Hitachi POW Camp Motoyama Tokyo Area Command, Detach 8-B ex 12-D

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Hitachi POW Camp AKA Motoyama Tokyo #12-D IBARAKI-ken, HITACHI-shi 5 Mar 1944: Established as Tokyo # 12-D 14 Aug 1944: 230 Americans depart, replaced by 150 Dutch and 80 British Aug 1945: Renamed Tokyo POW Camp # 8-B Sep 1945: Rescue effected MAP - of Hiroshima POW Camps Camp was located on the southwest side of a valley. A second camp, a smelting plant, apparently was located below this mine. Across the valley was another mine that used Koreans as slaves. Lt Col Christensen's description: "Camp located approximately eight to ten kilometers west of the town of Hitachi (on the east coast of Honshu, about 20 miles north of the town of Mito), Ibaraki Prefecture. I believe the samll settlement at the site of the camp was known as Motoyama." Present day name:  "It's way up in the hills and it looks like there is now a memorial there, called "Nikko Kinen-kan," which means "Hitachi Mining Memorial Hall." The KO of KOGYO (HITACHI KOGYO) is the same Japanese character for the KO of NIKKO." (Courtesy of Wes Injerd) Photographs: Location Map: Sequence of area maps- Map #1, #2, #3 (slow loading) Japanese Staff: Nemoto - Capt, Camp CO Kurita (Gunso) Sgt - Asst CO Mizuno, (Gocho) Corp- Asst CO Civilian (veteran) employes of the Army: Dono - relative rank of Sgt Yuag - relative rank of Sgt Matsuda - relative rank of Pvt Kikuchi - relative rank of Pvt Interpreters: Mr. Kakei Kenji Kuni - formerly an American citizen- "Frank Queenie" Guards: Miamoto Fujimoto Office Clerks: Tanaka Susuki Hokei Toyahara Medical Attendant: Mr. Nakamura Cook for Japanese: Mr. Ishizaiki

Primary Labor Use: Slave labor as miners for the Hitachi Copper Mine. Hell Ship: Americans arrived on the Taikoku Maru. Affidavit of Lt COL (Inf) Arthur G. Christensen- describes trip in detail Time Line: A short history of Motoyama by Martin S. Christie, Capt, USMC [Retired] Interviews or personal stories: Benig Jones - British POW Books about Hitachi Tokyo 8-B: List of deceased: Camp Photographs & Sketches Camp flag is at theTruman Presidential Museum & Library. The flag's plaque reads: This flag was made by Luther Bass, an American serviceman held captive in Tokyo Prisoner of war Camp # 8 during World War II. Bass made the flag from parachutes carrying food and clothing dropped to the camp from a U.S. B-29 bomber on August 26, 1945. In 1973, Earl R. Short, another Camp # 8 survivor, donated the flag to the Truman Library. Camp Rosters at Liberation: 302 combined English, Dutch and American POWS. (Rescue roster not located yet) (see partial roster of 176 Americans known to have been in this camp courtesy of Adriane Zambrana, grand daughter of POW Major Earl Short- POW 3773) Detail of POW Movements POWS known to be here at rescue: Bahrenburg, James H., Lt Col, O&281569, USA (MC) Christie, Martin, Cpl,272081,USMC Nealsom, William Robert, Maj, O&367089. USA Renka, John I. Jr., 1st Lt, O&416595, USA Robinson, Donald W., Maj, O&380999, USA (MC) Short, Earl R., Maj, O&311554, USA Underwood, Charles C., MAj, O&378597, USA POWS known to have been sent to Zentsuji and rescued at Rokuroshi: Christensen, Arthur George, Lt Col, O&20871, USA (INF) Conrad, Eugene B., Maj, O&394417, USA Evans, Robley D., Capt, O&399426, USA Camp Layout