Tokyo #13 B Omi POW Camp

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Tokyo 13 B Branch Camp (Omi) At the site of Electro-Chemical Industry Company (Denki Kagaku) [company historical link] Location: NIIGATA-ken, NISHIKUBIKI-gun, OMI-machi Satellite View     Area Map Timeline: 12 May 1943: Established as Tokyo 9B 23 May 1943: 296 British arrive ex Kyokko Maru 1 Aug 1943: Renamed 7-D 14 April 1944 (Approx) - 106 Yanks arrive August 1945: Again renamed 13-B 6 September 1945: rescue effected, men sent by train to Yokohama Source: Wes Injerd, Wilburn Snyder & Taeko Sasamoto Arrival Dates for POWS: Source- Taeko Sasamoto; Diet Files 22 May 1943:  296 British 8 October 1943: 1 American 29 March 1944: 4 American 29 April 1944: 100 American 16 May 1945: 6 American 16 May 1945: 194 British Book about this camp: "And all my war is done" by Steven Abbott "Triumphs and Tragedies Corregidor and Its Aftermath" by Arthur B. Baker; Publisher LINK "Substances of Hope" by Richard Stephen Sewell (not read) Note: Rosters created from a small memorial booklet created in 1945 and sent to all known survivors by three British men: Abbott (Senior Officer), Burrough & Turner. Original rescue roster and death diaries/roster not located yet at NARA. 542 Men at rescue -432 British, 109 Americans & one New Zealander. Also rosters in NARA RG 407 Box 186. Camp has a secret radio managed by Lt Abbott.

Primary Labor: Quarry and Cement factory; Open hearth furnaces- chipping out the carbon ingots Known history: A number of British, known as Force "F", arrived from Singapore (departed 25/26 Apr 1943 on the Kyokko Maru). Voyage lasted 25 days with 2 deaths (Dutchmen). (Per David Langton) 14 April 1944 (Approx) - 106 Yanks arrived from Tanagawa ex Umeda Rosters: Americans  109 Americans plus 2 deceased Commonwealth  Senior Officer Abbott Commonwealth Dead: 60 men Special Interest: The story of New Zealander Coast Watcher, BASIL WERE, captured at Makin Island at start of war. Camp Picture: (below) "This painting by Basil Were (New Zealand) was made during the fortnight's wait for evacuation following the Japanese surrender. It shows wooden barracks with tile roof on the right and, on the left, an air-raid shelter built by the prisoners." Basil Were (Photo taken by Japanese) was a Coast Watcher captured in the Makin Atoll (now Kiribati). He was first taken to Yokohama for interrogation then moved to Zentsuji. See roster link for story of his return home. Picture Source: Prisoners of Japan by D.O.W. Hall, War History Branch, Department of Internal Affairs, Wellington, New Zealand, 1949.