenk.
Java: Willem Boshoff (South African) and companion were imprisoned by Japan in Java during WWII and suffered terribly. Rumor is that Willem’s companion lost his mind and never recovered. It may be that others were held there besides Willem and companion. King Rat, a novel by James Clavell, includes a description of the terrible conditions in the Java camps. He was a survivor of one of the worst ones.
Philippines: Adrian Oldham, not yet a worker, was among US soldiers captured by Japan in the Philippines, survived the Bataan death march, and then did forced labor in the coal mines in Japan until the end of the war. He wrote quite a detailed account that has been widely circulated.
TTT Editor’s Note: Will post if someone provides Adrian Oldham’s account. Email TTT