2 Feb 46

MEMORANDUM:

SUBJECT: Investigation of Nagoya Branch Prisoner of War Camp #9
TO: Chief of Investigation Division, Legal Section, SCAP

By direction of the Chief, Investigation Division, 1st Lt. Joseph G. BREAUNE, and 1st Lt, Richard H. WILLS, Jr., accompanied by Tech/4 Hiroshi L. Okada as interpreter, proceeded to Toyama ken, Toyami shi, Higasi-iwase Machi, and made an investigation of Nagoya Branch POW Camp No. 9, between 11 January 1946 and 25 January 1946.

Information contained herein was obtained through a personal inspection of the camp by these agents and through interrogation of the following persons:

SADO, Hiroshi, employed by the Nippon Tsuun (Transportation) Co., which employed the prisoners from camp No. 9, as it's liaison representative with the camp.

ISHIDA, Sadii, Toyamashi Kaigantori, 382, employed by Nippon Tsuun as a gurad on the docks where prisoners were employed.

NAGAJI, Tadatsugu, Toyamashi, Higasi-iwase Machi, 102, a civilian doctor employed by Nippon Tsuun to examine the prisoners.

HASHUTSUME, Takejiro, manager of the Higase-iwase branch of Nippon Tsuun.

1. Location and description:
The camp was opened on 29 May 1945 at Mori, Toyama city, on the site of a former barracks for civilian laborers. Part of the buildings were repaired clap-biard structures while some new buildings were constructed and the areas surrounded by a 10 foot board fence. All the buildings except the office and army quarters had dirt floors. Windows in the prisoners' quarters were of board, hinged at the top and held open with sticks. Most of the men were housed in the two barracks 24 ft x 100 ft. each having a double tier of sleeping platforms on either side with an eight foot aisle running through the center. The upper tier of platforms was reached by ladders placed at intervals of about 10 feet. (For detailed plan of camp, see Exhibit "A").

The entire camp was surrounded by gardens and rice paddies which constantly bred mosquitoes during the summer months.

2. Camp Personnel:
The camp was commanded by 1st Lt. FURYAMA, Seiichi, and had a permanent army personnel of one Sergeant and three Corporals. In addition the company employed 23 men who acted as guards, voerseers and bookkeepers. (See Exhibit "B" for complete list of camp personnel)

3. Prisoner Personnel:
350 prisoners were received from Nagoya on 29 May 1945, consisting of 230 Americans, 100 British, 19 Australians, and 1 Dutch. The senior officer was Major RAGO, John B., an American who acted as Prisoner Camp Commander and medical officer. (See Exhibit "C" for a complete list of prisoners) [see digitized rosters]

4. Quarters:
Each man was given a rice-straw sleeping mat and three blankets, which were considered sufficient during the summer months. The barracks were dimly lighted by two electric drops in each; lights-out at 2000.

Two large out-buildings were constructed to serve as latrines and wash-rooms. Each contained 10 Japanese style stools and a trench urinal. The wash-room consisted of a pump and wooden troughs, with only a roof over it.
Only one shower head for cold water was provided, the water being pumped into a small tank in the bathroom by hand. A small quantity of hot water was made possible by installing a crude stove under a wooden tank with a metal bottom.

A small latrine containing two stools was constructed near the hospital for the use of the patients.

5. Rations:
Water was supplied by five hand pumps from wells approximately 60 feet deep and had to be boiled before drinking.
Wheat, rice, and soybeans formed the basis of most meals with some fresh vegetables such as onions, seaweed, and daizon (radish), used in stew. Fish was served about once every 10 days; either fried in soybean oil or as soup. Six prisoners worked in the kitchen, preparing all the meals as well as the lunched taken by the prisoners to their work details. Each man was furnished a lunch box by the company in which he carried his lunch to work each shift.

The bulk of food was furnished by the army, though some rice, soybeans, greens, and dried fish was supplied by the company. No Red Cross supplies were received nor were the prisoners allowed to purchase food from civilian sources.Many complaints were made by Major RAGO about both the quantity and quality of the food supplied but the situation was not remedied until the war ended.

6. Clothing:
Fatugues and getas or tabis were furnished by the army, only about one-third of the men having their own leather shoes still in usable condition; however, the army did furnish leather for shoe repair. The company supplied straw shoes, hats, and raincoats for use while working at the docks in inclement weather.

7. Hygiene and sanitation:
The drainage system of the camp was very inadequate, especially around the latrines and washrooms where water was ditched off into adjoining fields.

Stools in the latrines had no covers and in spite of the disinfectant powder said to have been used, they presented a potential fly-breeding spot. No other attempt was made to control flies nor were any attempts to control mosquitos, which were myriad because of the proximity of irrigated fields. Men were not furnished mosquito nets and all windows and doors were unscreened.

Laundry was done in cold water, each man being allowed a monthly ration of soap about two inches square which had to suffice for both laundry and bathing purposes.

A crude oven of stone and mud was constructed by the prisoners just outside the kitchen in which to bake bread with what rice-flout there was available to them.

8. Medical care and inspections:
No separate hospital was built; one end of a barracks 42 ft by 34 ft being boxed off and used as a hospital. Space was provided for about 20 bed patients, but an average of 100 men per day were either sick or too weak for work.
The hospital was staffed by Major RAGO, four enlisted prisoners, and a Jap medical technician, who kept all records and destroyed them 16 August 1945 upon orders of the camp commander.

Doctor NAGAJI, Tadatsugu, was employed by the company to make three visits to the camp; two for the purpose of general physical examinations and one to treat a prisoner seriously ill with beri beri. His final visit was to examine 250 Americans and Australians just after their arrival. Among these were five very serious cases of malnutrition and five serious cases of beri beri, all of which were confined to the hospital. The balance of the prisoners examined were in very poor physical condition and informant stated that not one of them could be considered to be in good health. The only treatment given on this visit was injections of vitamins to three or four serious beri beri cases. His second visit was to examine 100 British prisoners who were found to be in better condition than the men previously examined, but among whom there were many too weak to work.

Only one prisoner died while the camp was in operation, the cause of death being beri beri. (Murry B. Kimball, US Navy)

Most of the medical supplies were furnished by the army, supplemented by some few from the company. No Red Cross supplies were received during the entire period. Major RAGO complained several times about the lack of supplies.

9. Special Services:
No canteen was established for the use of the prisoners; however, the army did furnish a few items such as tooth brushes, razor blades, and a ration of three cigarettes daily. No athletic or recreational equipment was issued and informants never saw the prisoners engage in any sort of games.

10. Work:
Approximately 250 prisoners worked each day loading and unloading cargoes of coal, rice and beans at the docks. Work details left the camp at 0700 and walked about three-quarters of a mile to the docks. They were given an hour off for lunch and two 30 minute rest periods a day; quitting at 1630 and reaching camp about 1700. Often during rush periods a detail of 50 to 100 men who ad worked during the day were sent back to work at 1900 and worked until 2400 or 0400. These men were supposedly given the following morning off.

Eight NCO's acted as section leaders and performed supervisory work only. Section leaders were rotated weekly, the balance of the time NCO's performed the same work as privates.

A detail from the 100 men left in camp each day worked te camp garden, approximately 60 feet square. No produce from this garden was received prior to closing the camp. (See Exhibit "D" for work report submitted by the company)

11. Safety Precautions:
There were no fire extinguishers in any of the buildings. A small pool of water in the center of the camp area and the fire hand pumps constituted all the fire-fighting equipment. Sufficient air-raid shelters were constructed within the camp to accommodate all the men, though their construction was so flimsy that they offered protection only against fire and shrapnel.

12. Punitive Measures:
The most common punishment was the slapping or kicking; usually for stealing rice or beans from the docks while on work details. Informants stated that almost all the guards administered this type of punishment at one time or another. No cases of serious beating or maiming were discovered.

Three or four men were placed in the guardhouse for two or three day periods, without food, for stealing food from ships' galleys while at work.

13. Miscellaneous:
Numerous complaints were made by Major RAGO about the lack of sufficient and proper food and medicine, as well as about sending sick or weak prisoners out on work details. No reults were obtained by these complaints, the exact nature of which these agents were unable to discover, due to the destruction of all records on 16 August 1945.

No mail was either sent or received while the camp was in operation nor was the camp inspected by Swiss Representatives or the International Red Cross.

14: Summary:
Had prisoners been quartered in this camp during winter months, their living conditions would have been almost unbearable due to lack of insulation of the buildings and their open and drafty condition.

The statements of former prisoners, O.C. Brinkerhoff and John L. Massimino, concerning atrocities in the camp, were not borne out by facts learned during the investigation. Most of the atrocities alleged in their statements occurred during cold weather and this camp was in operation only during the summer months. Neither of the Japanese army Lts. Named in their statements was ever on duty at camp No. 9.Much of the evidence discoverfed concerning mistreatment was hearsay and informants who actually witnessed instances of slapping and kicking could not remember the names of the perpetrators nor the date they occurred; therefore, no statements were taken.

15. Undeveloped Leads:
Interrogation of JOMURA, Kichichi, former interpreter at the camp now employed at the Osaka branch of Nippon Tsuun Kabushiki Kaisha, to determine if he has any definite information concerning atrocities.

/S/
JOSEPH G BREAUNE, 1st Lt., CMP
Investigating Officer
Legal Section, GHQ, SCAP

/S/
RICHARD W. WILLS, Jr., 1st Lt. CMP
Investigating Officer
Legal Section, GHQ, SCAP