AMERICAN AFFIDAVITS

Ackerman
Alexander
Anloff
Arambarri
Awalt
Barney
Beecher
Bull
Burns
Carey
Cherne
Childs
Chunn
Condit
Conn


Ackerman, James

STATE OF CALIFORNIA
ss
County of Alameda

JAMES ACKERMAN, first duly sworn, deposes and says:

I am a citizen of the United States. I was born in New Milford, New Jersey, on 7 February 1915. My present assignment is that of Assistant Officer in Charge, of the Commissary Store, Naval Air Station, Alameda, California. I am a Naval Warrant Officer, my serial number is 490845. I enlisted in the regular Navy on 25 January 1933 and have been on continuous active service since that date.

I was captured by the Japanese on Corregidor, 6 May 1942. At that time, I was a Baker, First Class, attached to the USS Canopus, and my serial number then, was 2070977. I was first held sixteen days in a garage area on Corregidor and then transferred to Bilibid Prison in Manila, where I remained for a week or until sometime in June 1942. I was then sent to Cabanatuan Prisoner of War Camp No. 1, and later to a work camp at Bataan, remaining there from June 1942 until December 1942. At this time, I went to Bilibid Prison Hospital and stayed until April 1944. I was returned to Cabanatuan for about two months and left in July 1944 for Camp No. 23 on the Island of Kyushu. In November 1944, I was again transferred and this time to Fukuoka Prisoner of War Camp No. 1 in Japan. I remained from November 1944 until my liberation early in September 1945.

While at Fukuoka Prisoner of War Camp No. 1, in Japan, I recall an incident that occurred in December 1944. I was assigned to a work detail of one hundred men, to build a new camp about eight miles from our old one. On this particular day, the temperature being around zero, I stepped over to a small fire recently abandoned by the Japanese guards and stood there momentarily warming my hands. With me was a Hollander who was also a prisoner of war. I only knew him by the nickname of Dutch. It was during the lunch hour and I felt that this was not an infraction of the rules. At this time, a guard, who was a Japanese soldier, known to us as "The Beast" [HONDA], came around the corner of the building and apprehended us. He took us behind a nearby building where he had two other prisoners of war standing at attention. One was a man by the name of Tierney and the other was Clem J. Cherne. "The Beast" then required the four of us to assume push-up positions. This was in front of about fifty POW witnesses of American, Dutch and English ancestry.

"The Beast" secured a green bamboo pole about 4½ feet long and about 3½ inches in diameter. He struck us almost continuously for about forty-five (45) minutes. We were hit about the head, shoulders, kidneys, buttocks and legs to the calves. I believe I was struck fifty or more times. Once during this period "The Beast" walked around in front of me and kicked me on the jaw with his hob-nailed shoes. My jaw was layed open to the bone. This blow rendered me unconscious. Despite the freezing weather, I was revived with a bucket of water and "The Beast" continued his sadistic treatment. Afterwards I was forced to continue my afternoon labor and march eight miles back to camp, although I was aided by friends.

The man that I knew as Dutch was unable to make the march that evening, and died the following day. An American doctor (an Army Captain), by falsifying sick records, gained for us a two day respite from work, which was spent in bed. Afterwards, however, we returned to labor. I am still suffering as a result of this punishment.

Shortly after this beating I was told by two different English prisoners of war that they had both separately appealed to Takeo Katsura (who frequently assumed second in command) to step in and stop this beastial and unwarranted beating. Katsura refused to intervene. I cannot recall the names of either of these prisoners of war, but one was in charge of the carpenters and the other the masons. A description of "The Beast" is as follows: Height 5 feet 9 inches, weighed 180 pounds, age -- thirty to thirty five, stocky build, walked erect, dressed in a neat military manner. Photographs of Katsura are included herewith as enclosures three and four.

Others who were imprisoned with me at Fukuoka Prisoner of War Camp No. 1, and have witnessed the foregoing are: Sergeant William Polikoff, 186 Division Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, Sergeant Herman H. Milam, Lake Land, Florida, M. P. Riley, 17 George Street North, Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Walter C. Kiesov, 214 McKenzie Street, Santa Fe, New Mexico.

(signed) James Ackerman

Subscribed and sworn to before me this day 22 of November 1946, at Alameda, Calif.

(signed)
MURRY M. IFFT
Captain, MI
Summary Court

Interviewed by: Murry M. Ifft, S/A, CIC, Sixth Army

[BACK OF PHOTO]

KATSURA Takeo
also known as "Kassie"
Interpreter FUKUOKA PW Camp No 1

JAMES ACKERMAN, first being duly sworn deposes and says:

I was a prisoner of war at Fukuoka Prisoner of War Camp #1, Japan, from November 1944 until September 1945. I recognize the man whose photograph appears on the reverse side of this print as Takeo Katsura, and he is the one referred to in my statement taken by the representative of the Military Intelligence, on or about 20 November 1946.

(signed) James Ackerman

Subscribed and sworn to before me this day 22 November 1946 at Alameda, California.

(signed)
MURRY M. IFFT
Captain, MI
Summary Court Officer

[BACK OF PHOTO]

HAJIME HONDA, FRONT

JAMES ACKERMAN, first being duly sworn, deposes and says:

I was a prisoner of war at Fukuoka Prisoner of War Camp #1, Japan, from November 1944 until September 1945. I recognize the individual whose photograph appears on the reverse side of this print as Hajime Honda, who was a member of the Japanese Camp Personnel, but I have no further statement to make regarding his activities, while at the camp.

(signed) James Ackerman

Subscribed and sworn to before me this day 22 November 1946 at Alameda, California.

(signed)
MURRY M. IFFT
Captain, MI
Summary Court Officer


Alexander, Irvin

CHECK LIST for Irvin Alexander

1. Date of your arrival at: Fukuoka No. 1

2. Please state its exact location if possible, or if this cannot be done, please describe its location with reference to other cities or prominent land marks.

In the outskirts of the city of Fukuoka, Kyushu.

3. When was camp first occupied by prisoners of war? Were the first occupants Americans, British, Dutch or Australians?

Late in 1944. A mixture of Americans, British, and Dutch.

4. Number of Americans in your group and name of senior American officers.

About 190. Lt. Col. Curtis D. Beecher, U.S. Marine Corps; Lt. Col. Amorosa, C.A.C., U.S. Army; Lt. Col. Arthur Shreve, F.A., U.S. Army

5. Please give figures on personnel in this camp to the best of your knowledge. Your own group should be included in these figures.

Americans: 380?

Army: 200?

Navy: 40?

Marines: 40?

Civilians: 100?

British: 150?

Dutch: 250?

Australians: 20?

Chinese:

Any other nationality:

Total: 800 approximately

6. Names and titles of Japanese camp officials.

1st Lt. Sakamoto, commander

7. Please describe the condition of the following facilities:

a. Size of compound and type of fence.

Rectangular 300 yds by 800 yds. Split bamboo high fence.

b. Housing

1. Number of barracks: 15?

2. Size of barracks: 80ft X 25ft?

3. Type of construction: Low hut.

4. Type of roof: Tar paper.

5. Type of floor: Wood platform with center aisle of sand.

6. Type of interior construction: Mat covered platforms

c. Latrines

1. Location: Approx. 1 for each 3 huts outside of row of huts and perpendicular to huts.

2. Type: Hut covered pit with slit in floor similar to a straddle trench.

d. Bathing

1. Location: One bathhouse on latrine line in center of camp.

2. Type: 5 or 6 large tubs.

3. Size: Each tub about 6ft square.

d. Mess

1. Type: 1 central kitchen with large pots.

2. Amount of food: 1 cup of rice, with thin vegetable soup three times per day. Part of time a bun of bread was substituted for rice.

3. Preparation: Rice was steamed in large pots for entire camp -- also soup prepared in large pots; all served without salt.

4. Quality: The rice was mixed with millet and was of poor quality.

f. Medical attention and type of hospital: One building similar to barracks building was used as a hospital. Also one half of another building was used as an infirmary for sick call and dressings.

8. Type of work performed by prisoners of war.

a. Officers: Cultivating garden, police of camp, care of latrines.

b. Enlisted men: Various labor such as moving supplies, construction of airfield, etc.

9. What were the working conditions?

Under guard when outside of compound. Usually work was not too hard.

10. Describe the conditions and restrictions on the sending and receiving of mail.

No mail received by my group. Sent one radiogram and one or two letters but they were never delivered.

11. How much were the prisoners of war paid?

a. Officers: Same as Japanese officers of equal rank, but of this money all but about 50 yen per month was withheld.

b. Enlisted men: Paid only when working and then only small wages.

12. Number of Red Cross parcels received and dates received.

1/3 package in Feb. 1945.

13. Clothing situation

a. What was issued by the Japanese and dates?

1 outer uniform woolen, 1 overcoat, 1 shirt, 1 pr drawers, 1 pr socks, 1 cap, upon arrival in camp.

14. How was your treatment?

I personally was never mistreated except partially starved like everyone else and forced to live in vermin-filled barracks, and perform humiliating labor.

15. How was morale?

Fairly good.

16. What were the religious facilities?

None.

17. Date of departure from this camp?

April 24, 1945?

18. Number of Americans in this group?

130?

19. Conditions en route and names of towns through which you passed.

Moved by ferry from Fukuoka to Fusan, Korea, thence by rail to Seoul, thence by rail to Jinsen, Korea. Journey uneventful except for air raid alarms. During this trip we were furnished 3 box lunches (called Binto Boxes), the best food we had received in many months.

20. Destination.

Jinsen, Korea.

21. A rough sketch of the camp's lay-out showing the approximate size of the buildings. Please make sketch on reverse side of check list.

22. Name, rank and address of other officers or enlisted men who can furnish information concerning this prisoner of war camp.

Col. Dennis M. Moore, Inf.
Col. Armand Hopkins, CAC.
Col. H. K. Johnson, Inf.
Col. Arthur L. Shreve, F.A.
Lt. Col. Alva R. Fitch, F.A.
Lt. Col. Chester L. Johnson, F.A.
Col. William D. North, M.C.
Col. Jack Schwartz, M.C.

23. Your name, rank, serial number, organization and home address.

IRVIN ALEXANDER, COL. INF.
542 FUNSTON PL.
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

NOTE: Any other information which in your opinion will be of interest to this office should be placed on the reverse side of the check list.

In view of the fact that I was in poor physical condition during the time I spent at this camp, my answers to some of the questions may be inaccurate as my powers of observation at that time was at a very low ebb.


Anloff, Garry J.

CHECK LIST for Major Garry J. Anloff, Jr.

1. Date of your arrival at: Fukuoka

30 Jan. 45 (known to us as Fukuoka #1)

2. Please state its exact location if possible, or if this cannot be done, please describe its location with reference to other cities or prominent land marks.

From the station on the RR line from MOJI it was approx. 5 min. by truck to the camp. A RR line ran past one side of camp, and when we left it was about 2 miles by road, one by air, to what appeared to be the main port of the town. From there we took what seemed to be the daily ferry to FUSAN, Korea.

3. When was camp first occupied by prisoners of war? Were the first occupants Americans, British, Dutch or Australians?

I believe that the camp was occupied by the British. There were 30 British officers there who had been with the Jap C.O. for over 2 years, altho not all the time at the same camp.

4. Number of Americans in your group and name of senior American officers.

193(?) arrived, 140 left. S.O.P. -- Lt. Col. Curtiss Beecher USMC. Also Lt. Col. Dennis E. Moore GSC and Lt. Col. Arthur Shreve. (Rank given as of that date.)

5. Please give figures on personnel in this camp to the best of your knowledge. Your own group should be included in these figures.

Americans: (100) 140-240

Army: (30) 120-150

Navy: (00) 10

Marines: (00) 10

Civilians: (70) 00-70

British: 250

Dutch: 150

Australians: 20

Chinese: 000

Any other nationality:

Total: less than 700. All figures are guesses. Figures in brackets are of the Americans not of our group.

6. Names and titles of Japanese camp officials.

This camp was under a Captain who "set the pace" for the camp, and it was NOT good.

7. Please describe the condition of the following facilities:

a. Size of compound and type of fence:

b. Housing

1. Number of barracks: 14

2. Size of barracks: About 25 X 5 Meters. HEAT -- none except in sick barracks, then small charcoal buckets until March 21 (end of winter). No fuel supplied, charcoal scavenged from ash pile. One bucket per barrack.

3. Type of construction: Wood frame, mud side, tar paper roof, end doors (sliding) sliding wood ventilators on sides, one or two small glass windows each end.

4. Type of roof:

5. Type of floor: dirt

6. Type of interior construction: Center aisle (dirt), raised platform (approx. 18") on each side, covered with mats.

c. Latrines

1. Location: About 50 yards behind row of barracks, one for each two or three barracks (adequate as to number, satisfactory as to location EXCEPT that the wells were less than 50 feet from them. (All water supposed to be boiled.)

2. Type: Typical Jap open slot type with separate urinal, separate booths.

d. Bathing

1. Location: One building, centrally located in line of latrines, water from well (surface) immediately in rear.

2. Type: Typical Jap box 1 x 2 meters, concrete bottom, fire box below, (4 boxes plus one 1 x 1 marked "OFFICERS"). Barely adequate dressing space, open locker boxes for clothes. Concrete floor in building. Schedule called for bathing every 3 days, generally averaged about once a week.

3. Size:

d. Mess

1. Type: Typical Jap Kawas (permanently set round bottomed boiling pots), some 15, some 35, one or two 55 gallon. Also a brick oven for baking bread.

2. Amount of food: Not much. We gained weight VERY slowly. I weighed 84 pounds the day after I arrived, about 115 when we left (part of that was water). I did much better than the average. The permanent party was losing weight steadily.

3. Preparation: We were probably getting 1000 or 1100 calories a day. Diet bread (barley) or rice (some millet) with a very watery soup. About once a week, enough meat or fish to flavor the soup, infrequently more. Preparation of rice OK. Insufficient coal allowed to complete baking of bread. English cooks did the best that they knew.

4. Quality: Rice, not good, sometimes "rubbery," lots of millet bread, poor yeast culture. Soup vegetables (daikon and turnips) old, woody, dry. Can you imagine eating the tops of turnips that have gone to seed?

f. Medical attention and type of hospital: Almost NO supplies, all bandages boiled and reused many times. Dutch Doctors were hard workers, sympathetic and willing. Jap Doctor had no redeeming features to my knowledge. For details inquire of Col. Jack Schwartz, M.C., a Gentleman, a Physician, and an officer who will give a factual report. Refer to Major KOSTECKI, M.C. (O.R.C.) of Boston, Mass. -- Formerly assigned to 45th Inf. (Philippine Scouts). He was member of Permanent Party at the Camp.

8. Type of work performed by prisoners of war.

a. Officers: English officers did not work except when volunteered. American officers carried latrine dippings to fertilize garden. Work not compulsory, but there was pressure to get men out.

b. Enlisted men: Carpenters, equipment operators and repairers, general labor.

9. What were the working conditions?

For officers, not bad at all. For EM, cannot say .. (Hearsay)

10. Describe the conditions and restrictions on the sending and receiving of mail.

One card sent from there has arrived here, 2 or 3 were sent. Several radiograms (propaganda) were collected from the camp. To my knowledge none arrived. No mail received by our group. Mail for permanent party very slow, even English officers.

11. How much were the prisoners of war paid?

a. Officers: Don't remember. People with diaries should know. Unable to spend more than 5 yen a month. Nothing permitted.

b. Enlisted men:

12. Number of Red Cross parcels received and dates received.

1/3 per man about Feb. 10, 1945.

13. Clothing situation

a. What was issued by the Japanese and dates?

Just barely enough. Two uniforms (3 piece), one pair sox -- no shoes until we left camp.

14. How was your treatment?

Decidedly not good -- Reflecting on the C.O. attitude -- guards more belligerent and rough.

15. How was morale?

Not too good.

16. What were the religious facilities?

None -- permitted but frowned upon -- we were too weak to care.

17. Date of departure from this camp?

25 April 1945.

18. Number of Americans in this group?

140 left.

19. Conditions en route and names of towns through which you passed.

Better than usual -- at least as good as Civilians -- well fed -- loaded with some consideration as Jap officers -- much better than Jap E.M. -- route -- Fukuoka Harbor - Ferry to Fushan (Korea) - Train to Seoul and to Jinsen, Korea.

20. Destination:

21. A rough sketch of the camp's lay-out showing the approximate size of the buildings. Please make sketch on reverse side of check list.

22. Name, rank and address of other officers or enlisted men who can furnish information concerning this prisoner of war camp.

Col. Dennis Moore, G.S.C., Regular Army
Col. Arthur Shreve, G.S.C., Regular Army
Col. Jack Schwartz, M.C., Regular Army
Lt. Col. H. K. Montgomery, Q.M.C. -- O.R.C., Van Nuys, Calif.

23. Your name, rank, serial number, organization and home address.

Garry J. Anloff, Jr., Major AGD - 0-269779
244 N. Manhattan Pl.
Los Angeles 4, Calif.

NOTE: Any other information which in your opinion will be of interest to this office should be placed on the reverse side of the check list.

The treatment at this camp was not good. Neither the Camp C.O. nor the M.D. were "sympathetic" -- both were taking advantage of their position. This was NOT a good or FAIR camp. We were treated more like ignorant Chinese coolies than normally intelligent people. Food was held to a bare minimum.


Arambarri, Frank I.

STATE OF IDAHO
COUNTY OF BLAINE

I, FRANK I. ARAMBARRI, civilian, Hailey, Idaho, being first duly sworn, depose and say that:

During January or February 1945, while I was a prisoner of war at Fukuoka Prisoner of War Camp No. 1, I was present at the beating of a Dutch prisoner of war by a Japanese, known to me as "The Beast". The Dutch prisoner, whose name is unknown to me, was working on a barracks and had gone to a small fire in the area in order to warm his hands. "The Beast" caught the Dutch prisoner and forced him to lie prone on the ground and beat him with a bamboo stick so severely that the other prisoners had to carry him back to camp, which was a distance of approximately five kilometers. He was taken to the hospital where he died about three days later as a result of this beating. I believe that the Dutch authorities have the name of this man and also pertinent data regarding this incident.

To the best of my knowledge the incident stated above covers all pertinent details that I can recall at the present time.

(signed)
FRANK I. ARAMBARRI

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 23 day of April 1947 at Hailey, Idaho.

(signed)
R. N. McCoy

Interviewed by Edward F. Risko, Special Agent, CIC, Sixth Army.

[ON SMALL CARD ATTACHED TO BACK OF A PHOTO]

The Japanese on the reverse side is known to me as "Bucktooth" [HONDA].

(signed)
FRANK I. ARAMBARRI

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 23 day of April 1947 at Hailey, Idaho.

(signed)
R. N. McCoy


Awalt, George Thomas, Jr.

PERPETUATION OF TESTIMONY OF GEORGE THOMAS AWALT, Jr.
STAFF SERGEANT, U. S. MARINE CORPS
(279916)
SOUTHERN RECRUITING DIVISION
DISTRICT HEADQUARTERS RECRUITING STATION, DALLAS, TEXAS.
SUB-DISTRICT HEADQUARTERS RECRUITING STATION, ABILENE, TEXAS.

My name is George T. AWALT. My permanent home address is 205 West 15th St., Cisco, Texas. I am now 28 years of age, and a Staff Sergeant in the U. S. Marine Corps. Having enlisted on 3 January 1940, I went overseas on the 15th of March 1940 and joined the First Separate Marine Battalion at Cavite, P.I. I returned to the United States on 28 September 1945. I reenlisted in the U. S. Marine Corps on 28 February 1946.

I was captured on Corregidor on 7 May 1942 by a ground unit of the Japanese Army.

I remained on Corregidor until 13 May, then we were put on Jap cattle boats and moved to the Bilibid Prison in Manila. I stayed there until the 17th, then was moved to Cabanatuan by rail. (Camp 2). I left camp 2 on 9 October 1942 and went on a work detail at Nelson Air field. I stayed on this detail until 2 December 1942, then was moved to Bilibid Prison in Manila. I stayed there until 14 July 1944 and was then moved back to Cabanatuan. I left there in August 1944 for Japan. I arrived in Moji, Japan on 5 September 1944, and was sent to Futusu [Futase] to work in a coal mine. I stayed there until 23 November 1944, then was sent to Fukuoka to work on an air field. I was liberated from this camp on 2 September 1945.

The Camp Commander in camp 1, Fukuoka, was a 1st Lt. named Sacomoto [Sakamoto] Chuei. There were two other Japs in the camp that mistreated the POWs, Their names were Catsuri [Katsura], the interpreter, and a guard whose name is unknown, but his nickname was "The Beast".

All the time Sacomoto Chuei was in command of our camp there were mistreatments going on all the time. In several cases he did the punishment himself. He always used his saber to beat a prisoner. He knew about the beatings that took place in the camp, and in several cases he was there to see them.

There is one instance which I clearly recall, where a Jap guard beat a Sergeant of the U. S. Marine Corps. This happened on or about 5 February 1944. He had no reason at all to do this. He came in our hut and got two men and told them to come outside. The other man's name was Keeth, a Sergeant of the U. S. Army. He hit Keeth several times with his rifle, and then let him go. He then made Iverson, a Sergeant of the Marine Corps strip his clothing off and got a large club and began to beat him. This started about 9 AM and lasted until 12 noon. Iverson could not get up to come back to the hut so several of us had to carry him back into the hut. Iverson died two days later with pneumonia and a broken back. The camp commander saw this and all he did was just laugh and walk away. The "Beast" left our camp about three months before the war ended. He weighed about 145 lbs. and was about 5 ft. 7 in. tall. (Witnesses to this were Corp Walter A. Ditto, and Sgt. Scott, both of the U. S. Marine Corps).

Our interpreter whose name was Catsuri was about 5 ft. 5 in. tall, and weighed about 135 lbs. He spoke good English, and was in charge of all working parties. In lots of cases he made men that were sick work; if they told him that they were sick, he would just beat them and make them work anyhow. In several cases be would lock them up in the guard house and leave them several days without food. Several died while they were locked up.

Catsuri was in charge of all of the Red Cross supplies that came into our camp. I never saw him smoking Jap cigarettes, but he always smoked American cigarettes that he stole out of our Red Cross supplies. We got but three issues of these supplies and then they were opened and most of the supplies were taken out. We never got any of the medical supplies either, as they kept it for themselves.

There were 150 Americans in our camp, 150 English, and 100 Dutch. The English and Dutch were captured in the Southern Islands.

We lived in small huts that were not heated. This caused lots of men to die with pneumonia. Most of the men did not have shoes and coats all through the winter. We were fed very little "Rice" each day.

GEORGE THOMAS AWALT, Jr.
Staff Sergeant (279916),
U. S. Marine Corps.
SDHRS, Abilene, Texas

I, George Thomas AWALT, Jr., of lawful age, being duly sworn on oath, state that I have read the foregoing statement consisting of two (2) pages, and that it is true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Subscribed and sworn to before me at District Headquarters Recruiting Station, U.S. Marine Corps, Dallas, Texas, on this 15th day of October 1946.

(signed)
L. R. CLOEHN
Captain, U. S. Marine Corps,
Had authority to Administer Oaths.


Barney, John F.

Perpetuation of the Testimony of John F. Barney, 638 West 119th Street, Los Angeles, California.

In the matter of atrocities committed at Fukuoka Prisoner of War Camp No. 1, Kyushu, Japan.

STATE OF CALIFORNIA
SS
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES

I, John F. Barney, being first duly sworn according to law, upon my oath depose and say that: My full name is John Franklin Barney. I was born at Lake Crystal, Minnesota and my present permanent home address is 638 West 119th Street, Los Angeles, California. On 16 March 1941 I arrived on Wake Island to be employed as a caterpillar operator for the Pacific Naval Air Base Contractors. I was captured at Wake Island by the Imperial Japanese Forces on 23 December 1941 and remained on Wake island working for the Japanese until 30 September 1942 at which time I was placed aboard a Japanese transport which arrived at Yokohama, Japan on 11 October 1942. I was sent by rail to Sasebo, Japan, arriving there on 13 October 1942. I was held at the Sasebo Naval Camp, also called the Fukuoka Camp No. 18-B, Kyushu, Japan until 12 April 1944 when I was sent to Fukuoka Camp No. 1, where I remained until October 1944. From October 1944 until June 1945, I was held in a Military Hospital in the city of Fukuoka from where I was sent to Fukuoka Camp No. 9, and I remained there until liberated by the American Forces on 1 September 1945.

FUKUOKA CAMP NO. 1, KYUSHU, JAPAN

While I was held in this camp it was commanded by a Japanese officer named Sakemoto [Sakamoto]. I do not recall seeing Sakemoto actually beat any of the prisoners of war, but I do know that he was present when the slapping and slugging of prisoners went on and that he had knowledge of the beatings. Several times I heard him tell the new guards, as they arrived, "be mean and beat the prisoners whenever you have a chance". Several times I heard him say, "you Americans, I hate you". Much of the slapping and slugging of prisoners was done by the guards who changed about every two weeks, and whose names or descriptions I cannot recall.

A guard named Honda and nicknamed "Bucktooth", who was a member of the permanent camp was constantly slapping and slugging prisoners with his fist. "Bucktooth" had been discharged from the army and was a civilian employed as a guard. He was in this camp the full time I was there.

On numerous occasions "Bucktooth" came yelling and screaming into the barracks in the middle of the night and would wake all the prisoners. Several times he forced prisoners to get out of bed and stand at attention in the middle of the night. While the prisoners were out working "Bucktooth" would go through their belongings and take what he wanted. On one of these occasions, I saw him steal a Red Cross candy bar from the belongings of a prisoner in the hospital, and on another occasion I saw him steal a pair of gloves from the belongings of a prisoner in the number four barracks.

One night while I was in the hospital "Bucktooth" came in and built a fire in the middle of the night. The fire was started on a brick platform in the center of the hospital. The smoke filled the hospital building, and "Bucktooth" seemed to get a great deal of pleasure out of the fact that there was so much smoke. According to prisoners who had been in the hospital for longer than I, "Bucktooth" had pulled the same trick on several occasions.

In June or July 1944 I saw "Bucktooth" beat Lou Unger because Unger was smoking when "Bucktooth" thought he shouldn't. This occurred, while Unger and I were working on the Mechanics detail. "Bucktooth" slugged Unger in the face at least six or seven times with his fist. The blows left several bruises on Unger's face.

"Bucktooth" was often in charge of the camp details which consisted of men who were held in camp because they were too sick to do regular work. I have often seen him slap and slug these men with his fist. About June 1944 I saw this guard beat a prisoner named Mike Pohl. Mike was on a detail carrying water to the prisoners kitchen when I saw "Bucktooth" push Mike to the ground. When Mike got up this guard slugged him in the face about four or five times with his fist. I saw this same guard slug a very sick prisoner, whose last name I do not recall, but whose first name was Ralph, in exactly the same manner that he struck Mike Pohl.

About April 1944, I saw "Bucktooth" hit two prisoners on the camp detail in the back of the head with the butt of his rifle. The prisoners were not working fast enough to suit this guard, so he struck each of them two or three blows in the back of the head with his rifle butt. I do not recall the names of these two prisoners.

About July 1944 "Bucktooth" beat a prisoner named Bly Wilcox because he had lit a cigarette with a match he was not supposed to have in his possession. I saw "Bucktooth" beat Wilcox for about three or four minutes, and he must have hit him in the face at least ten very hard blows with his fist.

On two different occasions "Bucktooth" slapped me because I came out of the barracks without my hat. Each time he slapped me once or twice in the face and then sent me after my hat. These incidents occurred in May or June 1944.

Jay Kelly received a severe beating from "Bucktooth", but I did not witness it and so know none of the details. I heard that this guard gave more severe beatings than those which I have related, but I did not witness them and so can give none of the details.

I have related these incidents which I recall having taken place in Fukuoka Camp No. 1 to the best of my ability.

(signed)
JOHN F. BARNEY

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 18 day of July 1947, at Los Angeles, California.

(signed)
JOSEPH P. STAPOWICH
Captain, TC
Summary Court

[Below misplaced document???]

CERTIFICATE

STATE OF CALIFORNIA
SS
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES

I, Stanley A. Childs, Special Agent, CIC, Sixth Army, certify that Jack Robert Lewis, personally appeared before me on the 2 day of July 1947 at Burbank, California, and made the foregoing statement concerning war crimes.

(signed)
STANLEY A. CHILDS, S/AGENT, CIC

[REVERSE SIDE HONDA PHOTOS]

I, John F. Barney, being duly sworn, depose and say that; the person whose photograph appears on the reverse side hereof is the same person referred to as "Bucktooth" and Honda in a statement given by me to a representative of the Counter Intelligence Corps on 2 July 1947.

(signed)
JOHN F. BARNEY

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 18 day of July 1947, at Los Angeles, California.

(signed)
JOSEPH P. STAPOWICH
Captain, TC
Summary Court


Beecher, Curtis T.

TELEGRAM

19 FEBRUARY 1946

War Crime Defense
D 80402 TD Section of JA

GG EIGHTH ARMY
APO 500
CINCAFPAC ADF
APO 500

J.J.O'B

PASS TO CO NINTH SERVICE COMMAND CMA LOS ANGELES CMA CALIFORNIA PD PRESIDENT WAR CRIMES COMMISSION OLIVER E TRICHTER HQB EIGHTH ARMY CMA APO 343 CMA YOKOHAMA CMA JAPAN CMA REQUESTS YOUR INVESTIGATING OFFICER CONTACT LT COL CURTIS T BEECHER CMA USMC CMA BOX 29 CMA RFD NO 1 CMA SARATOGA CMA CALIFORNIA CMA AND OBTAIN AFFIDAVIT CONCERNING THE FOLLOWING PD DID ACTIONS OF SAKAMOTO OR JAPANESE PERSONNEL AT FUKUOKA POW CAMP NO 1 CMA KYUSHU CMA JAPAN IN ANY WAY CONTRIBUTE TO OR CAUSE DEATH OF POW IF SO RELATE IN DETAIL PD DO YOU HAVE PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE CONCERNING THE FACTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE DEATH OF CPL WILLIAM C IVARSON OR THE BEATING OF PFC TOM HOLLAND CMA USMC CMA IN DECEMBER 1944 OR WILLIAM A HENSEN IN JANUARY 1944 PD WERE RED CROSS SUPPLIES WITHHELD WHEN AVAILABLE PD WERE PRISONERS FORCED TO ATTEND AND FURNISH ENTERTAINMENT AT A PARTY CELEBRATING ROOSEVELTS DEATH PD WERE SICK PRISONERS FORCED TO WORK CMA TAKE CALISTHENICS OR PUNISHED IN ANY MANNER DURING THE PERIOD THAT YUHICHI SAKAMOTO WAS COMMANDING OFFICER PD GIVE DATES CMA PLACES AND NAMES WHEN POSSIBLE PD CABLE OR RADIO SUBSTANCE OF AFFIDAVIT OVER CO SIGNATURE TO NAMED PRESIDENT OF COMMISSION IMMEDIATELY PD INFORMATION NECESSARY FOR TRIAL IN PROGRESS PD FORWARD COMPLETE AFFIDAVIT IN FORM BY FASTEST CHANNELS TO NAMED PRESIDENT PD IF LT COL BEECHER NOT AT ABOVE ADDRESS CMA FORWARD FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION TO ARMY INSTALLATION NEAREST HIM PD

EICHELBERGER

-----------------------------------------------------

STATE OF CALIFORNIA
SS
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES

In the matter of the mistreatment of American Prisoners of War at Fukuoka Camp #1 at Kyushu, Japan, between 27 January 1945 and 2O April 1945.

I, CURTIS T. BEECHER, Colonel, USMC, Serial No. 065, being first duly sworn upon my oath, depose and state that: I am presently residing at P. O. Box #180, Route #1, Fillmore, California. I was captured on Corregidor on 6 May 1942. From that date until 16 October 1944 I was confined at either Cabanatuan #1 or Cabanatuan #3. On the latter date I was transferred to Bilibid Prison Camp where I was held prisoner until 13 December 1944, when I was one of a large shipment of prisoners sent by ship to Japan. We were enroute to Japan until 27 January 1945, during which period two of our transporting ships were sunk with heavy loss of life. On the latter date we were moved to Camp #1, Fukuoka area, Kyushu, Japan, where I remained until 20 April 1945, when I was sent to Korea. We were liberated on 7 September 1945 and on the 26th day of that same month I was returned to the United States.

I was not an eyewitness to the beating and other mistreatment of Corporal William C. Ivarson by a Japanese civilian guard, Hajime Honda, which maltreatment resulted in the death of Ivarson on 8 February 1945. In addition, I do not recall this incident, although I should point out that it apparently happened only a few days after we arrived at Camp #1, Fukuoka, and during a period when most of the members of the camp were extremely sick and before any routine had set in. I believe, however, that Lt. Colonel Martin D. S. Saunders, Royal Artillery, British Army, who may be reached c/o Westminister Bank, London, England, may be able to give complete details on the incident inasmuch as he was Commanding Officer of the prisoners at this time.

After the survivors of the two sinkings had arrived in Japan from the Philippines, we were divided into four groups and sent to various camps. My group consisted of 193 officers and enlisted men, the latter being all medical corpsmen. Our destination was Camp #1, Fukuoka area, Kyushu, Japan. At the time we arrived at Fukuoka #1, all of us were in terrible physical condition as a result of overexposure and lack of food and medical attention. Between Formosa and Japan we had lost over 500 men, as it was evident that those of us who survived were in not too good condition. We arrived at Fukuoka #1 in the dead winter and were immediately quartered in what, for the Japanese, were fairly good buildings. Although we were issued seven blankets a piece, there was no adequate heating system in the buildings. A small five-gallon can heated with wood chips and other material, hardly provided enough heat for the sixty men who were assigned to each of the barracks.

Our daily rations consisted of red millet with no salt added to give it any flavor. Once in a great while a small quantity of meat was mixed in, but this was a rarity. Shortly after we arrived, a small issue of one-third of a box of Red Cross supplies per man was issued us, but this hardly sufficed to satisfy our hunger. We asked for additional Red Cross supplies and for a week we were issued two ounces of either powdered milk, cheese, or butter, but this ration soon stopped. We discovered that the Japanese medics at the camp were using our Red Cross supplies for their personal pleasure, but despite this we could not get any more of these supplies.

Our medical supplies were short, and most difficult to get. The American doctors at the camp informed me that medicine was available in the sick bay, but they were unable to get it except in small quantities. Between 27 January 1945 and 20 April 1945, forty-three men out of the original 193 died at Fukuoka Camp #1. In my opinion these deaths were primarily due to the failure of the Japanese to provide sulfa drugs to us to control diarrhea and dysentery.

Beatings were numerous at this camp and it was my opinion, although I did not see written orders to that effect, that it was the policy of the Japanese Commanding Officer, to dole out such punishment. On several occasions I have personally seen him beat one or another of the prisoners and on numerous other occasions I have observed him apparently in accord with the beatings given by the guards. On one occasion I was beaten by one of the guards with the flat end of the board because I had failed to respond to an air raid alarm, although in fact it was impossible for me to hear it. Beatings were given for even the slightest infraction of rules. On several occasions these beatings were protested to the Japanese Commanding Officer, but no change in policy was ever put into effect.

I do not personally know of any severe beatings resulting in deaths of any prisoners of war. However, it was common knowledge in the camp that a man named Marsh, a civilian captured at Wake Island, and a Major Robie, a Veterinarian Corps officer, were severely beaten. Major Robie was put in the "doghouse" for five or six days on half rations. The Japanese Commanding Officer at this time was a First Lieutenant in the Japanese Army, but I am unable to recall his name. He had formerly been a non-com and according to the stories, had served bravely in combat. He was approximately forty-five years of age, 5' 6" in height, 140 pounds in weight, rugged build, close cropped hair and had no physical disabilities evident. It was reported to me that he had established the #1 Fukuoka Camp and had instituted the various policies in practice there. As I recall, he had quarters in the compound but live outside.

The interpreter at Fukuoka Camp #1 during this period was a superior private in the Japanese Army named Katskura [Katsura]. He actually ran the camp and was reported to have given many of the beatings inflicted on the prisoners, although I myself never saw him strike anyone. He was approximately 5' 5" tall, 145 pounds in weight, rugged build, twenty-seven to twenty-eight years old, wearing close-cropped hair. Katskura spoke fluent English with a slight accent and he told us that he had at one time lived in the United States. Katskura pocketed a little side money by running a black market in the camp. During the period in which I was a prisoner at Fukuoka Camp #1, Lt. Colonel Martin D. G. Saunders, mentioned previously, was the Commanding Officer of the prisoners; however, I was told that I was responsible for the American prisoners in the camp.

The above details constitute all of the facts which I am now able to recall.

(signed)
CURTIS T. BEECHER, Colonel, USMC

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 18 day of March 1946 at LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

(signed)
PHILIPPE de C. GARNIER
Captain MI
SUMMARY COURT

CERTIFICATE

STATE OF CALIFORNIA
SS
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES

I, Norman J. Wiener, Special Agent, SIC, 9SC, certify that CURTIS T. BEECHER, Colonel, USMC, personally appeared before me on the 15th day of March 1946 at Los Angeles, California, and made the foregoing statement concerning war crimes.

(signed)
Norman J. Wiener, Spec Agent


Bull, Malcolm T.

STATE OF WASHINGTON
SS
COUNTY OF PIERCE

I, Malcolm T. Bull of lawful age, being duly sworn, on oath depose and say:

I am Sergeant Malcolm T. Bull, ASN 38012687. My permanent home address is 5625½ Olive Ave., Long Beach, California. I am 27 years of age and I graduated from college with B. S. degree in Biology. I was inducted in the army April 4, 1941 and went overseas the 29th of August 1941 and returned from overseas on 10 October 1945. I was captured at Corregidor on May 6, 1942 and my first camp was at Bilibid and then to Camp 1, Cabanatuan and was then transferred to Camp 23, Fukuoka, Japan arriving there August 4, 1944 and remained until December 3, 1944 and then was transferred to Camp 1, Fukuoka where I remained until liberated.

Lt. Soka Mato (phonetic) [Sakamoto] was Camp Commander of Camp 1, Fukuoka from December 1944 until about March 1945. During the time he was in charge of the camp it was a common occurrence for prisoners of war to be beaten severely for the slightest excuse. During the period he was in charge of the camp there were at least 50 cases of severe beatings. One of these cases was a U. S. Marine named Iverson who lived near Seattle, Washington. In about February, 1945 Iverson was severely beaten because the Japs caught him smoking in the barracks at a time when it was against the rules for him to smoke in the barracks. The Japs made him assume a horizontal position in which only his fingers and toes were touching the ground and while he was in this position they beat him around the hips and on the muscles in the back of his legs with two by two boards. After this beating Iverson was not able to walk and in a few days he took pneumonia and died. The American Medical officers stated that this beating contributed to the cause of his death. A Jap civilian guard called "Bucktooth" and named Hondo [Honda] did the actual beating. An American-born Jap named Katsura, who was an interpreter, was the Commanding Officers "stooge" and he encouraged the guards to be brutal to the prisoners and slapped prisoners around himself.

Major Kostecki, an American Medical Officer will have full knowledge of the above incidents.

The above statement contains all the information I have in regard to this incident.

WITNESS:

(signed) James R. Owen

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 13th day of October 1945, at Fort Lewis, Washington.

(signed) Malcolm T. Bull
Sgt. Malcolm T. Bull 38012687

(signed) Arthur G. Bouley
ARTHUR G. BOULEY
Asst Adjutant General
ASFTC Fort Lewis, Wash.


Burns, Edgar Franklin

STATE OF Washington
COUNTY OF Spokane

17 October 1946

AFFIDAVIT

I, Edgar Franklin Burns, now residing at E. 1012 14th Street, Spokane, Washington, after having been duly sworn according to law, depose say that the following information is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief:

I worked as a dredge carpenter on Wake Island before we were captured. After we were captured we were kept on Wake for about nine months. We were treated pretty well altho we were worked all the time.

We were taken to Japan in a boat called the Koko Maru. The trip was terrible. They put 365 of us in a little tiny hold. There was just room for everyone to lie down. They had blowers but they didn't run them. They would only turn them oh when the men started passing out from the heat. We imagine that we went by way of Kwadjelinn as we were in the tropics most of the trip. We left around the first of September 1942 and arrived in Yokohama Harbor on the 12th of September 1942. They would only give us one tea kettle of water a day for a squad of 15 men, and they had a lot of fresh water on the boat. They didn't beat anyone on the ship.

I was only in two camps. The first camp that I was in was Fukuoka No. 18. As far as the accommodations at these prison camps were concerned, I was never at a decent camp. Camp No. 18 was about one of the worst camps. They moved us in an old cement shed away up in the mountains where they were building a dam. There were 250 of us in this small building. The building didn't have a floor and was terribly dirty. We arrived at Camp No. 18 the 14th of October 1942 and stayed there for eighteen months. Most of our fellows died there. We lost, thirty-five men in March 1943. We were divided in groups of twenty men. In March 1943 we lost six of our group. They all died of pneumonia. The Japanese worked us terrifically long hours. One time they worked us thirty-six hours without sleep. We worked in a rock quarry. On the job we worked under the Japanese Navy as it was a Japanese Navy dam which we were building. After we finished our day's work we were turned over to the Army who fed us and took care of us in camp. The Japs were always trying to trade us out of something. One of the Japs wanted a piece of an American Army blanket to make something. One of the fellows cut up a piece of a Japanese Navy blanket and gave it to a Jap. He happened to get a piece that had the Japanese Naval anchor on it. He was thrown into prison and was left there for ten days without hardly any food and no clothes or blankets. He died there. In this prison you had to crawl into the cell on your hands and knees as you couldn't stand up. They would throw you in there and take all your clothes except a pair of pants and one shirt. Then they would cut you down to one rice ball a day.

We moved from Camp Fukuoka No. 18 to Fukuoka No. 1 on April 18, 1944. The first time I saw Kastura [Katsura] was at that time. He was acting as interpreter that day for the camp commander, Sakamota [Sakamoto]. In my estimation Kastura was one of the most treacherous and brutal of all the Japanese guards. He was a three star private. He was about 5'5" tall, weighed between 170 or 180 pounds; was thickset, very muscular and blocky. He spoke English very well. He wasn't American born, altho I understand that he lived in the U.S. for awhile, first with an Uncle in Texas and then he went to New York. I think that he was 17 or 18 when he returned to Japan. He spent a large portion of his life in the U.S. He was in the habit of coming down to our huts and talking to us. You couldn't trust him a second, as he would turn on us and beat us over nothing. We knew that we had to treat him decent.

After we had been at Camp Fukuoka No. 1 for about a week, cleaning up the camp, they started us out on this job working on the airport. This was about the first of May 1944. They had us pushing cars on tracks and we were working in a cut getting the dirt and pushing it out on the airport and leveling it off. Kastura came out and was driving Otto Lulieck of Newport, Washington. He was trying to make him work faster. He took a shovel and hit Lulieck over the head and knocked him down.

He particularly disliked the Dutch prisoners of war that came from Java. They were half-caste, half Javanese and half Dutch. He would give them terrific beatings. Kastura would get out where the Dutch were pushing these big cars of dirt, and would take a big stick five or six feet long, and he would run up and down along these tracks beating the Dutch with this stick until they were practically unconscious. He would just seem to go mad and would start beating them and did not stop. I don't know of my own knowledge that he was directly responsible for any deaths as a result of these beatings.

One night in November 1944, a fellow by name of Bill Ryan from Portland, Oregon, lit a cigarette. This was at about midnight. Kastura and another Jap army guide came down in our hut. There was about 80 of us in the hut. They got everybody in one end of the hut out of bed --- tore everything off the shelves and the beds and went through all the personal belongings, hunting for matches. They started beating up on Ryan. Kastura must have knocked Ryan down fifteen or twenty times and a man by name of Bly Wilcox (also from Oregon) received the same treatment. Kastura and the other Jap beat up Wilcox and Ryan for about three hours and finally left and went away.

Colonel Saunders tried to get Kastura to intercede for us with the commandant, Sakamota. Kastura was responsible for much of the filching of Red Cross supplies. Apparently some of the prisoners had got the diarrhea from eating the meat in the Red Cross supplies. When the Red Cross supplies came into camp, Kastura got the commandant to remove all the meat (spam, etc.) and put it in the cookhouse. Kastura had complete charge of the cookhouse. He was known to have a large amount of corned beef, spam and cigarettes in his own quarters. I worked in the kitchen for awhile and Kastura would come in and bring his own beef to have the cook fix it with eggs. It was generally conceded by the prisoners of the camp that Kastura had got ahold of all the American money available -- approximately $6,000.00. He had procured it by selling better jobs for money. Such as, giving the men jobs working as mechanics where they would have contact with the Koreans who were friendly. I got my job in the cookhouse by paying fifty American dollars to Kastura for it. I held this job for two weeks and then someone else bought it.

When we were building the new camp in December 1944, Kastura was running the job and he passed out some terrific beatings and had some of the other guards pass out beatings. At Camp No. 1 there was one civilian guard called the "Snake", and he was very malicious. He gave me several terrible beatings.

Kastura had it in for an American named Benjamin J. Marsh of Inglewood, California. At Camp No. 18, Marsh had served as an interpreter for the Japanese. When we moved to Camp No. 1, Kastura learned that Marsh had quite a little American money and he tried to get it away from Marsh. One night I saw him knock Marsh down and beat on him for about one hour with his fists. Also, one day shortly before the end of the war, he caught Marsh cooking some beans in a messkit. Since this wasn't "kosher", he was going to hit Marsh over the head with an axe, but he didn't and proceeded to hit him over the head with a stick.

One night I had a little fight with one of the men in my squad whose last name was Sherwood. Kastura saw me two days later and wanted to know where I got my black eye. He told me to come over and see him that night. That night he left word for me to come over to his office. He had also sent for Sherwood and Bill Ward who was the Adjutant of my section. Kastura hit me very hard and hit Bill Ward several times. This Sherwood was a little skinny guy and Kastura hit him over the head with a club and he just kept hitting him with it.

No one in my camp ever tried to escape except one fellow who was crazy. He just walked out of camp and they picked him up downtown. He was returned to camp and they put a big mark on his back which was to designate that he was crazy. We all were made responsible for him with threat of severe punishment if anything should happen. If anyone escaped in the Fukuoka Camps, they were sent to a prison in Fukuoka where they kept regular Japanese prisoners. They brought one man to our camp who had been in prison in Fukuoka for over two years. Practically all the other Fukuoka camps were coal mines.

(signed)

EDGAR FRANKLIN BURNS
1012 14th Street,
Spokane, Washington

WITNESSES:

(signed)
ROBERT L. RYSER

(signed)
DELIA E. KRAUSE

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 18th day of October 1946.

(signed)
VERNON E. MANSUR
1st Lt., Air Corps,
Summary Court Officer.

CERTIFICATE

STATE OF Washington
COUNTY OF Spokane

I, Robert L. Ryser, certify that EDGAR FRANKLIN BURNS personally appeared before me on the 18th day of October, 1946, at Spokane, Washington, and made the foregoing statement concerning war crimes.

(signed)
Robert L. Ryser
Special Agent, CIC, 6th Army


Carey, James M.

PERPETUATION OF TESTIMONY OF
S/Sgt. JAMES M. CAREY, ASN 6295240
Fort Worth, Texas

Taken at: Fort Worth Army Air Base, Fort Worth, Texas
Date: 16 December 1946
In the presence of: Carl A. Dienst, Capt., CIC, Fourth Army.

QUESTIONED BY: Carl A. Dienst, Capt., CIC, Fourth Army.

Q. State your name, rank, serial number, organization and permanent home address.

A. James A. Carey, S/Sgt., ASN 6295240, my present organization is the 35th Aerial Engineer Squadron at the Fort Worth Army Air Field and my permanent home address is 2201 Huntington Lane, Fort Worth, Texas.

Q. Were you formerly a Prisoner of War of the Japanese, and if so when and where were you captured?

A. I was formerly a member of Headquarters Squadron, Far Eastern Air Force and was captured by the Japanese at Bataan, P.I. on 9 April 1942.

Q. During the time you were held prisoner by the Japanese were you ever interned in Fukuoka Camp No. 1, Kyushu, Japan, and if so when were you there?

A. Yes, after I was captured I was transferred to several prison camps and finally arrived at Fukuoka Camp No. 1, Kyushu, Japan, on 5 December 1944 and remained there until we were liberated on 15 September 1945.

Q. Describe the food and living conditions at this camp while you were there.

A. The living conditions were very bad, especially the sanitation. There were no bathing facilities, no heat and each prisoner was given only five (5) thin cotton blankets to protect him from the severe cold. The food was very bad and not fit for human consumption. The food consisted of what was left of soy beans after the oil had been pressed out. This was fermented by the time we got it. Ordinarily the Japanese used this for stock feed and fertilizer. We were given about 400 grams of this per day per person.

Q. What type of work did you do while at this camp?

A. A number of other prisoners and myself had to load and unload box cars in the yards of a supply depot near the camp.

Q. Did you know a Japanese by the name of MASATO HADA while you were at this camp, and if so what kind of work did he do there?

A. I knew a Japanese at this camp that we called "HADA". He was a medical orderly at the hospital and he approved the entrance of any prisoner into the hospital before the prisoner would be admitted to the hospital. He was very cruel and would approve the entrance of only a few prisoners to the hospital.

Q. While you were at Fukuoka Camp No. 1 did you know a prisoner by the name of Albert Sidney Williams?

A. While I was at this camp I did know a prisoner by the name of WILLIAMS who came from some small town near Houston, Texas. I do not recall Williams' first name. Williams lived in the same barracks as myself and died shortly after I arrived at this camp. I believe Williams died about the first of the year in 1945.

Q. Describe what you know about the death of Williams and what if any connection "Hada" had with Williams' death.

A. Williams was suffering from malnutrition, his legs were badly swollen and he was unable to get around by himself. I believe Williams had taken pneumonia. Several other prisoners and myself helped Williams over to the medical dispensary at the camp in order to get him admitted to the hospital. When we got to the dispensary we told HADA that we wanted to get Williams admitted to the hospital. HADA flew into a rage and struck Williams several times in the face with his fists. HADA knocked Williams to the ground and then stomped and kicked Williams with his hobnail shoes. HADA then turned and struck me in the face with his fists and kicked me. When he kicked me I was knocked down and then HADA stomped and kicked me. Both Williams and I had to be helped back to the barracks by the other prisoners that were with us. The next day a group of we prisoners went back to the dispensary and begged HADA to admit Williams to the hospital as we knew Williams was dying. HADA cursed us and refused to admit Williams to the hospital and slapped one of the other prisoners several times in the face. On the third day another group of prisoners and myself went to the dispensary to try and get HADA to admit Williams to the hospital. HADA again flew into a rage but a Japanese doctor happened to come in at that time and he admitted Williams to the hospital but it was too late to save his life. Williams was admitted to the hospital at 7:00 PM and died at 11:00 PM the same night. I believe that Williams would have lived if he had received the proper medical attention and HADA refused to admit him to the hospital where he could have gotten that attention. I was present on all three days when we tried to get Williams into the hospital and saw what happened.

Q. Did you have any other experience with HADA?

A. Yes, on or about 10 March 1945 I was running a temperature of 104 degrees and for three days I tried to get HADA to admit me to the hospital. He refused to admit me and I had to work at loading and unloading box cars at the supply depot. On the third day I collapsed at work and had to be carried to the hospital by some of the other prisoners.

Q. Did you know Tom Hustwick while you were at Fukuoka Camp No. 1?

A. Yes, he was an English soldier and was a prisoner at this camp.

Q. Describe what you know concerning the death of Tom Hustwick and what if any connection HADA had with this death.

A. Tom Hustwick was a good friend of mine and worked with me on the detail at the supply depot. I believe it was in May or June 1945 when one day we were all working in the yards at the supply depot when a train came in with soy bean oil on it. All of we prisoners had stopped work for a short rest period and we started to steal some of the soy bean oil so we could put it on our food. All of we prisoners had small tin cans with us that we used as cups and which had each prisoner's number painted on the cans. We put the oil in these cans and when the Japanese started after us we ran around some buildings and hid the cans. The Japanese found fifteen (15) of the cans with oil in them and they took the fifteen (15) prisoners whose numbers were on these cans and beat them with bamboo clubs and pieces of lumber. The Japanese started to beat these prisoners about 2:00 PM and continued to beat them until about 4:30 PM when we were all taken back to camp. The Japanese were trying to make the prisoners tell which of the rest of us were in on the stealing of the oil. The Japanese made the rest of we prisoners get in the position taken for push up exercises with our toes and hands on the ground and hold our bodies up off the ground with our hands. We had to stay in this position the entire time they were beating the fifteen men. Whenever any of the fifteen men being beaten would fall to the ground the Japanese would kick and stomp them. Tom Hustwick was among the fifteen prisoners that were beaten and was in very bad shape but he was able to make it back to camp. When we got back to camp all of the fifteen prisoners were put in the guard house and kept there for about one week. All that these prisoners got to eat while they were in the guard house was a small rice ball with salt in it each day and they were not given any water. The day these prisoners were released from the guard house we prisoners in the work detail were in a column and halted in front of the guard house so the ones being released would fall into line and go directly to work. I was near the rear of the line. When Tom Hustwick came out of the guard house he was in very bad condition from the beating and starvation and he had to be held up by a could of the other prisoners. These men took Hustwick to the medical dispensary that was near the guard house so that Hustwick could get medical treatment but they were met by HADA and he refused to give Hustwick any treatment. HADA also at the same time struck Hustwick several times across the face with a small riding crop he carried. Tom Hustwick had to go to work that day and was forced to work all day. Hustwick had to be carried back to camp that night by other prisoners and put in the hospital. He died the following morning. His death was due to the beating he received, the starvation in the guard house and the fact that HADA refused to have him admitted to the hospital when he was released from the guard house. I can not describe any of the Japanese that took part in the beating of these fifteen (15) prisoners but all of the guards on that detail took part in it. Also I am sure that the Commanding Officer of the Camp knew about the beating and the confinement of the men in the guard house.

(signed)
James M. Carey

State of Texas
SS
County of Tarrant

I, James M. Carey, of lawful age, being duly sworn on oath state that I have read the foregoing transcription of my interrogation and all answers contained therein are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

(signed)
James M. Carey

Sworn to me before me and subscribed in my presence this 18th day of December 1946.

(signed)
CARL A. DIENST
Captain, CWS
Summary Court


Cherne, Clem J.

WAR CRIMES OFFICE

The Judge Advocate General's Department -- War Department

United States of America

Perpetuation of Testimony of Cpl. Clem J. Cherne, ASN 38012486

In the matter of the beating of Cpl. Clem J. Cherne by the Japanese at Fukuoka Prison Camp in December, 1944.

Taken at: Fort Monmouth, New Jersey
Date: 13 August 1946
In the Presence of: Joseph S. Smith, 1st Lt., Inf.
O-1329998, 108th C.I.C. Det.
Area Intelligence Division
AC of S, G-2
Headquarters First Army
1270 Avenuse of the Americas
New York 20, New York

Reporter: Joseph S. Smith, 1st Lt., Inf.
Questions by: Joseph S. Smith, 1st Lt., Inf.Q.

Q. State your name, rank and serial number.

A. Clem J. Cherne, Corporal, 38012486.

Q. State your permanent home address.

A. 6019 Vincent Avenue South, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Q. What is your present station?

A. 9400 Technical Service Unit, Company "T", Fort Monmouth, New Jersey.

Q. What is your present occupation?

A. Soldier.

Q. What is your civilian occupation?

A. Carpenter.

Q. State the date and place of your birth.

A. 29 October 1914, Proctor, Minnesota.

Q. What formal education have you had?

A. I was graduated from high school in Holdingford, Minnesota.

Q.What is your marital status?

A. Single.

Q. Have you recently returned from overseas?

A. Yes, I returned to the United States on 15 October 1945.

Q. To what unit were you assigned overseas?

A. The 200th Coast Artillery, Bataan, Philippine Islands.

Q. Were you a prisoner of war?

A. Yes.

Q. At what places were you held and what were the approximate dates?

A. I was captured by the Japanese on 9 April 1942, made the "Death March" to Camp O'Donnell from Kilometer Post 272. We remained at Camp O'Donnell until 6 June 1942, when we were transferred to Cabanatuan, where we stayed until about 15 July 1944. Then we sailed for Japan, arriving at Camp No. 23, Fukuoka, on 6 August, and we stayed there until 6 December, at which time we were transferred to Camp No. 1, Fukuoka. We stayed at this camp until 1 Apri1 1945, at which time we were transferred to Camp No. 12, Fukuoka, where we remained until liberated on 12 September 1945.

Q. Please state the circumstances surrounding the beating you received at Camp No. 1, Fukuoka.

A. One day in the latter part of December, 1944, during our dinner hour, I started to walk from a group of prisoners around a fire where we were warming ourselves to the pump where we usually filled out canteens. This pump was about 100 to 150 feet from the fire. Before I reached the pump, one of the Jap guards, whose name I don't know stopped me, took hold of my arm and walked me back to the group of prisoners around the fire. The same guard, had three other men with him, one named Ackerman, an American sailor, and two others, whose names I don't remember. We were made to assume a "push up" position on the ground, supporting our bodies on our hands and toes. Then the guard left us for about five minutes to talk to Katsura, then he returned and started beating us with a bamboo pole about three to four inches in diameter and seven to eight feet long. This guard, nicknamed "The Beast," was about 5'8" or 5'9" tall and weighed about 160 pounds or more, and could really swing that club. He beat us in turn, and each of us was beaten the same as the other three. This guard beat us on the legs and back, but did not hit us on the head or shoulders. The beating lasted about forty-five minutes, after which we were permitted to get up and rejoin the group at the fire.

I ate the small portion of rice which was our meal, then we all went back to work. Our detail was carrying sand, which was used in construction work on barracks which we were to live in. I figured that if I attempted to exercise my legs they wouldn't be so sore that I couldn't march the six miles back to camp that night. I didn't work much that afternoon, but kept moving and tried to look busy.

Q. Did you receive any medical treatment after this beating?

A. That night, after work, we all went to Major Kostecki (then Captain), an American doctor, and showed him our bruises. There was nothing he could do to help us at the time, although he did give us all permission to remain in bed the next day -- said he'd take the responsibility for it. We all stayed in bed the next day, but three of us got out of bed the following day. The only man who stayed in bed was a Dutchman from Java -- I don't remember his name. He was removed to the hospital that same night and died within forty-eight hours. In my opinion, the beating this Dutchman received was directly responsible for his death. To the best of my knowledge, both of the other two men came back to the states after we were liberated.

Q. Who ordered the beating?

A. In my opinion, the beating was ordered by Katsura, a three star private, who acted as interpreter and was one of the "big shots" of the camp.

Q. In your opinion was there any provocation for this beating?

A. There was utterly no provocation for this beating, at least I don't see that there was, unless it was because I was going to get water from the pump, which we had been doing for days and continued to do thereafter.

Q. Did you suffer any disability or permanent injury from this beating?

A. No, although my legs are still pretty weak and I suffer frequently from backaches.

Q. Do you know of any other men who could give information in this case?

A. Major Kostecki, Pennsylvania, could give information, also Pvt. Nelson, South Dakota, so could Ackerman, but I don't know where any of these men are at this time. There were from 50 to 100 other prisoners who witnessed this beating, and I'm sure they could help if they could be found, but I don't remember their names.

Q. Do you have anything further to say?

A. No.

(signed)
Clem J. Cherne

State of New Jersey
SS
County of Monmouth

I, Clem J. Cherne, of lawful age, being duly sworn on oath, state that I have read the foregoing transcription of my interrogation and all answers contained therein are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

(signed)
Clem J. Cherne

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 13 day of August 1946.

(signed)
Joseph S. Smith, 1st Lt., Inf.
Summary Court Officer

C E R T I F I C A T E

I, Joseph S. Smith, 1st Lt., Inf., 0-1329998, certify that Clem J. Cherne, personally appeared before me on 13 August 1946 and gave the foregoing answers to the several questions set forth.

Place: Fort Monmouth, New Jersy
Date: 13 August 1946

(signed)
Joseph S. Smith, 1st Lt., Inf.
O-1329998, 108th C.I.C. Det.
Area Intelligence Division
AC of S, G-2
Headquarters First Army
1270 Avenuse of the Americas
New York 20, New York

[ON BACK OF PHOTOGRAPHS]

TAKEO KATSURA, FRONT

STATE OF NEW JERSEY
SS
COUNTY OF MONMOUTH

I recognize the picture on the reverse side as a guard at Fukuoka POW Camp #1 named KATSURA, whom we called KATSY. He was a 3 star private and was an interpreter; could speak excellent English. He had another guard we called "THE BEAST" beat me, in Dec 1944, as described in attached deposition of 29 Dec 1946. I also saw him beat another PW by the name of KIRKHOFF also described in deposition of 29 Dec 1946

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 29th day of December 1946

(signed)
JOSEPH S SMITH
1st Lt Inf.
Summary Court Officer

(signed) Clem J. Cherne, RA38012486

HAJIME HONDA, FRONT

STATE OF NEW JERSEY
SS
COUNTY OF MONMOUTH

I recognize the picture on the reverse side as that of a guard at Fukuoka POW Camp #1 by the name of HONDA, nicknamed THE BEAST. He beat me as described in deposition taken on 29 Dec 1946.

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 29th day of December 1946

(signed)
JOSEPH S SMITH
1st Lt., Infantry
Summary Court Officer

(signed) Clem J. Cherne, RA38012486


Childs, Herbert

Ward No. 10

STATE OF WASHINGTON
SS
COUNTY OF PIERCE.

Herbert Childs, of lawful age, after being first duly sworn on oath, deposes and says:

My permanent home address is 5459 W. Commerce Street, San Antonio, Texas. My rank is Corporal, ASN 18013695. I joined the army 4 November 1940, went overseas 1 Nov. 41 and returned to the United States 10 Oct. 45. I have a high school education.

I was captured by the Japanese 9 April 42 and released 12 Dec. 45. I was held at the following Prison Camps: O'Donnell, Lumban, P. I. and Omuta 17, Fukuoka No. 1, Japan. At the time of my capture I was a mechanic with the 21st Pursuit Sq.

At Camp Fukuoka from 5 to 17 December 1944 I was compelled to work at the Fukuoka Air Field hauling clay out to the runways and leveling it. About all of the men in the camp, some 450 were out there working during this time. It was an Army Air Base.

Among others working there at that time were: Pvt. Allen Hancock, San Antonio, Texas; Larry Weedin, a civilian from California; Pvt. Bill Gunter, Hobbs, N. M.; Pvt. Leo Yeoman, Savannah, Ga.

The CO of this camp was Lt. Sakamotachui [Sakamoto]. The interpreter, who was from the United States, was named Kasura [Katsura].

I know of no further details concerning this work on a military installation.

(signed) Herbert Childs Cpl. 18013695

Witness:

(signed)
Paul Pugh, Agent, SIC.

Subscribed and sworn before me this 12th day of October 1945, at Fort Lewis, Washington.

(signed)
ARTHUR G. BOULEY
CWO, U S A
Asst. Adjutant General
ASFTC Fort Lewis, Wash.


Chunn, Calvin Ellsworth

STATE OF CALIFORNIA
SS
City and County of San Francisco

CALVIN ELLSWORTH CHUNN, Major, Infantry, ASN 0-352221, permanently residing at 711 West Washington Avenue, Jonesboro, Arkansas, being first sworn deposes and says:

I received my Bachelor of Arts Degree at the University of Arkansas in 1937 and Master of Science Degree in Journalism at Northwestern University in 1938. I was employed for a short period as a reporter for the Herald Examiner in Chicago from the Fall of 1938 until December of 1940.

I was employed as an instructor in English and Journalism at the University of Tulsa. I was called to active service in December of 1940.

I was imprisoned at Fukuoka No. 1 from 31 January 1945 to 25 April 1945. 0n the 10th of April 1945, by order of the Commandant of this camp, which order was relayed to the prisoners through the Japanese camp doctor, all prisoners were forced to exercise 30 minutes in the morning and again 30 minutes in the evening on this day. This occurred only on this day but many of us, including myself, were sick and were forced to exercise by taking Japanese calisthenics. [NOTE: This section to end of paragraph crossed out in original document.] Either late in March or early April, 1945, Lt. Col. Robey of the Veterinary Corps and Cpl. Tony Miranda, Medical Corpsman, were beaten up by unknown staff members at this camp. My information is entirely hearsay. These men were placed in a guardhouse for 24 hours. The reason for this beating was that the Colonel had been discovered cooking squid and was forced to admit that he had obtained this from Miranda. Miranda had obtained this squid from members of the work detail here. I have no more information concerning this incident.

February 18th, two barracks containing some 90 odd men who were too sick to eat rice were organized by the Japs. We received an 8-ounce loaf of bread 3 times a day of wheat, rice and soya flour. With this we received about a canteen cup of soup, usually made of some greens or seaweed or bamboo sprouts, and usually obtained tea in sufficient quantity at these meals. The remainder of the men were on a standard diet at this camp which consisted of about 400 grams of cooked rice per meal.

This rice at first was just millet but later was changed to a combination of rice and barley, which was good. The remainder also received soup at each meal. Twice a day the soup had a base of soya bean paste and at the third meal a soya sauce base and they, too, received tea. The tea amounted to about 1/2 canteen cup. Generally the men were continually hungry. A great number had malnutrition, edema and beriberi cases were prevalent in this camp. Sufficient medical supplies were not issued for the treatment of the very sick in this camp. Captain Robert W. Callaway, CAC, died at this camp on 11 March 1945 from dysentery. This man was given some sulfa-thiosol, which I understand to be worthless in treatment of dysentery, and some other shots. He was never given proper treatment for dysentery. I was personally concerned about this man and American doctor at the camp, Major Walter Kostecki, MC, U. S. Army, asked the and the Dutch medical officer, Dr. DeWone [de Wijn], if the proper medicines could not be obtained for Callaway. I was told by these men that the Japanese would not release the needed medicines for treatment. I approached these two medical officers several times concerning Callaway and other men and received the same reply each time. There were numerous other deaths from dysentery, malnutrition and pneumonia in this camp.

The American ranking officer at this camp was Lt. Col. Curtis T. Beecher, U. S. Marine Corps.

(signed)
Calvin Ellsworth Chunn, Major
ASN O-352221

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 15 day of October 1945.

(signed)
Charles E. Tayles, Capt. JAGD

Interviewed 10-11-45 by

William E. Stewart, Jr.
Agent, SIC


Condit, Gomer Henry

THE WAR CRIMES OFFICE

Judge Advocate General's Department -- War Department

United States of America

In the matter of the mistreatment of prisoners of war at Fukuoka POW Camp #1 by "Bucktooth", a Japanese guard; and the circumstances surrounding the beating of Gomer Henry Condit by "Bucktooth" on or about 20 August 1944.

Perpetuation of Testimony of Gomer Henry Condit, formerly civilian engineer with Pacific Naval Air Base Contractors, serial number W (Wake) 104.

Taken at: 3325 West Genessee Street, Syracuse, N. Y.
Date: 5 February 1947
In the Presence of:
Joseph S. Smith, 1st Lt., Inf.
0-1329998, 108th CIC Det.
Area Intelligence Division
AC of S, G-2
Headquarters First Army
1270 Avenue of the Americas
New York 20, New York

Reporter: Joseph S. Smith, 1st Lt., Inf.
Questions by: Joseph S. Smith, 1st Lt.

Q. What is your name and permanent home address?

Q. Gomer Henry Condit, and my permanent home address is 3325 West Genessee Street, Syracuse, N. Y.

Q. What is your date and place of birth?

A. I was born on 25 January 1917 at Hagerman, Idaho.

Q. What is your marital status?

A. I am married.

Q. What formal education have you had?

A. I graduated from University of Idaho in 1938.

Q. What is your present occupation?

A. I am an engineering designer and draftsman.

Q. In what capacity were you serving while overseas?

A. I was an engineering draftsman for PNABC, Wake Island.

Q. Were you a Prisoner of War?

A. Yes.

Q. When and where were you captured and give the approximate dates and the names of the POW camps at which you were confined.

A. I was captured on 23 December 1941 on Wake Island and stayed on Wake Island until 30 September 1942. I was then taken to Yokohama, Japan arriving on 11 October 1942, and taken by train to Sasebo and then to a small town called Unoki [Yunoki], which was about six miles from Sasebo. I stayed at Unoki until 17 April 1944 when we were taken to Fukuoka Camp No. 1. On 4 December 1944 we were taken to Camp No. 2 on an island in Nagasaki Bay about three miles from Nagasaki. On 21 June 1945 I was taken to Orio, between Fukuoka and Yowata [Yahata]. I stayed here until liberated on 11 September 1945.

Q. Do you recall having made sworn statements concerning atrocities committed at Fukuoka Camp No. 1 on 4 September 1946 and 18 September 1946?

A. Yes.

Q. In each of those statements you mentioned a Japanese guard nicknamed "Bucktooth." Please state your knowledge of any mistreatment of prisoners of war by "Bucktooth."

A. "Bucktooth" was strictly a sadist --- he was the most feared of the guards at Fukuoka No. 1. Whenever he was on duty, we prisoners always passed along the word to this effect so that the men would be on their guard and careful not to do anything which would enrage "Bucktooth" and result in punishment, although "Bucktooth" certainly didn't need any reason when he wanted to beat a man --- he did it apparently because he enjoyed doing it. One of his favorite tricks was to stand prisoners at attention and slap them, or hit them with the butt of his rifle. He was always looking for some slight infraction of rules for which he could abuse a prisoner, and plenty of his abuse was entirely without provocation.

Q. Please state the circumstances surrounding the beating you received at the hands of "Bucktooth" on or about 20 August 1944 in which you received two broken ribs.

A. Sometime during the afternoon of 20 August 1944, an air raid alarm was sounded and we prisoners were herded into the barracks and told to cover the windows and close the doors. About an hour later, after the raid ended, we were permitted to leave the barracks to visit the latrine. "Bucktooth" stood near the latrine and as the prisoners passed by him, he asked their nationality. If they were Dutch, he permitted them to pass; if English, he would shout at them and slap them with his hand; if the men were Americans he would really beat them, sometimes with his fists, or with a club, or with the butt of his rifle. On this occasion, I walked past him, saluting as I did so. "Bucktooth" stopped me and asked whether I was Dutch, English or American. I replied that I was American, whereupon he proceeded to tell me that Americans were no good, etc., and then he slapped me in the face with his hand, then struck me on the right side of my chest with the butt of his rifle, knocked me to the ground and fracturing two ribs. "Bucktooth" then forced me to stand at attention for around twenty minutes while he continued to slap and abuse other men, after which he permitted me to go on to the latrine and thence back to the barracks. I received no treatment for my broken ribs, other than having a bandage placed around my chest, and this was done by some of the other prisoners. I had quite a bit of trouble with these ribs for over two weeks, but continued to work anyway.

Q. Were there any witnesses to this incident?

A. Yes, I would say that most of the men in my barracks saw it, including Wayne Smith, a civilian roofer from Wake, home believed to be in Nebraska; also Dick Miles, also a civilian worker, believed to live in Donnelly, Idaho.

Q. Do you have any further information concerning "Bucktooth's" mistreatment of prisoners of war?

A. No.

(signed)
Gomer Henry Condit

State of New York
SS
County of Onandaga

I, Gomer Henry Condit, of lawful age, being duly sworn on oath, state that I have read the foregoing transcription of my interrogation and all answers contained therein are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

(signed)
Gomer Henry Condit

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 5 day of February 1947.

(signed)
Joseph S. Smith
1st Lt., Inf.
Summary Court Officer

C E R T I F I C A T E

I, Joseph S. Smith, 1st Lt., Inf., O-1329998, 108th CIC Det., certify that Gomer Henry Condit personally appeared before me on 5 February 1947 and gave the foregoing answers to the several questions set forth.

Place:
3325 West Genessee Street
Syracuse, New York
Date: 5 February 1947

(signed)
Joseph S. Smith, 1st Lt., Inf.
0-1329998, 108th CIC Det.
Area Intelligence Division
AC of S, G-2
Headquarters First Army
1270 Avenue of the Americas
New York 20, New York


Conn, Robert Edward

PERPETUATION OF TESTIMONY OF
ROBERT EDWARD CONN, JR.
{Formerly Captain, ASN 0-331801)
Minneapolis 10, Minnesota

My name is Robert Edward CONN, Jr. My permanent home address is 4870 West Lake Harriet Boulevard, Minneapolis 10, Minnesota. I am now 33 years old. I was formerly a Captain, Serial No. 0-331801, in the 45th Infantry (PS) AUS, having been called to active duty on 20 December 1940. I went overseas on 21 April 1941 and returned to the States 15 October 1945. I was separated from the service on 12 July 1946.

I was captured on Bataan, Philippine Islands, on 9 April 1942 by a Japanese ground unit, the name of which is unknown to me.

I was held at Camp O'Donnell, P.I., until 2 June 1942; then at Cabanatuan No. 1, P.I., until 16 October 1944; then at Bilibid Prison, Manila, P.I. until 13 December 1944; then enroute to Japan until 30 January 1945; then at Prison Camp on Kyushu, known as "Fukuoka #1", until 25 April 1945; then at Jinsen, Korea, until 8 September 1945.

I do not remember the names of the Japanese in charge at Camp O'Donnell, but do know that the deliberate acts on their part with regard to withholding food and medicine from the American prisoners was directly responsible for the deaths of nearly all of the 1547 men that died in that camp. Sworn statements, later obtained in prison camp from men who observed executions at this camp, substantiate killings without trial. These records were left on 26 September 1945 with the Recovered Personnel Section at Manila, P.I. and photostat copies have been made.

At Cabanatuan I remember three distinct Camp Commanders. The first was Lt. Col. MORI, the second, Major IWANAKA, and the third, Major TAKASAKI. These officers had supreme command of the camp and all atrocities committed by other Japanese were in nearly every instance with full knowledge of the Camp Commander. On 29 September 1942 three officers, Lt. Col. L. W. BIGGS, Lt. Col. H. E. C. BREITUNG, and Lieut. R. GILBERT of the Navy, were executed after being brutally beaten by a number of Japanese guards and officers. These three Americans had attempted to escape but had never gotten out of the compound before they were apprehended by one of our own men who realized the penalty that would be inflicted upon the camp should these three make good their escape. The only violation, of regulations established by the Japanese, was that of creating a commotion after the camp was supposed to be "turned in" for the night. I witnessed this beating and it was, without a doubt, the most brutal, uncivilized demonstration of punishment that one could imagine. They were beaten with a heavy rope that had a number of knots tied in it. One of the officers clubbed all of the men with his scabbarded saber and another, who was a ju-jitsu expert, tossed the men high over his head and then slammed them to the ground. All during this ordeal the Americans were helpless to defend themselves. After this beating, which broke Lieut. GILBERT's leg and, without a doubt, caused severe internal injuries to all, the men were taken to the main gate of the camp and tied to posts where they were forced to stand throughout the balance of the night, through a cold, drenching rain. The next morning, Japanese sentries on guard at the gate forced Filipino civilians passing the camp to take sticks and beat the Americans and then spit in their face. At about 10:00 in the morning the men were taken to a school near the camp, known as the Cabu School, where they were executed. This execution could be observed from our camp and the firing of the shots was distinctly heard.

Earlier in this camp, on 26 June 1942, six men were executed without trial because a few members of the camp had been trading for food through the fence and one man had been known to have escaped from the camp to obtain food and then returned. The Japanese selected these six men, some of whom were in no way connected with the illegal obtaining of food. In order to impress the camp four of the men were executed on one side of the camp and two men on the other side. I was too sick to witness this demonstration, but later on located both graves and established markers for later use by Graves Registration Representatives.

On 11 July 1943 one of our men, Walter R. Connell, escaped from a detail working on the farm. The Japanese immediately sent a group of guards in search. At about 12 o'clock that night a Filipino under guard of some of these sentries came into camp with his caribao and sled bringing the body of this man. The following morning, as Graves Registration Officer, I was called upon to identify the body so as to make certain that the Japanese had not brought in the body of a Filipino in order to clear their own responsibility in the escape. The body was that of Private CONNELL and with the aid of our own medical officers we were able to establish positive identity. The body was a horrible mess; the eyes had been gouged out, both arms and legs broken in a number of places, the skull and facial bones broken in several places, and there were numerous bayonet wounds throughout the body.

Lt. OKAMOTO was Commanding Officer of the guard company and a ruthless, brutal individual. Many of the beatings were the direct result of his orders. Lt. TOSHINO was Executive Officer most of the time. He was a two-faced, cunning individual who had received training in Europe prior to the war. He was also quite a tennis player and reported to have been on the Japanese Olympic Team. Lt. OTO, Lt. ITO, and Lt. HURODA all were guilty of permitting and directing the beating of Americans.

Except for very few isolated eases, all of the Japanese officers, enlisted men, and Formosan guards seemed to take great delight in beating and torturing the Americans.

During the period of Bilibid they put us on two meals a day which consisted of cooked rice, known as lugao, and a watery green soup. On this diet our group of men lost on an average of 15 pounds during the two months.

On the trip to Japan we were placed on two different ships which were bombed by American planes. Sanitary conditions were too filthy to describe and we were on a starvation diet during the entire trip. Lt. TOSHINO was in direct command and a Mr. WADA was the interpreter. Both of these individuals are directly responsible for the many deaths that resulted from deliberate denial of food, water, and medicine, all of which were available. Out of 1619 men that started on this trip there are today approximately 270 left alive.

At Fukuoka #1, 53 Americans died over a period of less than 3 months because the Japanese Camp Commander and the Medical Officer refused to issue food and medicine and to permit heat to be kept in our building.

At Jinsen, Korea, two Americans died as the direct result of the lack of medication and the acts of the Lieutenant who was the Japanese Medical Officer made the suffering of the Americans very severe. Nearly all Americans by this time were afflicted with boils, carbuncles and general skin sores. On one occasion this Medical Officer, for no reason, knocked Lt. Col. Curtis T. BEECHER, who was suffering from a very large carbuncle on the back of his neck which due to lack of bandages was open, into the mud and then using his dirty boot kicked the open sore two or three times. This instance was typical of the treatment and attitude of this Medical Officer.

At no time during the entire period of imprisonment did the Japanese supply sufficient food, medicine and clothing to properly care for the bare essential needs of the Americans. The men constantly thought of food and all conversations were either about food or home. On many occasions I and most of the men were required to go without shoes due to failure of the Japanese to issue even those which were provided by the American Red Cross until the need therefor was absolutely imperative.

(signed) Robert Edward Conn Jr.

State of Minnesota
SS
County of Hennepin

I, Robert Edward Conn, Jr., of lawful age, being duly sworn on oath, state that I have read the foregoing statement consisting of three pages, and that it is true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

(signed) Robert Edward Conn Jr.

Subscribed and sworn to before me at Minneapolis, Minnesota, this 6th day of September, 1946.

(signed)
C. H. ROBERTS,
Notary Public, Wright County, Minn.
My Commission expires July 2nd, 1952

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