POW Java/Singapore/Japan

jeff barden · May 24, 2017

papiermache said: ↑

Jeff, welcome to the forum, and I am sorry to read that your grandfather died so close to the end.
Given that "Omine Machi Camp at Hiroshima" was renamed Hiroshima 6-B and was once Fukuoka 1-D (info from the Mansell website) I may have the wrong case but here is a link through the University of Marburg war crimes site to the summary of a case involving Fukuoka-1. This is an early case in the Yokohama trials series and the copy of the documentation is not of the best quality. I am not aware of any documents in the National Archives at Kew relating to any British witnesses. There may be liberation questionnaires at Kew from those who survived.

http://www.online.uni-marburg.de/icwc/yokohama/Yokohama No. T010.pdf
Click to expand...

Hi Thank you for the information great web link

jeff barden · May 24, 2017

bamboo43 said: ↑

Hi Jeff,

I see that your grandfather died from septicaemia. Do you have all the documents from Find My Past (mostly listings), I notice you mention his POW index card in your write up.
Click to expand...

Hi Thank you for your reply, I had a personal researcher on the forces web site look into this he emailed over a lot of information ie the regiment daily diary etc I shall put on the site once I work out how

jeff barden · May 24, 2017

bamboo43 said: ↑

Hi Jeff,

I see that your grandfather died from septicaemia. Do you have all the documents from Find My Past (mostly listings), I notice you mention his POW index card in your write up.
Click to expand...

Hi Thank you for your reply, I had a personal researcher on the forces web site look into this he emailed over a lot of information ie the regiment daily diary etc I shall put on the site once I work out how

bamboo43 · May 24, 2017

jeff barden said: ↑

Hi Thank you for your reply, I had a personal researcher on the forces web site look into this he emailed over a lot of information ie the regiment daily diary etc I shall put on the site once I work out how
Click to expand...

I look forward to seeing these Jeff.

jeff barden · May 31, 2017

Hi See attached uploads
I don't know how to make an album as I have many more documents
Jeff

bamboo43 · May 31, 2017

Thanks for posting Jeff.

Tricky Dicky · May 31, 2017

Jeff

Re Albums

Select 'Gallery' from the top of the page, then select 'add media' then select 'an album' open up the drop down box and select 'create an album' and off you go

TD

BarbaraWT · Aug 13, 2018

papiermache said: ↑

Don,

You have my sympathy ( my uncle died on the Hofuku Maru on 21st September 1944, hence my reason for posting to the Hofuku Maru thread on this site a transcript of the War Crimes trial. ) Here is another affidavit entered in the record of the Military Tribunal concerning the voyages of men from Java, on the "Yoshida Maru" and then the "Singapore Maru" , from file WO235/1043.

John

" Exhibit F
J A Forsythe Lt Col President
MD/JAG/FS/JT/19.
EB/DVP.

IN THE MATTER OF THE ILL-TREATMENT OF
PRISONERS OF WAR COMMITTED ON BOARD S.S.
"YOSHIDA MARU" AND S.S. "SINGAPORE MARU"
21 OCTOBER TO 26 NOVEMBER 1942.
-----------------------------------------------------------------

A F F I D A V I T.
--------------------

I, ERIC KENNETH SCOTT with permanent home address at 62
Columba Road, Blackhall, Edinburgh, formerly Lieutenant-Colonel
( R.E.M.E.) with personal number 93327 in HIS MAJESTY'S Forces, MAKE
OATH AND SAY AS FOLLOWS:-

1. On the 19th October 1942 Col. C.M. Lane M.C., 10/15 Punjab Regt.,
Senior British Officer P.O.W., Tanjong Priok, Batavia, was instructed by
the Japanese Commandant, Tanjong Priok P.O.W. Camp to draft 1000
( 90 Officers and 910 O.R.s approx ), for departure for an unknown destination
on the 21st October.

2. Immediate representations were made to the Japanese Authorities
that, with the prevalence of malaria, dysentery, beri-beri, dengue,
malnutrition, etc., in the camp, the majority were not in a fit state
to travel. The worst sick cases among those drafted were inspected by
the Senior British Medical Officer, Lt.Col. Mazie, R.A.M.C. and at a
later stage by a Japanese Medical Officer from Batavia. Substitutions
were made where possible, but even so, when the draft assembled on the
21st Oct. there were many stretcher cases and some 10/20 % of the personnel
collapsed on the march to the Docks.

3. At the Tandjong Priok Docks the party was joined by a draft of
300 R.A.F., under command of Wing Commander Frowe, and 500 R.A.
personnel under command of Lt. Col. Saunders R.A. This total of 1800
embarked on the thirty year old, 5,000 ton "Yoshida Maru" at 16.00 hours
on the 21st Oct. and were crammed down the four hatchways. Wing
Commander Frowe and Lt.Col. Saunders' parties were accommodated below the
forward hatches with some seventy Japanese personnel who had taken the
"best" of the accommodation for themselves and the Tandjong Priok party of
1000 were crowded together so tightly aft that it was impossible to lie
down and those immediately under the hatchways, which were unprovided
with tarpaulins, were soaked to the skin every time it rained during the
voyage. There were 16 deck latrines forward and 8 aft, also 2 small water
tanks forward and 2 aft.

4. The ship sailed the following morning and throughout the voyage
three meals of rice and fish soup were served daily. Under these conditions
there was an immediate increase in sickness and an emergency
hospital was formed on the upper deck under the shelter of a leaky tarpaulin.
No blankets were provided, nor were any medical supplies of any
description.

5. The "Yoshida Maru" arrived at Singapore at 13.00 hours on the 25th
Oct. and the following morning all personnel were ordered ashore for a
hosedown on the dock side under the supervision of Japanese guards. All
personnel were then marched to the roadside where they were obliged to take
down their trousers and a glass rod was inserted in each man's anus in
full public view. All were then returned to the "Yoshida Maru."

6. On the 28th Oct. Wing Commander Frowe was instructed to draft
200 of his men to join Lt. Col. Saunders' party of 500 and transfer to
another ship. Fourteen of the more seriously sick from Tanjong Priok

- 2 -

Camp were then transferred to Singapore Hospital.

7. On the 29th Oct. at 04.00 hours the remaining 1086 disembarked
and were disinfested. During the day a further 19 went sick and were
sent to shore hospital and 14 replacements were received from Changi
P.O.W. Camp, making a total of 1081.

8. The 1081 embarked on the S.S. "Singapore Maru", 5,200 tons,
built in 1904, at 19.00 hours on the 29th Oct., the officers, 96 in
number, being in this instance, segregated in the aft hold for the
better maintenance of discipline. The general arrangements were similar
to those on the "Yoshida Maru". Forward were accommodated Japanese
troops, who spread themselves at the expense of the prisoners, and forward
were 16 deck latrines, ( 8 for prisoners ), and four small water tanks,
( two for prisoners ). Aft were 8 deck latrines, two water tanks and the
galley. Three meals of rice and fish soup were provided daily and hot
water for drinking three or four times per day. There were two small
lifeboats, four rafts and no life-belts for P.O.Ws.

9. The "Singapore Maru" sailed for Japan at 10.00 hours on the
30th Oct. and by the 2nd of November sickness had increased to such an
extent that the establishment of a hospital on the aft hatch cover became
necessary. The required accommodation was grudgingly given, as was the
1 lb Mag. Sulphate and a few aspirin and quinine tablets. Two men died
almost as soon as the "hospital" was established.

10. On the 3rd of November the "Singapore Maru" hove to off Cap St.
Jacques, where, as Senior Officer, I made the strongest possible representations
to the Japanese Commanding Officer, Lieut. Moriyama, regarding the
state of affairs on board and demanded the immediate removal of all sick
to Saigon and the sending of a radio report to Batavia to prevent the
further shipment of P.O.W.s under such intolerable conditions. The same
afternoon the ship sailed without any action being taken to improve
conditions aboard.

11. Sickness was now increasing at such a rate and the weather
deteriorating to such an extent that the accommodation under the aft
hatch had to be cleared of troops and the sick transferred to the space
vacated. No amenities of any sort such as mats, mattresses, blankets, etc.
were provided and the sick lay on the bare steel deck. With difficulty
some wooden buckets were secured for use as hospital latrines. A small
quantity of newsprint was provided as toilet paper, but was soon exhausted
and, as there was only sufficient water to permit of washing the hands once
a day, personal hygiene was impossible and disease spread rapidly in
consequence.

12. Deaths continued up to the arrival of the "Singapore Maru" at
Takow, Formosa, on the 13th Nov. where 8 bodies were sent ashore for cremation,
the harbour authorities refusing to permit them to be buried at sea.
A list of 100 seriously sick was compiled and a request for their immediate
removal to shore hospital was submitted, but twenty-one only were put ashore.

13. At Takow I was informed that accommodation was to be found for
a further 400 Japanese troops and, in spite of all protests, the upper
decks in all holds were cleared and the thousand odd P.O.W.s crammed down
in the bottom of the holds and on the sand ballast in the space below the
holds. The "hospital" was also transferred to the bottom of the aft hold.
All Japanese troops were provided with clean mats to sleep on. P.O.Ws.
slept on the steel decks or the sand ballast.

- 3 -

14. On the 15th the "Singapore Maru" left Takow and the same day
anchored off the Pescadores, where she remained until the 18th. A
further seven were buried at sea the same evening. Two hundred bismuth
tablets were then issued to Dr. Liddell, the R.A.F. doctor on board,
by the Japanese Authorities.

15. Proceeding Northwards the weather worsened and the cold
increased to the great discomfort of those, the majority, who were in
possession of tropical clothing only, and no blankets. The deck
latrines, damaged by heavy seas, leaked badly and sprayed infected
excreta over the decks, while below decks, the hospital, being unable
to cope with any more sick, sub-hospitals were established in each hold.
Latrine buckets were set up in the holds but some were so weak by this
time as to be unable to use them and de-faecated in their mess tins or
where they lay.

16. By the time the ship anchored off Moji on the 24th of November
approximately 700 were suffering from some sort of sickness or other. On
the 25th Nov. the ship went alongside and the Japanese troops disembarked.
This left the stores unguarded and the same night they were raided by
British personnel. An enquiry was instituted by the Japanese Military
Police on discovery of the theft on the following day, but the urgent
necessity to disembark appeared to cut these proceedings shorter than was
expected. As Senior British Officer on board I was held responsible and
threatened with shooting, while several officers were referred to as
"uncivilised beasts" by the English speaking Japanese Officer from Fukuoka,
who was in charge of disembarkation. A hygiene squad came aboard and
sealed all latrines and inserted a glass rod in the anus of each P.O.W.
( a test for dysentery we were told ), but did nothing for the 280 seriously
sick who were left on the ship after thirty of the hospital sick had been
taken ashore for treatment in Moji, and the remaining 677 mobile P.O.Ws
disembarked for splitting up into groups for transport by open barge to
Coal Mines in the vicinity.

17. Of the fate of the 280 who were left on board in the care of three
Dutch doctors and six Medical Orderlies I am unable to give precise information,
but have reason to believe that the majority succumbed within a few
days. Further information in this connection should be available from
Dr. Liddell of the R.A.F. who was himself evacuated to Moji hospital at
that time.

18. The 677 mobile P.O.W.s after standing on the dock, in subzero
temperatures, dressed in tropical kit, for several hours and without food
were eventually split into one group of 170 and three groups of 169 each.
I was in charge of the group of 170 and proceeded to Fukuoka No. 7 Camp,
Ube, where a further 17 died from the effects of the voyage. All sufferred
from scurvy for several weeks.

- 4 -

Summary
-----------

677 - Disembarked, Moji
63 - Buried at sea.
1 - Committed suicide.
21 - Removed to hospital, Formosa.
30 - Removed to hospital, Moji.
289 - Too ill to be removed from "Singapore Maru".
-------
1081 (includes 3 Dutch doctors and 6 M.O.s )
______

SWORN by the said ERIC KENNETH SCOTT
at 6 Spring Gardens in the City of
Westminster this 19th day of January
1946

( Signed ) E.K. Scott

BEFORE ME

RATHCREEDAN, Captain, Legal Staff.

Military Department,
Office of the Judge Advocate General,
LONDON S.W.1. "
Click to expand...

Frankly the behaviour of the Japanese was as bad as being in the worst Holocaust Concentration camps. To this day they have not faced up to these atrocities squarely. The excuse that they believed becoming a Prisoner was beyond shame crumbles when compared with their much better behaviour in WW1. Something happened between the Wars to shape their barbarity in WW2.

JimHerriot · Jul 4, 2020

For all who have contributed here, extracts from the mighty work "WEARY, The Life of Sir Edward Dunlop of The Burma-Thailand Railway" by Sue Ebury, published 1994

Contents of the book listed here; The General Perspective

Always remember, never forget,

Jim.

timuk · Jul 5, 2020

Bill Griffiths had been very severely injured after being forced by the Japanese to clear a booby trapped explosives dump. He was blinded, lost both hands and suffered a shattered leg. His life was saved twice by Weary Dunlop. First by Weary's supreme surgical skill and secondly (as above) by Weary interposing himself between Bill and a Japanese bayonet.
Billy survived and in 1972 having become 'Disabled Sportsman of the Year' in 1969 was the subject of the TV show 'This is Your Life'. Weary Dunlop flew in from Australia to take part.
Bill Griffiths
Billy's autobiography is 'Blind to Misfortune', a truly remarkable story of how he overcame adversity not only as a FEPOW but also later in life.

Tim

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