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Fukuoka 24-B Branch Camp 24 SENRYU (Emukae) |
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Fukuoka Branch Camp #24-B (SUMITOMO KOGYO SENDRYU KOGYO-SHO) Sumitomo Coal Company Nagasaki-ken, Kita-Matsuura-gun, Emukae-machi, SENRYU (Alternate spellings: Sendryu, Sendyu - see note below) MAP of location- western side north of Sasebo Precise Location - Satellite Timeline: 15 Jan 1945: Established as Fukuoka #24 Senryu (Emukae) 16 Jan 1945: 150 Australian POWS and all Americans arrive from Awa Maru 5 Mar 1945: (approx date) British arrive ex Taiwan (Formosa) on Taiko Maru Sep 1945: Rescue effected Photographs: Special thanks to Neil MacPherson for these photographs and identities Americans - note: 6th from left on front row is Aussie RAAF Flight Lt Jim Sutherland. Australians A to L (identity list) Australian M to Z (identity list) - Note: 2nd row, 1st man on left is American Dr. Julian Goodman. Modern picture of camp hill Post War picture of typical mine work-While the miners in the photo are Japanese the conditions for the much bigger bodied Westerners crouching for long hours in the confined space while working can be imagined. I hope that the photo, which was supplied to me by the officials of Sumatoma Mining during my visit in 2002, can be used as part of the history of World War 11, it is difficult for us survivors to adequately describe the conditions under which we worked, this photo does this very well. See short biography on the passing of Flt Lt Sutherland Special note from Wes Injerd: Fukuoka Camp #24 was in a district called Senryu (which sounds like SEN-DYU when pronounced) and was the name of the train station there at the time; it's now called "Senryu-ga-taki" [taki=falls; there's a nearby waterfall]), in Emukae-machi (machi=town), which is in Kita-Matsuura-gun (gun=county), which is in Fukuoka-ken (ken=prefecture). Note: From the Center for Research- we have chosen the spelling of SENRYU as that is what was commonly accepted by the POWS. Special Pages for all Fukuoka Camps - A must see! |
Labor: The POWs worked as slaves for the Sumitomo Coal Mining Company; Emukae Mine Hell Ships: Awa Maru- carried the Australians & Americans from Singapore 26 Dec 1944 Taiko Maru- carried only British from Taiwan (Keelung) departing 27 Feb 1945- arrived 10 March 1945 Rosters British (revised and updated) Australians & (1) Dutch Yank Roster Not shown are POW numbers and home addresses- ask for info if needed POW Shirt at Australian War Museum POW Herron had all sign his shirt just before rescue. Additonal information provided by Neil MacPherson Short History: Contributed by WX16572 Neil O. MacPherson 2/2nd Pioneer Battalion 15th December 1944, saw 545 Australian prisoners from River Valley Road camp, under the leadership of Flt Lt Sutherland, board the Awa Maru in Singapore. All are survivors of A Force on the Death railway. After 11 days battened down under scorching decks we sailed for Japan on Boxing Day. On 15th January 1945 the prisoners staggered ashore at Moji, Kyushu - dirty, bedraggled & starved, but unbowed, it was mid winter, snow on the ground. 150 of the group travelled to Senryu Emukae, after several days of training by Jap miners we were classified fit to work in a Sumitomo owned coalmine. Compared to the horrors, death, disease, squalid conditions and brutal treatment on the Burma railway, conditions at camp 24 were 5 star. Comfortable warm huts, 12 men to an airy room. Apart from petty harassment by the guards, insufficient food to sustain the long shift in cramped and hazardous conditions underground, the morale was excellent. The Jap miners were helpful in teaching us how to survive in this dangerous environment, and unlike other work areas, no punishments were handed out. On the 16th August 1945 we were told “the war is over”. We took over the camp. Supplies dropped by US bombers helped make the next 5 weeks a pleasant memory. Hikes into the countryside, invitations from farmers, sharing their scarce food, prisoners in return sharing the bounties from the US planes. |
