| Osaka POW Camp #4-B Ikuno |
Main Main Camp List About Us
| Location: HYOGO-ken, ASAGO-gun, IKUNO-machi, GINYA (MITSUBISHI KOGYO) Satellite map Aerial 1947-09-28 (courtesy Japan Map Archive) Archival map Nearby Ikuno Silver Mine Museum Short History: All the men came to this camp from Wakayama and Tanagawa. Also known as Osaka Dispatch Camp #4. 29 Mar 1945: Wakayama Camp closed and POWs transferred to Osaka 19-B 28 Mar 1945: New Camp established as Osaka 19-B (Ikuno) Aug 1945: Renamed Osaka 4-B (Ikuno) Sep 1945: Rescue effected Japanese Staff: NARA Record Group 407 Box 946 SCAP Report: SCAP Investigation report by Lts. Ammon and Wilson. Investigation details camp details, movements, food, etc. NARA RG 389 Box 2129 Notes regarding Ikuno: Brief overview of camp- buildings, number of men, work details, etc. Affidavit Extract: Charles Littleton Slane, Lt Cmdr, 115917,USNR: Camp was first occupied 19 Mar 1945 when 43 American, British, Australian and Dutch officers arrived. Total of 437 at end of war: 44 Yank, 379 British, 3 Aussie, 1 Chinese, 4 Canada Mitsubishi Materials Memorial - PDF in Japanese, noted as 生野  Ikuno Camp memorial at Ikuno Silver Mine (image courtesy of Linda Barnes) Official Mitsubishi apology: In Memory of WWII POWs
During World War II, military personnel of the Allied Forces captured by the Japanese military were forced to work in mines and factories throughout Japan. These included the Osarizawa (Hanawa) Branch of the Sendai POW Camp that was under the control of the Japanese military and located at this site. In all, 545 POWs (494 American, 50 British, and 1 Australian)* were held at the camp at the end of the war, 8 POWs died in captivity. Working conditions for the POWs were exceedingly harsh and left deep mental and physical wounds that the lapse of time would not heal. POWs were subjected to similar conditions in the mines of Hosokura (Miyagi Prefecture), Ikuno (Hyogo Prefecture) and Akenobe (Hyogo Prefecture), which were also operated by the former Mitsubishi Mining Company. Reflecting on these tragic past events with the deepest sense of remorse, Mitsubishi Materials offers its heartfelt apologies to all former POWs who were forced to work under appalling conditions in the mines of the former Mitsubishi Mining Company, and reaffirms its unswerving resolve to contribute to the creation of a world in which fundamental human rights and justice are fully guaranteed. November 2016
Mitsubishi Materials Corporation * Figures were compiled by the POW Research Network Japan based on the "Roster of Deceased Allied POWs in Japan Proper" compiled by GHQ/SCAP. (Held in the National Diet Library's Modern Japanese Political History Materials Room under Catalog No. LS-03399–03404.) |
Labor: Slave labor for the Mitsubishi Copper Mining Company (Mitsubishi Kogyo); some silver veins were also mined; mine closed in 1970. Hell Ships: Most Americans arrived earlier on the Tottori Maru (high POW numbers) or Nagato Maru (low POW numbers) Senior Ranking Officer: Fliniau, Franklin Morris A., Lt. Col., O-303220, USA (Inf) [Fliniau arrived in August of 1945 (ex-Omi, ex-Kobe House) then was transferred to Hirohata AFTER the surrender] Deceased: No deaths recorded at this camp; however, the diary of British Corporal Bentall notes at least four daths. We hope to obtain copies from his grandaughter and/or the Imperial War Museum. Rosters: British Roster: From RG 407, Box 11; see below OSA-04 Roster Misc Roster: Aussie, Dutch, Canadian and NZeder (Actual Roster) American Roster: From RG 407, Box 11; see below OSA-04 Roster OSA-04 Roster (WO361-1963) - British, American, Australian, Canadian, New Zealand, Dutch OSA-04 Rosters(RG 407 Box 111) - Includes British officers, NCOs, enlisted men and civilians; American officers, NCOs and enlisted men; Australian officers, Canadian NCOs and enlisted men; New Zealand NCOs and enlisted men; and Dutch officers The following partial roster was presented by Mr. Don Brunelle: "My uncle Alex Benishake died
about 7 years ago leaving me with his books memorabilia and best of all
a diary of his experiences. In this diary was a list of names I assume
were other prisoners of war. These names and addresses were accurate as
of 29 May 1945. Many names and addresses may
be misspelled. The writing was so small it is difficult to tell an N
from an H or an O from an A. This diary was kept on Japanese
parchment paper and hidden inside a 2 x 4 of his housing structure. He
carved a small opening in the wood where he hid it, plugging it over
with the carved out wood."
Partial roster supplied by Don Brunelle, nephew of POW Alex
Benishake. (Modified and
spelling corrected with partial roster from RG 331 Box 479 by Center
For Research.)
Camp layout (courtesy of Kobe Newspaper) Harry Wilding, RAF airman, 1272514, Isle of Ely, England (files courtesy of Linda Barker, daughter): Asst. Ikuno documents (RG 331) - maps, camp report, Proctor affidavit, Keene affidavit |
