Asaka Maru

War Crimes Trial proceedings, file WO 235/1052 at Kew or The National Archives.

The "P" numbers are my photograph numbers . "---" indicates page end,

The typist added their name to the sheet - e.g. "Tan", "Kwek"

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CHARGE SHEET

The Accused :-

Ships Master ODAKE Bunji
Lieut. INO Takeo

of the Imperial Japanese Forces attached to 4 Wireless Regiment (New designation :14 Wireless Squadron)

are charged with:

Ist Charge

Both Accused

COMMITTING A WAR CRIME
in that
on the high seas between the 1lth June 1944 and 16 Aug 1944 on a voyage from Singapore to Moji (Japan) aboard the S.S. "ASAKA MARU', the accused ODAKE Bunji as ships master of the aforesaid "ASAKA MARU", and the accused Lieut. INO Takeo, as officer in charge of a P.O.W. draft consisting of 750 British P.O.Ws., while responsible for the well-being of the said prisoners, were, in violation of the laws and usages of war, together concerned in the ill-treatment of the said prisoners of war, contributing to the death of some and causing physical and mental suffering to many others of said prisoners of war.

2nd Charge Lieut. INO Takeo

COMMITTING A WAR CRIME

in that he

on the high seas between the 16th August 1944 and 31st August 1944 on a voyage from Kiirun (Formosa) to Moji
(Japan) aboard the S.S. "HAKUSAN MARU", as officer in charge of a P.O.W. draft consisting of approximately 750 British P.O.Ws., while responsible for the well-being of the said prisoners, was, in violation of the laws and usages of war, concerned in the ill-treatment of the said prisoners of war, contributing to the death of some and causing physical and mental suffering to many others of said prisoners of war.

Singapore. 4 June '47

/sgd./ ? Lieut Colonel R. Signals, Cmdg., 4 Special Wireless Regt
Commanding

(New designation: 14 Wireless Squadron)

(Signature of Convening Officer)

/sgd./ K.H. Cox

Major-General
Commanding Singapore District.

Singapore
30 Aug. '47

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P1330749
Page 4 . . Tan

( AT 1000 HOURS ON THE 2ND OF SEPTEMBER, 1947 THE COURT
ASSEMBLES )

The accused are arraigned up on the charges.

Ships Master ODAKI, BUNJI having heard the 1st Charge read over to you
How do you plead, Guilty or Not Guilty?

NOT GUILTY SIR

Lt INO Takeo having heard the 1st Charge read over to you how do you plead
Guilty or Not Guilty ?

NOT GUILTY, Sir

Lt INO Takeo having heard the 2nd charge read over to you how do you plead

Guilty or Not Guilty?

NOT GUILTY Sir

(Court) Do you wish to apply for an adjournment on the ground that any of the regulations relating to procedure before trial have not been complied with and that you have been prejudiced thereby or on the ground that you have not had sufficient opportunity for preparing your defence?

A. No

EXHIBIT "E" The Prosecutor reads and hands in an opening address which is marked Exhibit "E", signed by the President and attached to the proceedings.

EXHIBIT "F" The Prosecutor reads and hands in Affidavit of G. Hammond (in original),which is marked Exhibit "F", signed by the President, and attached to the proceedings.

EXHIBIT "G" The Prosecutor reads and hands in Affidavit of W.T.Drummond (in original),which is marked Exhibit "G", signed by the President, and attached to the proceedings.

EXHIBIT "H" The Prosecutor reads and hands in Affidavit of F. Fallows (in original),which is marked Exhibit "H",
signed by the President, and attached to the proceedings.

EXHIBIT "I" The Prosecutor reads and hands in Affidavit of R.F.Garnham (in original),which is marked Exhibit "I", signed by the President, and attached to the proceedings.

EXHIBIT "J" The Prosecutor reads and hands in Affidavit of F. McGuire (in original),which is marked Exhibit "J", signed by the President, and attached to the proceedings.

EXHIBIT "K" The Prosecutor reads and hands in Affidavit of J.N.Dowler (in original),which is marked Exhibit "K", signed by the President, and attached to the proceedings.

EXHIBIT "L" The Prosecutor reads and hands in Affidavit of J.G.Carter (in original),which is marked Exhibit "L", signed by the President, and attached to the proceedings.

EXHIBIT "M" The Prosecutor reads and hands in Affidavit of H.Boggis (in original),which is marked Exhibit "M", signed by the President, and attached to the proceedings.

EXHIBIT "O" The Prosecutor reads and hands in Affidavit of Watanabe Saburo (in original),which is marked Exhibit "O", signed by the President, and attached to the proceedings.

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P1330846

Exhibit 'E"

OPENING ADDRESS BY THE PROSECUTION

In the Case of Ship's Master ODAKE BUNJI
Lieut. INO TAKEO.

CHARGE I.

Both the accused are charged with on the high seas aboard the s.s. ASAKA MARU while being responsible for 750 Prisoners of War, were, together concerned in the ill-treatment of the said Prisoners of War contributing to the death of some and causing physical and mental suffering to many others of the said Prisoners of War.

CHARGE II.

Lt. INO TAKEO is charged with on the high seas aboard the S.S. HAKUSAN MARU, was, concerned in the illtreatment of the said Prisoners of War contributing to the death of some and causing physical and mental suffering to many others of the said
Prisoners of War.

ODAKE was the Captain of the ship S.S. ASAKU MARU and INO was the Officer-in-Charge of the same draft of approx. 750 P.O.Ws on both ships. The Prosecution will prove that by the actions and indifference of the accused, the P.O.Ws. were caused unnecessary hardships, both physical and mental, which later resulted in death to some and much suffering to others.

The Prosecution will prove that these hardships took the form of gross overcrowding, improper sanitation, lack of food, drinking water, and medical supplies.

That no form of safety precautions were made for the prisoners in case of aerial or submarine attacks.

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P1330847

- 2 -

That nothing in fact, was done to help or alleviate the conditions of the sick and that as a result disease was strife, thereby causing the deaths of many P.O.Ws.

The Prosecution will prove that in both charges, it was within the power of the accused to help and alleviate some of the hardships and sufferings of the P.O.W.s whereas nothing in fact was done and no attempt was even made to help the prisoners.

The Prosecution will call as evidence two witnesses, both of whom, travelled on these two ships.

Mr. F.R. Yardley.

Mr. C. Simon.

The following affidavits of other P.O.Ws who have since been repatriated to their own countries and will therefore be unable to attend in person, will be produced by the Prosecution in evidence as well. This will be supported by several sworn statements from Japanese prisoners.

G. Hammond.

W.T. Drummond.

F. Fallows.

R.F. Garntham.

F. Mcguire.

J.N. Dowler.

J.G. Carter.

H. Boggis.

Watanabe Saburo.

Nagatoma Yoshitada

Watanabe Tamisaburo

Mori Naoki

Hayashi Nichiro.

Sworn statements by both the accused will also be produced.

/sgd./ R. Macduff Urquhart
Capt.


2nd Sept. 47.

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This affidavit has "missing pages" - I probably jumped a page. Apologies. The type-setting is as the original:

P1330848

MD/JAG/FS/J/29

Exhibit "F"

AFFIDAVIT.

IN THE MATTER OF WAR CRIMES COMMITTED
BY JAPANESE NATIONALS.

I, Geoffrey HAMMOND, of 16 Church Lanes, Fakenham, in the County of Norfolk, Grocer's Rounds-man,
hereby make oath and say as follows;-

I was Private No. 5775492 of the 5th.Battn., Royal Norfolk Regiment. I was taken prisoner by the
Japanese at Singapore on 15th. February 1942, with
the rest of the troops there.

a. I was at Chong Ki, Thialand P.O.W. Camp and was
moved to Nonperduk, which was a transit P.O.W. camp,
from there I went to Singapore by train, packed in trucks, on 9th June 1942.

b. I embarked from Singapore on 18th. June 1944
in s.s. "Osaka Mary".

c. "Osaka Maru" left Singapore Bay and sailed on
d. 4th. July 1944 for Japan.

e. I do not know the name of the Japanese Officer
in charge of the P.O.W. draft, nor the names of any
other Japanese on board.

f. The route taken by the ship was via North
Borneo and south of Manilla, where "Osaka Maru" was
badly damaged by storm and was in a sinking condition.
On 15th. August 1944, the ship was ran aground and the
P.O.Ws were taken off in Japanese destroyers which
took us to a port in Formosa. On arrival there we
were immediately taken aboard s.s. "Hakusan Maru" and
on 28th. August 1944, we sailed in her to Mogi, Japan.

g. When we left Singapore we were in convoy -
about 12 ships, to Manilla, where the nimber of ships
was made up to about 30, but the convoy was dispersed
by the storm. I do not know the names of any of the
other ships or of the Japanese Officers.

i. The number of P.O.Ws in ny draft was 750. I
do not know what was in the other ships.

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MISSING PAGES
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better. This camp was bombed and we were moved out to
a camp at Omi and remained there until we were liberated.
Conditions at this camp were not so good as at Osaka, but
were better than on the ships. All men had to go to work
although everybody was sick. One day I was unable to work
owing to pain in my stomach. I was sent to work in the
furnaces. The food was not enough for hard work. The
Japanese in charge of the working party reported me for
not working that day, with the result that the Japanese
Medical Orderly, (name not known) beat me up, striking me
across the face with his fists, but I was still sent to
work after that.

o. Richard Steward, of Stanhoe, Norfolk, also a Private
of the 5th.Royal Norfolk Regiment, was in this draft with
me.

p. I do not know the names of any persons responsible
for embarkation.

/sgd./ G. Hammond

SWORN at
Fakenham in the County of Norfolk, this
19th. day of October 1946,
before me.

/sgd./ C.R. Stowell
Justice of the Peace for the
County of Norfolk

 

P1330850

MD/JAG/FS/ JC/29

Exhibit "G"

WAR CRIMES.

Ill-treatment of Prisoners of War
on board Japanese ships
"Osaka Maru" and "Hakusan Maru,"

AFFIDAVIT of William Thomson DRUMMOND.

I, No. 2876728, Private William Thomson Drummond,
aged 29 years, of the 2nd Battalion, Gordon Highlanders,
with permanent home address at Damhead Croft, Whiterashes,
parish of Udny, Aberdeenshire, make oath and say as
follows:

In December, 1935, I joined the regular army and
was posted to the 2nd Battalion of the Gordon Highlanders.
At the outbreak of war I was stationed at Singapore. I
was there when the city fell to the Japanese in February,
1942, and was taken prisoner. After spending the first
few weeks of my captivity in the Roberts' Barracks I was
moved with others to Non-Plu-Duk Camp in Thailand, where
I served in a working party repairing and laying railway
tracks.

At the beginning of June, 1944, I was drafted to
a transit camp at River Valley, Singapore, moving by
rail down the peninsula. On 10th June, 1944, I embarked
on the "Osaka Maru" at Singapore. This was carried
out without any preparation of kit or organisation
whatever. We were simply marched down to the quay and
as many as the ship would take were bundled on board.
There were about 700 personnel from various units crowded
on to the ship.
Although we embarked on 10th June, the "Osaka Maru"
did not actually sail until five days later.
I did not know the name of the Japanese officer
in charge or the names of any of the other Japanese
guards and orderlies on the ship. The Commanding Officer
was a big stout fellow whom I would easily recognise
again and be able to identify.
The route followed was by Borneo, the Philippines
and Formosa.
We sailed in a convoy of 26 ships, but I regret
being unable to give any of their names. Of the others
apart from my own, only one attracted my attention.
We knew it as the "Old Cement Boat" because of its
appearance of having been built of concrete slabs.
As I said, there were 700 prisoners of war in my
draft, all accommodated in the two holds of the ship
fore and aft. The holds were uncovered, so that there
was no protection against the weather. There were
often prolonged spells of rain. At night too it was
very cold, and in common with many others I had no
blanket. Owing to the restricted space it was impossible
to sleep in the holds. We slept on the open deck,
Rations were very meagre. We were fed thrice
daily on boiled rice with sometimes a small helping of
vegetable, usually sweet potatoes. Occasionally we
got a piece of hard fish along with our bowl of rice.
Each morning and night we received a mug of tea made
from salt water which was most insipid stuff. We
never/

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never got a drink of fresh water,
Smoking was taboo, but there was nothing to
smoke anyway.
Medical supplies scarcely if at all existed, and
the sick though there were many received scant attention
from the Japanese medical orderlies, Any R.A.M.C.
officers or men who were there could do little in the
way of alleviation owing to the lack of facilities
and the absence of drugs.
During the voyage I would say that there were at
least 100 sick persons, all mostly suffering from
dysentery, diarrhoea, malnutrition and fevers. The
sick were always moved from the holds to the deck,
where they lay exposed until they either recovered
or died. It was truly a case of the survival of the
fittest. There were 22 deaths, but I did not know
any of the deceased men.
The sanitary arrangements were primitive in the
extreme. There were about 6 wooden privies lashed
to the sides of the ship and to get to these one had
to clamber over the deck railing. For those who were
unfit to climb into the privies, pans were set up at
the sides of the deck. Sick men had to be assisted
to these by their colleagues. Needless to say, the
prevailing smell was most foul and disgusting.
The only cargo of which I was aware were bales of
rubber stowed on the deck.
There was no apparent life-saving apparatus, such
as boats, buoys or jackets, Any that there was would
have been sufficient only to meet the needs of the
Japanese crew. This had a very disturbing effect.
There were no attacks or sinkings in the convoy.
I will relate later about the damage done by a typhoon.
The ship bore no markings, emblematic or otherwise
to distinguish it as a prisoner of war carrying vessel
En route for Keeling our ship put into Borneo,
Manilla and Formosa to take on small supplies of food
and so forth, We were at Borneo on 28th July, 1944;
Manilla on 7th August, 1944, and Formosa on 18th August,
1944. Although we remained at each port for several
days, we were not allowed ashore for exercise or to
relieve the monotony.
I mentioned a typhoon. On 12th August, when we
had sighted Formosa, a violent wind storm broke out
with the result that the convoy was scattered and our
ship went on the rocks. We were stranded there for
2½ days before being rescued by two Japanese destroyers
and taken into Formosa.
It was at Formosa that I transferred to the
"Hakusan Maru," on which ship I completed the voyage
to Keeling. The conditions on her were on a par with
those on the "Osaka Maru," absolutely disgraceful.
We disembarked at Keeling on 28th August, 1944.
Again there was no method or organisation. It was
just a case of each man fending for himself. We were
herded off like cattle, the sick as always being last
to leave the ship.
After remaining for three days or so in Keeling
we were broken up into working parties of about 150
and despatched to various places. When freed by the
Americans/

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Americans I was working in a foundry in Nagoya.
I can give the names of several other soldiers
who were included in the draft on these two ships
with me and who could speak to the deplorable conditions
under which we lived. These are -

Corporal McLean, Gordon Highlanders, Aberdeen;

Corporal Shea of the C.M.P. ;

Private O'Brien, Gordon Highlanders, Kilmarnock;

Private Rose, Gordon Highlanders.

The British officers in charge of the party were -

Captain Hall, R.A., an Englishman, and

Captain Chapman of the Indian Army.

I also knew a Private Telford of the Gordon
Highlanders who died on one of the other ships in the
convoy.
I am sorry I cannot give any names of Japanese
officers or men who would have been responsible for
our plight. One who does stand out in my memory, however,
is the big man who was in command of the
draft on my ship. Without hesitation I could identify
him.
In conclusion I wish to say that, owing to the
lapse of time and for other obvious reasons, the dates
I have given can only be regarded as approximate. At
the same time, however, I think they are fairly accurate.

/sgd./ W. Drummond

DECLARED AT UDNY, 26th DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 1946, BEFORE ME,

Jo M. Paterson
Justice of Peace for the
County of Aberdeen.

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Exhibits "H", "I", "J" follow


P1330853

Exhibit "H".

MD/JAG FS/ JT/ 29

IN THE MATTER OF WAR CRIMES COMMITTED BY JAPANESE NATIONALS
AND IN THE MATTER OF THE ILL-TREATMENT OF PRISONERS OF WAR
WHILST BEING TRANSPORTED IN THE JAPANESE SHIP 'OSAKA MARU'
AND OTHERS.

——


FRANK FALLOWS of the Eagle and Child Hotel, Saddleworth, Ramsbottom, in the County of Lancaster, UPON HIS OATH SAITH AS FOLLOWS:-

I am 28 years of ago, a married man, and reside with my
parents at the above address.

I was demobilized in February of this year and previously
I was No.3859036 Pte. Fallows, F. of the 9th Bn. of the Loyal
Regiment.

I was stationed in SINGAPORE at the time of the capitulation
on the 15th February, 1942, and was taken Prisoner of War by the
Japanese.

After that date I was confined in several Prisoner of War
Camps: in SINGAPORE and SIAM and in April, 1944, I was sent to
'NONPRODUC'. I remained there for three months, when I was
transferred to 'HAVELOCK ROAD' Transit Camp. We were only there
for four days.

About the 23rd June, 1944, we embarked on the ship 'OSAKA
MARU'. We were sent below and the Japanese guards tried to put
about seven hundred of us in a compartment about four hundred
square feet. They managed to get most uf us in, then one of the
British Officers went to the Japanese i/c, and he ordered one
third to remain in the compartment and the other two thirds were
sent on deck. I was in one of the parties who were ordered to
go on deck and there wasn't enough room for us all to lie down
at once. We were exposed to the weather.

The ship sailed about twelve days after we embarked.

I don't know the names of any of the Japanese who were on
board.

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- 2 -

Our route from SINGAPORE was via SARAWAK, where we anchored
for about two days, MANILA, where we berthed for about three or
four weeks. We were exposed to very bad weather whilst we were at
MANILA. From there we sailed towards TAIWAN, but on the way we
struck a typhoon, everything which was on the decks was washed
over-board, including trucks, cars and cooking utensils, also our
personal belongings. Because of the loss of the cooking utensils
we had no food for five days, except for burned rice which the
rats had partly consumed. This rice we called 'Nutty-nutty'.

Whilst we were at MANILA seven of the more serious cases of
sickness were removed from the ship.

The ship was in a very serious condition as a result of the
typhoon. The Japanese personnel stood to their life-saving
equipment and left us to fend for ourselves.

In the morning we could see that we were about two hundred
yards from the beach, so we remained on board for another thirty
hours and then two Japanese destroyers cane and we were transferred
to these in small boats.

Up to this time we had been sailing in convoy. The number of
ships in the convoy varied from day to day and I don't know
the names of any of these ships.

In our particular draft there were seven hundred prisoners,
but I don't know how many were on the other ships.

The conditions on the 'OSAKA MARU were very bad. We were
on the open decks and were terribly over-crowded. Some were housed
in open hatches.

The rations consisted of one three gallon bucket of rice,
which was never full, for fifty men, and one tablespoonful
of vegetables per man. This we had three times a day with an occasional
small piece of oriental fish. To drink, we had condensed steam
from the boilers, and this was salty.

There were no medical supplies issued by the Japanese. We
had a few of our own, such as Field Dressings.

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- 3 -

Up to arriving at MANILA we had two deaths and numerous
cases of sickness.

We were on the Destroyers far about three days and were
treated as well as conditions would allow. We landod at a port
at TAIWAN and had a meal. The same night we were put on a
Japanese liner, about 30,000 tons. I don't know her name. On
this ship we had a Japanese medical examination and were placed
on lower decks, in compartments about ten feet by ten feet, with
ten men to each compartment. There was straw on the floor. For
rations we had one and a half pints of mixed grain and vegetables a
day, per man.

On this ship between thirty and forty prisoners died in ten days
and nearly everybody was sick with 'Beri-beri' and dysentery.

There were good sanitary arrangements on this ship and after
the first few days we were allowed to form a hospital for the worst
cases.

I don't think the ship carried any other cargo.

We again sailed in convoy, about twelve in all. We were
allowed on deck for ten minutes out of every twenty-four hours,
and each time we went on deck there was one ship less in the
convoy. I think these were torpedoed.

There were no life-saving appliances for the prisoners either
on this ship or on the previous one. We carried no markings to
show that there were prisoners of war on board.

The temperature in the ship was very high as there was no
ventilating system. The only fresh air we had came fron underneath
the doors and we had to form a Police Picket to prevent men from
congregating at any point where air would be likely to circulate.

We disembarked at a place called 'MOULJI', on the south coast
of the central island of Japan. No priority was given to the sick
on landing. We had to help one another. On landing we were given
a bath and our clothes were sterilized.

Other men with me throughout the voyage were:-

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- 4 -

Pte. GLEDHILL, of the Manchester Regiment, living at
Failsworth, Lancashire, and

Pte. James CLERK, of the Manchester Regiment, living at
Mount Street, Heywood, Lancashire.

SWORN AT BURY IN THE )
COUNTY OF LANCASTER, ) /sgd./ F. Fallows
THIS 26th DAY OF )
SEPT. 1946. )
BEFORE ME )

/sgd./ Tom. Smith
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE.

BURY COUNTY BOROUGH JUSTICES

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P1330857

Exhibit "I"

MD/JAG/FS/J {T/21} 29

IN THE MATTER OF JAPANESE WAR CRIMES AND
IN The ATTER OF THE ILL-TREATMENT OF
PRISONERS OF WAR IN THE JAPANESE SHIPS
"OSAKA MARU" AND "HAKUSAN MARU" .

——

AFFIDAVIT

I, Ronald Frederick GARNHAM, late No: 5775776, Private of A.C.C.
attached to 6th Bn. Royal Norfolk Regiment, with permanent home address
at 921, Woodbridge Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, make oath and say as follows: -

1. I was captured by the Japanese on the 16th June, 1942, at PONTIEN
KETCHEL in MALAYA after being free in the Jungle for about six months.
I was with another Private named CARLTON of the same Regiment, i.e.
6th Royal Norfolks. He died of cholera later.

I was taken to JAHORE BURU, the Japanese Intelligence Department and
then transferred to CHANGI.

From CHANGI I was transferred to THAILAND and was there for two years
building the railway. I was at CRIE and CRIE Camp. This was the last
Camp on the line.

2 (a) About February or March, 1944, I was transferred from this Camp
to a Transit Camp at NON PLADAI No: 2.

(b) I was then transferred with many other British Soldiers by rail
to SINGAPORE. The journey by rail took about five days and four nights
and we arrived there about the begiming of May, 1944. We were put on
the S.S. "OSAKA MARU", a boat of about 4,000 tons, after about four
days and we were then outside the Port for from five to six weeks. I
have no idea of the reason for the delay in sailing. We were marched
from the Camp at SINGAPORE on to the boat. They tried to pack 750 men
into the hold. After about 600 men were in the hold so many men fainted
that the Japanese had to stop sending any more down.

(c) The boat actually sailed some time at the beginning of June 1944.
I don't remember the date.

(d) I do not know the name of the Japanese Officer-in-Charge Prisoner
of War draft ar other Japanese personnel on the ship.

(e) The ship called at BORNEO for about three days and stopped at two
other places, the names of which I cannot remember.

(f) We sailed with other ships in convoy. I do not know how many
other ships there were, or the names of them. I do not know the names
of the Japanese who were in charge of Prisoner of War draft.

(g) There were 750 Prisoners of War in my draft on this ship.

(h) (i) There was no proper accommodation for Prisoners af War on this
ship. We just had to lay where we could - decks or anywhere.

(ii) Food was very bad, about ⅓ pint of rice and about ½ pint of
Pumpkin stew per man three times a day. Fluids comprised of purified sea water

- 1 -

Cont'd. . .

---

- 2 -

sea water/

which still tasted of salt. Amounts supplied varied but we never actually wanted drink. Occasionally we had tea made with this water.

(iii) Medical supplies and treatment was practically nil.

We had one of our own medical men on board, but he had no supplies.
The Japanese used to issue out medical supplies just as they thought they would, but this was very little indeed.

(iv) Many men fell sick with Beri-Beri, Malaria and Dysentry. I don't know how many but there were quite a lot of them. The number of deaths all told were 22, and these were buried at sea. In my opinion a lot of these would have lived had they been given the necessary medical treatment.

(v) Sanitary arrangements were bad. There were no lavatories, but only two boxes lashed over the side of the ship at each end. So there was only four boxes for the whole of the ship. These boxes were for the use af the men suffering from Dysentry as well. We had to wash in sea water. There was no soap or towels.

(vi) There was some cargo on board, a kind of red clay. I was told it was for mixing with iron ore. There was also some raw rubber as cargo. This cargo was stored in the bottom holds, beneath the men.

(vii) There were three or four srmll boats on board. These were for the Japanese crew and guards. Whilst on the voyage the Japanese gun crew on the stern of the boat made a raft of iron tanks for their use in case of emergency. The only life saving appliances for the use of the Prisoners of War was a wooden affair which had to be tied round the waist with a piece of rope. I cannot say if there would have been enough to go round as no one bothered about them and we didn't think they were any good.

(i) On the 13th August, 1944, we were in the CHINA SEA and caught the tail end of a hurricane. We were damaged, and the ship was listing to port. We had to run aground the next night as a couple of plates had sprung a leak and the bilge pump would not work. I don't know where the ship was grounded, but it was 16 hours by destroyer from FORMOSA, We lost the convoy and after three days af practically nothing to eat we were taken off by two Japanese destroyers. I don't know the names of these ships. Whilst we were on the S.S. "OSAKA MARU" we were not attacked and as far as I know no ships were sunk as the result of action.

(j) I cannot say whether the ship carried any markings to show that it carried Prisoners of War.

(k) I was taken by destroyer to FORMOSA and with the rest of the Prisoners of War was transferred by tender to the S.S. "HAKUSAN MARU" The Japanese didn't worry about the sick, we had to get on board the best we could. We sailed the following morning for OSAKA in Japan. The conditions on this boat were much the same, they may have been a little better, but we were put down the holds in this boat and only allowed up for one half hour in the morning and one half hour in the afternoon. The rest of the time we had to stay in the hold. The hold was divided into two parts, some men laid on the floor and others on boards which divided the hold. The Japanese only allowed port holes open at various times and it was very hot. Food was again very poor and we were half starved all the time.

Cont 'd. . .

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- 3 -


We got off the boat at OSAKI the best way we could. No priority was given to the sick. They had to get along the best
way they could.

(l) Other men who sailed on both ships with me were : -

(1) Sergt. McGREGGOR, Suffolk Regiment, 1, Handford Road, Ipswich.

(2) Ken SMITHDATE, 15, Bells Road, Gorleston-on-Sea, near Gt. Yarmouth, Norfolk.

(3) William GARROD, 5th Norfolk Regiment, High Street, Elmham, Norfolk.

(4) Jeff EDRICH, the County Cricketer for Lancashire.

These are the only names and addresses I can remember.

(m) I have no idea who was responsible for embarkation and conditions prevailing on these ships.

(n) On the whole conditions on both ships were very bad indeed and the Japanese did nothing to help us.

SWORN AT Town Hall )
IN THE COUNTY BOROUGH OF IPSWICH ) /sgd./ Ronald F. Garnham
IN THE COUNTY OF SUFFOLK )
THIS 24 DAY OF September )
1946 )

BEFORE ME /sgd./ Arthur L Clouting

A JUSTICE OF THE PEACE
FOR THE COUNTY BOROUCH OF IPSWICH.

---

---

P1330860

Exhibit "J"

MD/JAG/FS/J/29

IN THE MATTER OF JAPANESE WAR CRIMES AND IN THE
MATTER OF THE ILL -TREATMENT OF PRISONERS FROM THE
NOMPLADUK CAMP, THAIlAND, BY RAIlWAY TRUCK TO SINGAPORE,
AND BY SHIP "ASAKA MARU" TO KI-IRUN ON THE NORTH COAST
OF FORMOSA, BETWEEN 4TH JUNE, 1944 AND 13TH AUGUST, 1944.

FRANK MCGUIRE, a British subject, born 25th
December, 1915, at Edinburgh, County of Midlothian,
Scotland, presently residing at 5 Seafield Avenue, Leith,
Edinburgh, 6, and lately serving in His Majesty's Armed
Forces, with the rank of Sergeant No. 2589162, in the
Malaya Command Signals, Royal Corps of Signals, states:-

"I was posted to the Far East Forces from Britain
on 19th March, 1941, and arrived in Singapore on 15th
May, 1941, while serving as a Sergeant. I was taken
Prisoner of Wer by the Imperial Japanese Army in
Singapore on 15th February, 1942, when the British Forces
surrendered.

I was interned at Changi Prisoner of War Camp,
Singapore, on 17th February, 1942, and later in the year
was transferred to Thailand ( approximately 26th October,
1942). I was put to work on the Thailand - Burma Railway
and stayed in various railway camps in Thailand until
about 4th June, 1944.

The Prisoner of War Camp I stayed in in Thailand
was known as NOMPLADUK Camp, and on the last date
mentioned 5 groups of men, each group containing 150 men
and one Officer - a total of 755 persons were warned for
movement. Due to men being sick, approximately 720 persons
ultimately left the camp, and were put on board on trains
en-route for Singapore.

The transport consisted of cattle trucks, which in
size equal goods trucks on our own British Railways.
There were 32 British and one armed Korean sentry in the truck
in which I travelled. Also in this truck were three large/

---

- 2 -

large packing cases containing dried vegetables, which
was to have been our rations for the train journey.

Sanitary arrangements were such that we had to make
use of any time we had when the train stopped. When main
stations were reached, meals consisting of plain rice
and dried fish were given. Water was supplied in order
to fill water bottles. Washing facilities did not exist.

I arrived in Singapore Railway Station at 2.30am on
8th June, 1944, and we were marched to River Valley Road
Transit Camp, where we stayed until 12th June, 1944.

On the afternoon of 12th June, I was moved to
Singapore Docks (Keppel Harbour), where I boarded a
Japanese tramp steamer of 5,000 tons. I noticed that this
ship was not carrying any markings to show that Prisoners
of War were being transported. This ship was called the
"ASAKA MARU", and carried guns fore and aft. These guns
were manned by Japanese Army Personnel. The ship itself
was in a very bad state of repair, and required painting
and cleaning. It had been built by Messrs John Brown &
Sons, Clydebank in 1901, and according to the Japanese
crew it was very slow and leaky.

The Japanese escorting the Prisoners of War
consisted of one Lieutenant, one Warrant Officer, one
Sergeant, one Corporal. The guards were Korean, and they
were armed with rifles and bayonets. I cannot remember their
names.

On embarkation the first group of 150 men were put
into a hold in the aft of the ship, where the accommedation
consisted of two wooden platforms on three sides of the
hold. Straw matting was laid on these platforms. It would
be fairly comfortable as regards sleeping room for 150
men. However on the instructuons of the Japanese Officer
in charge of prisoners, another 150 men were put into the
same hold. There was no water and men complained of/

---

- 3 -

of giddiness. Representations by Captain C.C. Petrovsky,
R. A.M. C., to the Japanese Officer regarding the crowded
conditions were ignored and a further batch of 100 men
were forced into the hold. Many men were fainting and had
to be carried out on deck, and the Japanese Captain of
the ship who had just come on board, ordered that only
300 men should remain in the hold, and the remainder
equally spread into three parties, one party on the deck
aft, one party on the starboard bow (deck), and the
remaining party on the port bow (deck).

On the 13th June, 1944, the ship left the dockside
and anchored off BLAKANG MATI for 21 days. There was no
protection against the tropical sun or rains until after
the boat sailed, when an awning was rigged up over the
forward hold. This would shelter about 50 men. The
forward hold was battened down because it carried a
cargo of rubber. Each prisoner as he came on board had
to carry a parcel of rubber. Other cargo included two
Army vehicles for Manila, Philippine Islands.

Accompanying the draft were two R.A.M.C. Doctors.
As far as I am aware no medical supplies were given by
the Japanese, except a very small supply of Quinine tablets.
Treatment was given by these Doctors for malaria, but
because of lack of supplies any other illness, such as
diarrhoea or vomiting, could not be cured except by
withholding food.

Three meals were served, the first at 7am, the second
at 11am, and the last at 6pm. These consisted of plain
rice and a quarter of a pint of vegetable soup. Half a
pint of tea made of green leaves was also served. This
was never sufficient for our needs. When it rained water
was gathered and used for drinking. There were no washing
facilities except a salt water hose, but this could only
be used at certain times. Each man had about one minute
to obtain this salt water shower, There were on board

---

- 4 -

board several wooden rafts which were to be used in the
event of emergency. There were also two ship's lifeboats.
On calculation, there were not enough rafts to support
the men should the ship have been sunk.

The sanitary arrangements consisted of seven large
wooden boxes with a panel knocked out of the foot of
each, lashed over the side of the ship.

The ship finally sailed at 10am on 4th July, 1944,
and joined a convoy of 11 ships. The route taken was by
way of Borneo, and we anchored off Brunei (British North
Borneo) for two days until all the convoy had got
together again. They had previously been dispersed by
bad weather.

The convoy proceeded along the Borneo coast and
Sarawak, and later we sighted Pelawan Island. Most of
the men were seasick and thirsty. We finally arrived
in Manila Harbour where coal was brought on board. We
stayed at the dockside for 28 days and were not allowed
to go ashore.

We left Manila and anchored outside the Boom
until we joined a convoy going to Japan. 12 men had
been taken off at Manila because of illness. During the
voyage two deaths occurred, and the remains were buried
at sea.

Accompanying the convoy for a few miles from
Manila, was the liner "ASAMA MARU", but because of her
high speed, she went ahead on her own.

The convoy put into San Fernandez Bay in the
Northern Island of the Philippines and left two days
afterwards. Three days later, the convoy ran into a
typhoon which lasted for three days. The "ASAKA MARU"
began to leak badly, and prisoners were put down into
the stokehold to bale the water out. But it made no
diference and the water rose higher. On/


---

- 5 -

On the morning of the fourth day, the Japanese
Wireless Operator informed us that some of the ships in
the convoy had been sunk by American submarines. The
same evening I saw a Japanese merchantship blazing from
end to end, but it was not known how the fire was caused.
A Japanese destroyer was "standing-by" playing a
searchlight on the burning vessel.

The "ASAKA MARU" was beginning to sink, and early
one morning, it ran ashore on the southern coast of
Formosa. Two days later two Japanese destroyers came
alongside, and everyone was transferred to them.
A day and a half later the destroyers berthed at Ki-irun on the
north coast of Formosa. All prisoners were transferred
to the liner "HOKUSEN MARU".

Throughout the voyage conditions were deplorable.
Food was insufficient and unpalatable. There was no fresh
drinking water, and no washing facilities. In addition
there was little shelter from the elements. In order to
get some sleep I had to go down into a rat infested
hold and sleep on a dirty floor.

At the end of the voyage I felt extremely weak and
ill through malaria. I was kicked on the leg by a
Japanese soldier, whose name I do not know, for "failing
to bow to him."

Names of other witnesses who sailed on this ship
are: -

Captain Constantine Constantinovich Petrovsky, R.A.M.C.

Lieutenant Norman Yardley, Royal Signals, a former
employee of the Posts and Telegraphs, Malaya.

Captain Chapman, M.T. Officer, 1st Gurkhas.

Sub-Conductor Senior, Indian Army Ordnance Corps.

R.S.M. Lamport, East Surrey Regt., attached to
Federated Malay States Volunteer Force.

R.S.M. W. Parker, Singapore Fortress Signals, Royal Corps of Signals.

AT/

---

- 6 -


AT EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND, THE FOURTEENTH
DAY OF JANUARY, NINETEEN HUNDRED AND FORTY
SEVEN YEARS, IN THE PRESENCE OF ANDREW MOWAT,
ONE OF HIS MAJESTY'S JUSTICES OF THE PEACE
FOR THE COUNTY OF THE CITY OF EDINBURGH,
COMPARED THE SAID FRANK MCGUIRE, WHO BEING
DULY SWORN AND EXAMINED, DEPONES THAT WHAT
IS CONTAINED IN THE FOREGOING STATEMENT
IS TRUE AS HE SHALL ANSWER TO GOD.


/Sgd./ Frank McGuire
DEPONENT.

/Sgd./ Andrew Mowat J.P.

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE

FOR THE COUNTY OF THE CITY OF EDINBURGH.

---

 

Exhibits "K" "L" "M" follow: no more similar - there were two witnesses for the prosecution in court to come.

---

P1330866

Exhibit K

MD/JAG/FS/J/29

I, JAMES NORMAN DOWLER, a cashier, aged 31 years, of
30, Croft Avenue, Wolstanton, Newastle-under-Lyme,
in the county of Stafford, do solemnly and sincerely declare that,

I served during the recent war in the British Army. My rank was Lance Corporal, and my number was 2346350. My
unit was Malaya Command Signals.

I was taken prisoner by the Japanese, on the capitulation
of SINGAPORE.

In August 1944, I was part of a draft of prisoners of
war, numbering 750 men, who were being transhipped from
SINGAPORE to JAPAN in the Japanese vessel "ASAKA MARU".
This vessel ran aground on some rocks off a small island
between LUZON and FORMOSA, and we were transferred to two
Japanese destroyers which took us the remainder of the way
to KILUNG, in Northern Formosa. The same night that we
put in to KILUNG, we were transferred from the two destroyers
to a Japanese vessel of about 12,000 tons, named "HAKUSAN MARU".

The personnel that were embarked on the "HAKUSAN MARU"
at KILUNG were the same that travelled on the "ASARA MARU",
and consisted of approximately 750 men in five groups of
150, the groups being numbered 25, 26, 27, 28, and 29, respectively.
I was in group 25. A Japanese officer
named ENO was in charge of the prisoners of war. No other prisoners
of war were embarked at KILUNG to swell our numbers, and consequently
the accommodation for us was much better than on the
"ASAKA MARU", which was only about 3,500 tons.

In consequence of the extra space available, we were all
accomodated between decks, sleeping on straw mats. We were
only allowed on deck for ten minutes each day. The heat down
below was terrific, as all the portholes were closed.

When we first embarked on the "HAKUSAN MARU", all the sick
were placed together with the rest of us, but after the British
officers of our draft had approached the Japanese, it was
eventually conceded that part of the aft of the ship should be

---

- 2 -

set aside as a sick bay, and the sick were accordingly
separated.

The sanitary arrangements aboard this vessel were
much better, there being six lavatories in the ship for
our use. I cannot remember the arrangements for washing.

We remained in Kilung harbour until August 21st 1944,
when we left in convoy with about twelve other vessels of a
mixed type. There were, I think, three escort vessels, of
the small destroyer class. None of the vessels carried any
markings to show that they were carrying prisoners of war.
Our vessel carried no such markings.

After three days sailing the convoy split up, and we
believed this to be due to the fact that some of the slower
vessels in the convoy had been torpedoed. We did not see
much of what was happening as we were below decks all the time.

Our ship was a fairly fast ship, and together with about
five others, and one escort ship, we sailed for about 2½ days,
which brought us to the coast of Japan. I think we put in at
NAGASAKI. During this last phase of the voyage a whaler that
was in our convoy was torpedoed, the torpedo passing in front
of the bows of our ship.

We remained in this port for one night, and then the next
morning pulled out, and sailed for MOJI, arriving on August
27th 1944. We commenced to disembark on the morning of the
28th August 1944. The serious sick remained on the vessel,
and as far as I know they were taken to hospital.

The food was, on the whole, better that the food we received
on the "ASAKA MARU", the ration scale being two fairly good meals
a day of boiled rice and vegetable stew, fairly well cooked.
The tea we received was made with fresh water.

I don't know much about the medical supplies, for as I have
already said, we had a separate sick bay on the ship.

The ship carried no deck cargo. I saw them loading bales
at KILUNG but what the bales contained I do not know. These
bales were loaded into the lower holds. We were issued with

---

- 3 -

a sufficient supply of life jackets, and the ship carried a
number of life boats.

My group, number 25, disembarked first, and we were sent
on coal mining.

During the voyage of the "HAKUSAN MARU", about 18 men died,
which was reckoned to be due to the excessive heat below decks,
and the prevailing dysentery.

The names and addresses of other men known to me who sailed
in the same draft were,

Norman DAVIES, 15, Charter Rd., Cross Heath, Newcastle, Staffs.

Peter DIXON, 168, St. Thomas' Close, Alnwick, Northumberland.

F.E.WILSON, 27, Hardman Road, Kingston-on-Thames,

Jack SCRIVENER, Rose Cottage, Wood Ditton, near Newmarket.

The British officers of the draft were,

Captain Hall, R.A., (Senior Officer of the British Draft)

Captain J. W. Chapman, Gurkha Rifles.

Captain C. C. Perovski, R.A.M.C.

Captain Longbotham, R.A.M.C.

Lieutenant Yardley, Signals.

Lieutenant Reeves, Signals.

And I make this solemn declaration, conscientiously
believing the same to be true, and by virtue of the provisions
of the Stautory Declarations Act, 1835.

/sgd./ James N. Dowler

Declared at Newcastle-under-Lyme, in the county of
Staffordshire, this 17th day of January 1947, before
me, one of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace in and for the
said Borough of Newcastle-under-lyme.

/sgd./ C.J. Wain.

---

---

P1330870

MD/JAG/FS/J/29

Exhibit "L"

BERKSHIRE CONSTABULARY

In the matter of War Crimes committed by Japanese
Nationals and in the matter of the ill-treatment of
Prisoners of War in the Japanese ship "ASAKA MARU" from
Thailand to Japan between June and September, 1944.

Affidavit of John Gunson CARTER, of No. 135, Orts
Road, Reading, Berkshire.

" My full name is John Gunson CARTER and I reside at
No. 135, Orts Road, Reading, Berkshire. I am thirty one
years of age, having been born on 12th December, 1915.

I was re-called to the Colours on lst December,
1939 and served in the 122nd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery.
My service number was 845052 and my rank was Bombadier. I
served in this Country until 11th January, 1941 and went
overseas on that date.

I served in Malaya from 3rd March, 1941, until I5th
February, 1942, when I was taken prisoner on that date in
the general capitulation. After capture, I was subsequently
sent to the Prisoner of War Camp, Changi, Singapore.

The last Prisoner of War Camp I was in before
movement to the transit Camp was Chunkai, Siam. The transit
Camp I was sent to was Non-pladuk, Siam.

On 18th June, 1944, I embarked on the Japanese ship
"ASAKA MARU". We were marched from the Prisoner of War
camp to the docks, going on board almost immediately on
arrival. We went up the gang plank and were placed in two
tiers in a hold approximately eighteen yards by fifteen yards.
Seven hundred and fifty men were placed in this
hold. We remained in the hold for approximately three hours
and by the end of that time about forty men had collapsed.
The bottom of the hold was about one and a half inches deep
in moisture owing to excessive perspiration of the occupants.
The hold was not battened down and after about three hours
some of the men panicked and forced their way out of the
hold.

The date of actual sailing was the 4th July, 1944.

---

- 2 -

CONTINUATION OF AFFIDAVIT OF JOHN GUNSON CARTER: -

The name of the ship was the "ASAKA MARU". It was
a ship of 4,800 tons.

The Japanese Officer in charge of the Prisoner of
War draft was Lt. ENO.

The route of the ship was Singapore - Borneo - Manila,
Formosa. The ship ran aground off Formosa and we were
later transferred to the Japanese ship " HOKUSEN MARU."

The "ASAKA MARU" sailed in convoy. There were
approximately twenty two ships in the convoy but the names
of the other ships are not known to me and I do not know
the names of the Japanese Officers who were in charge of the
Prisoner of War draft.

The numbers of the Prisoners of War in the draft on
the "ASAKA MARU" amounted to seven hundred and fifty men.

The conditions on the ship were bad, the living
conditions were filthy and we were very overcrowded. We
were accommodated in the Aft hold and on deck.

We were allowed approximately a half pint of boiled
rice three times a day. This was hot. We also had about
three quarters of a pint of dried-vegetable water with each
meal. We had three quarters of a pint of tea once a day
always, but when water was available for making tea, we
sometimes had it twice a day. We usually had about one
ounce of fish once a week.

Medical supplies and treatment were very bad.
Supplies were extremely short and only exceptionally serious
cases of Malaria received quinine. Other medical treatment
was nil.

The number of sick on board was about sixty per cent.
These were suffering from Malaria, Dysentry and Beri-beri.
Whilst on board I suffered from Malaria but did not receive
any treatment. Approximately eight to ten men on board
died.

The sanitary arrangements were primitive, being box

---

- 3 -

CONTINUATION OF AFFIDAVIT OF JOHN GUNSON CARTER: -

attached to the side of the ship. There were only two or
three of these boxes and they were not sufficient for the needs
of sick men.

The ship carried a cargo of Bauxite. It was carried in
the hold underneath the Prisoners of War and in one hold forward.
These holds were completely full.

The life-saving appliances were definitely inadequate.
There were a few floats, rafts and enough life boats to accommodate the crew of the ship.

There were no sinkings or attacks on this convoy.

There were no marks visible to me to show that the ship
carried Prisoners of War.

During the voyage we anchored off shore at North Borneo
on 12th July, 1944, and called at Manila on 16th July, 1944.
The ship ran aground off southern Formosa.

We were transferred to two Japanese destroyers and taken
to Keelung where we embarked on the Japanese ship " HOKUSEN MARU".
Priority was not given to the sick as far as I am aware.

The names of other witnesses who sailed on the ship who
are known to me are as follows:-

Sergeant L. J. EMERY, 163 Inf. O.C.TU., Maresfield Camp, Uckfield, Sussex.

Ronald E. HASTAIN, "Alongside," Worlds End Lane, Chelsfield, Kent.

C. H. GOODALL, " Maydene," 141, Vale Road, Windsor.

W. WILTSHIRE, 64, Huntingfield Road, Roehampton, S.W.15.

R. COLE, " Hillcrest," Manor Road, Milford, Surrey.

L. CHERNIN, 7, Corbin House, Bromley High Street, Bow.

F. C. DAVIES, 606, Whitten Avenue, Greenford, Essex.

B. HUNT, 19, Fielding Road, Tilbury, Essex.

J. YOUNG, 10, Church Lane, Ely, Cambridge.

H. MAKEPIECE, 27, Buckingham Road, Harlesden, Middlesex.

The names of the persons responsible for embarkation
and conditions prevailing on these ships are not known to me.

---

- 4 -

Affidavit of John Gunson CARTER, taken at Wokingham
on 22nd February, 1947.

Signed John G. Carter
Date 22 2. 47

The Affidavit of John Gunson CARTER was taken and
sworn before me, David Goddard, a Justice of the Peace for
the Borough of Wokingham, Berkshire, this twenty second
day of February, 1947.

Signed David Goddard
Date 22nd February 1947

---

---

P1330875

Exhibit "M"

MD/JAG/fS/J/29

IN THE MATTER OF THE ILL-TREATMENT OF BRITISH PRISONERS OF WAR.

AFFIDAVIT

"I, HAROLD BOGGIS, AGED 33 YEARS, WITH PERMANENT HOME ADDRESS AT
NO. 17, BEACH ROAD, GORLESTON-ON-SEA. MAKE OATH AND SAY AS FOLLOWS: -

I was formerly Private No. 5779124 in the 4th Battalion Royal Norfolk Regiment.

I was Captured at Singapore on the 15th February, 1942, whilst serving in the 4th Battalion Royal Norfolk Regiment.

After being captured at Singapore I was working on the railway ay {sic} Thailand from October, 1942, until June, 1944.

In July, 1944, I was moved to Singapore Dock Camp and I believe that it was in the first week of July, 1944, that I was put on the ASAKU MARU.

On arrival at Formosa we were placed on the HOKUSEN MARU.

We were battened down in one very large hold in this ship and although there was a fair amount of space the air was bad. The accommodation was fairly good and we were in a hold below the deck level in the middle of the boat.

The scale of food was poor, there was less to eat although it was better cooked and we had as much water as we wanted and it was regular.

We were allowed the maximum of half an hour on deck in the morning and half an hour in the afternoon but sometimes it was only about ten minutes each time.

The medical supplies were better, this ship carried its own supplies and was bigger than the Asaka Maru and it appeared that the Korean guards took more interest in the sick.

There were also flush lavatories on board end we were allowed tot use them whenever we wanted to.

Each man was issued with a Kapok lifebelt whilst on this ship.

The HOKUSEN MARU carried no cargo and there was no name or number or anything that would indicate that she was carrying Prisoners of War.

We arrived at Moogi, Japan, I believe on the 30th October, 1944, and were marched off the ship there to a hall where we were told to sleep for the night.

When we marched off this ship we had to carry or drag the sick men along as best we could and on arriving at the hall had to sleep on the floor, no priority being given to the sick men.

Whilst on this ship 15 or 16 men died and during the whole of the journey the hospital on board was full of the sick prisoners of war.

The whole journey in the three ships took us about 10 weeks and after arriving at Moogi we were taken by train to Amagasaki Camp, in the Osaki area where other Jap guards took over control of us.

signed. . . H. Boggis

---

SWORN BY THE ABOVE NAMED HAROLD BOGGIS AT NO. 14, WINDSOR AVENUE
IN THE COUNTY BOROUGH OF GREAT YARMOUTH THIS 11th DAY OF MARCH,
1947,



BEFORE ME

SIGNED Geoffrey Bracey

A. Commissioner for Oaths

This affidavit was taken by the undersigned at Beach Road, Gorleston-on-Sea, Suffolk, on the 11th February,
1947.

SIGNED H.G. Elliott

Sergeant Warrant Officer.

---

P1330877

(2)


IN THE MATTER OF THE ILL TREATMENT OF BRITISH PRISONERS OF WAR.

MD/JAG/FS/J/29 B146

AFFIDAVIT


"I, HAROLD BOGGIS, AGED 33 YEARS, WITH PERMANENT HOME ADDRESS AT NO. 17, BEACH ROAD, GORLESTON-ON-SEA, MAKE OATH AND SAY AS FOLLOWS: -

I was formerly Private No. 5779124 in the 4th Battalion Royal Norfolk Regiment.

I was captured at Singapore on the 15th February, 1942, whilst serving in the 4th Battalion Royal Norfolk Regiment.

After being captured at Singapore I was working on the railway at Thailand from October, 1942, until June, 1944.

In July, 1944, I was moved to Singapore Dock Camp and I believe that it was in the first week of July, 1944, that I was put on board the ASAKU MARU.

There were 750 prisoners of war and we were all put in one hold of that ship for about 5 hours, then half of us were put in the rear hold and the rest were kept in the front hold.

About nine days later we sailed from Singapore for Manilla.

Later we were allowed on deck and had to sleep where we could on account of the number that were sick as they had nowhere to put them.

There were three or four changes of Commanding Officers and I do not know their names, neither do I know the names of any of the guards but they were the same guards that we had whilst working on the railway. We were not allowed to mingle with them. They were all Koreans and were being taken home.

The ship sailed in a convoy of 14 ships but I cannot say anything about their names or the persons that were in charge of them.

We were taken to Manilla in this ship and stayed there on board for about 14 days.

On leaving Manilla we ran into a typhoon and ran ashore on an unknown island through the boat being holed on account of this typhoon. On account of the typhoon the convoy dispersed and we lost the other ships. Our ship was awash for three days after which we laid off the island for another two days and were then taken off by a Jap destroyer.
Of the 14 ships in the convoy I think only five managed to get through.

The Jap destroyer had no name or markings and we were jammed tight on deck for 24 hours until we got to Formosa where we were transferred to the HOKUSEN MARU.

Whilst I was on the ASAKU MARU there were no attacks on the convoy and I do not think that any of the other ships were sunk.

There were no markings on the ASAKU MARU to show that she was carrying Prisoners of War.

The ASAKU MARU was about the size of an English fishing trawler.

We were allowed three quarters of a pint of rice and half a pint of stew sometimes two and three times a day. Occasionally we were allowed half a pint of water to drink.

---

(3)

The Medical supplies were practically nil and the only treatment we had was from a Captain Longbottom, an English Medical Officer who was also a prisoner of war on board the ship.

There were 6 deaths on this ship and any amount of sickness and we had to put 46 men off at Manilla through dysentry and some more at Formosa.

The sanitary arrangements were also nil and if we wanted to go to the lavatory we had to get over the side of the ship and sit in a box.

There was no washing accommodation on board and if we wanted to wash we had to use salt water from a hose pipe whenever the Korean guards felt inclined to use them, sometimes it was three days before we had a chance to wash ourselves.

Each prisoner was supplied with a cork lifebelt.

During the typhoon the other ships carried on and we never saw them again.

The only men that I can remember as being on the ship were: -

Private TOBIAS, Royal Corps of Signals, home address in London.

Private HUNT, 4th Battalion Suffolk Regiment. Home in London.

Private DOBSON, 4th Battalion Suffolk Regiment, home address in Lowestoft.

Sergeant MARKHAM, 4th Battalion Royal Norfolk Regiment, whose home is in Nottingham.

Captain HALL. Royal Artillery, who was in charge of the Prisoners of War on the ship.

There was a small cargo of rubber stowed on top of the deck and also below the deck.

signed. . . H. Boggis

SWORN BY THE ABOVE NAMED HAROLD BOGGIS AT No. 14, WINDSOR
AVENUE IN THE COUNTY BOROUGH OF GREAT YARMOUTH THIS 11th day
MARCH, 1947.

BEFORE ME

SIGNED. . . Geoffrey Bracey

This affidavit was taken by the undersigned at No. 17, Beach
Road, Gorleston-on-Sea, Suffolk, on the 11 th February, 1947.

signed . . H.G. Elliott

Sergeant Warrant Officer.

---

 

There is an exhibit "N", but the transcript at post 1 states that the next exhibit to be read out in court is labelled "O", and is a statement from a Japanese Major General. He was interviewed by the Australian Flight Lieutenant John Hughes Wilkinson, who was involved in investigating all the "shipping committee" cases. Wilkinson died at the age of 36 in early May, 1953. Had he survived, he might have written about the shipping cases.

P1330880

Exhibit "O"

SUMMARY OF EXAMINATION OF MAJ. GEN. WATANABE SABURO.

Being duly sworn states:-

I am Maj. Gen. WATANABE Saburo, of the JAPANESE IMPERIAL
ARMY, fifty years of age, JAPANESE counting of JAPANESE nationality
and was born at YAMAGUSHI, in the Island of HONSHU.

I am at present living at CHANGI JAIl.

When a ship is requisitioned by the Army to be used as a
troop transport it comes under the control of the Army.

The ship carries an Army Officer who is the ship's commandant
who is responsible for all army personnel carried. When Prisoners
of War only are carried they come under the O.C. of the Prisoners
of war draft who would be the ship's commandant. If however
JAPANESE troops and Prisoners of War are carried {they would be}
under two officers i,e. the one who is draft commander of the
JAPANESE troops and the one who was i/c of the Prisoner of War
draft. The senior of these two would be the commandant of the ship

The ship's commandant is in command of all arny personnel
(and Prisoners of War if carried) on board the ship. The ship's
master has no jurisdiction over the army personnel (or Prisoners
of War if carried). He is only responsible for his own officers,
the ship's crew and his ship.

The responsibility for the personal safety of the army
personnel (including Prisoners of War if carried) is that of the
ship's commandant,

In the case of emergency where the ship has to be abandoned
the master of the ship advises the ship's commandant that the ship
has to be abandoned. The actual order for abandoning ship as far
as the army personnel (and Prisoners of War if carried) is
concerned comes from the ship's commandant. If the ship's commandant
did not want his troops (and Prisoners of War if carried) to
abandon ship the master of the ship has no authority to order him
to do so. In that case the master of the ship would take no
further steps to ensure the safety of the army personnel (and
Prisoners of War if carried) unless ordered to do so by the ship's
commandant.

When the troops come on board they are consigned to the space
reserved for them. If it was not sufficient the ship's commandant
could confer with the master for more space to be allotted. Even
if space was available the ship's commandant could not order the
ship's master to allot more space if the master declined to give it.

As regards the rations and drinking water. In the case of
the trooping of Prisoners of War the supplying of rations to the
ship was done by the ARMY SHIPPING TRANSPORT COMMAND authorities
at the port of embarkation. At say SINGAPORE in 1944, the Sub-HQ
3rd ARMY SHIPPING TRANSPORT COMMAND. The ship's master was
responsible for the cooking and issuing of these rations. If the
ration was below the scale the commandant could order the master
being it up to scale but not above it.



* The hygenie and sanitary arrangements on board ship were the
responsibility of the master of the ship. In other words it was
that of the ARMY SHIPPING TRANSPORT COMMAND Branch at the port
of embarkation.

* {marginal hand-written note }: Sometimes, but rarely, the commandant of the ship was
used to supply the rations for the P.O.W. He drew them from the Intendance Depot
at the port of embarkation. Nevertheless he ordered the master to prepare and issue
the rations to the P.W.

The life-boats and rafts are the master's responsibility.
He is also responsible for drawing fron the port authorities enough

---

- 2 -

life-jackets to be issued one to each person on board his ship.
It is the ship's commandant's responsibility to see that all army
personnel (and Prisoners of War if carried) received a life-jacket.
As I said before the master is only responsible for his own officers
and crew.

If the ship has insufficient life-saving gear e.g. life-boats,
rafts and life-jackets to ensure that all bodies on board would be
safe if the ship got into difficulties and sank, it was the master's
responsibility to see that this deficiency was rectified. If on
his request it was not rectified and the ship was ordered to sail,
the responsibility was that of the ARMY SHIPPING TRANSPORT COMMAND
in control of the port as explained above,

Again if the ship's conmandant thought that the life-saving
gear was insufficient he could report it to the ship's master who
would pass the report onto the port authoritles. If still ordered
to sail it was the responsibility of the port authorities
as mentioned above.

Never at any time were instructions issued that Prisoners of
War transports would carry markings to show that Prisoners of War
were carried.

In making this statement I acknowledge that it was made
voluntarily and that no threats were used nor promises made to
influence my statement.

/sgd./ Japanese characters.

I, C.S. BAVIER certify that I duly translated the above summary to the witness in his own language prior to his signature which appears above.

/sgd./ C.S. Bavier

SWORN before me, J. HUGHES WILKINSON a Flight Lieutenant in
the Royal Australian Air Force, this 23rd day of SEPTEMBER
One thousand nine hundred and forty-six.

/sgd./ J Hughes Wilkinson

Detailed to examine the above by the Conmander-in-Chief,
Allied Land Forces, South East Asia.
(authority:- ALFSEA War Crimes Instruction No. 1, para 7)

---

 

Next page of the transcript, in full, and four more exhibits ( next Post ) and first witness in court.

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Page 5 .. Tan

EXHIBIT "N" The Prosecutor reads and hands in Affidavit of Nagatoma Yoshitada (in original),which is marked Exhibit "N", signed by the President, and attached to the proceedings.

EXHIBIT "P" The Prosecutor reads and hands in Affidavit of Watanabe Tamisaburo (in original),which is marked Exhibit "P", signed by the President, and attached to the proceedings.

EXHIBIT "Q" The Prosecutor reads and hands in Affidavit of Mori Naoki (in original),which is marked Exhibit "Q",
signed by the President, and attached to the proceedings.

EXHIBIT "R" The Prosecutor reads and hands in Affidavit of Hayashi Nichiro (in original),which is marked Exhibit "R", signed by the President, and attached to the proceedings.

( AT 1230 HOURS THE COURT ADJOURNS UNTIL 1400 HRS )

( AT 1400 HRS THE COURT RE-ASSEMBLES)

( The Prosecutor proceeds to call witnesses)


F.R. YARDLEY, 1st P.W., BEING DULY SWORN. IS EXAMINED BY THE PROSECUTOR:

Q. Will you tell the Court your name and present address.
A. Frederick Richard Yardley, 41, Malcolm Road, Singapore.

Q. What did you do during the last war?
A. I was mobilised in 1942 into the Federated Malay States Volunteer Force, but was taken prisoner on the 15th February, 1942 and sent to Thailand. I was sent back to Singapore in 1944 and sent to Japan where I was released in 1945.

Q. What rank were you?
A. Lieutenant.

Q. You stated that you went to Japan. How did you travel from Malaya to Japan?
A. I travelled on board a ship, the ASAKA MARU, to Formosa. From the south to the north of Formosa I travelled on a Japanese destroyer, and from the north of Formosa I travelled to Japan on a ship, the HAKUSAN MARU.

Q. Can you give the Court a brief description of this first ship that you sailed on?
A. The ASAKA MARU was an old ship which I think was built by the British in 1904. I believe it was about 3,000 tons, but that is only a guess. It was a cargo ship carrying bauxite, and it appeared to us to be in a very bad state of repair.

Q. Were there any other British PoWs with you on this voyage?
A. I cannot remember the exact number, but there were about 750 British soldiers on board.

Q. Were there any Japanese officers or men in charge of you?
A. There was one Japanese officer and a number of Korean guards; I do not know the exact number of guards.

Q. Do you remember the name of the Japanese officer?
A. Lt. Ino.

---

 

Exhibits "N", "P", "Q" and "R". The word "accomodation" is the spelling used in Exhibit "P", so is retained. The P.O.Ws transferred to the "Hakusan Maru" so Exhibit "P" relates to that vessel.

There was an American case in which senior officers of the Japanese "Anchorage Commands" were prosecuted, but this case, which was heard in early 1947, is far more detailed concerning command decisions to transport P.O.W.s from Thailand, through Singapore, to Japan than the Hofuku maru case.

As a piece of transcription I recently processed my photographs taken in August 2011 {!} through Apple "Photos" program which will "read" the script. Each page could take about 5 minutes each to check and edit, others longer.. Apologies for any transcriptions with odd spellings. The Hofuku maru transcription was done without OCR assistance.



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P1330879

Exhibit "N"

SUMMARY OF EXAMINATION OF LT. COL NAGATOMO YOSHITADA.

Pre-War Occupation:- RESERVE OPFICER.

Being duly sworn states:-

I am Lt.Gol. NAGATOMO YOSHITADA of the JAPANESE IMPERIAL
ARMY, forty-seven years of age, JAPANESE counting, of JAPANESE
nationality, and was born at ABAHIGAWA, in the Island of HOKKAIDO.

I am at present living at CHANGI JAIL.

When a ship is requisitioned by the army for use as a transport the ship comes under the control of the requisitioning authority.

In the case of this ship the master of the ship is only
responsible for his own officers and crews, whereas the commandant
is an army officer and is responsible for the army personnel.

When Prisoners of War were carried they would come under the
ship's commandant and not the master of the ship.

In an emergency such as the ship foundering and it became
necessary to abandon the ship. The order to abandon ship would
come from the commandant of the ship, that is as far as army
personnel and Prisoners of War were concerned.

If the commandant refused to act on the advice of the
master the latter would have no power to enforce his advice by
direct order.

The master of the ship would not take any further steps to
ensure the safety of the Prisoners of War or army personnel unless
the commandant order him to do so.

The above information is from my own personnel knowledge.

In making this statement I acknowledge that it was made
voluntarily and that no threats were used nor promises made to
influence my statement.

NAGATOMO YOSHITADA.
(Own Signature in JAPANESE
Characters).

I, C. S. BAVIER certify that I duly translated the above
summary to the witness in his own language prior to his signature
which appears above.

C. S. BAVIER.
(Own Signature)

SWORN before me, J. HUGHES WILKINSON a Flight Lieutenant in
the Royal Australian Air Force, this Twenty-third day of SEPTEMBER
One thousand nine hundred and forty-six.

J. HUGHES WILKINSON.
(Own Signature).

Detailed to examine the above by the Commander-in-Chief,
Allied Land Forces, South East Asia.
(Authority:- ALPSEA War Crimes Instruction No. 1, para 7)

---

P1330882

Exhibit "P"

Summary of examination of: WATANABE Tamisaburo.

Occupation: Shipmaster.

Address: OKAYAMA-KEN, TSUKUBO-GUN, YAMATE-MURA, OAZA SHUKU 1465.

Duly sworn states, I am 53 years of age, of Japanese nationality, and born at: OKAYAMA-KEN, TSUKUBO-GUN, SUGO-MURA, OAZA ASABARA 969.

My permanent home is: OKAYAMA-KEN, TSUKUBO-GUN, YAMATE-MURA, OAZA SHUKU 1465.

I am at present living at: OKAYAMA-KEN, TSUKUBO-GUN, YAMATE-MURA OAZA SHUKỦ 1465.

SERVICE HISTORY.

1908 : Entered the Merchant Ship School for training.

Dec 14 1914 : Graduated the merchant ship school.

Dec 1914: After graduating school went straight on board merchant
ships and first started as 3rd Mate, then to 2nd Mate, to
Ist Mate and then to Shipmaster.

Dec 1921 : Became Shipmaster.

1921 - 1941 :
August.: Before taking over the HAKUSAN MARU was shipmaster on 13
different ships.

August 1941 : Shipmaster on HAKUSAN MARU.

Jan 1942 : Left HAKUSAN MARU.

Jan 1942 : Transferred to ATSUTA MARU.

July 1942 : Transferred back onto HAKUSAN MARU.

July 1945 : Left HAKUSAN MARU.

Q . Did you transport PWs on your ship the HAKUSAN MARU whilst you were
shipmaster.

A. Yes I transported PWs on the HAKUSAN MARU from KIIRUN (FORMOSA) to
MOJI (JAPAN).

Q. What was the date of embarkation and port?

A. The port of embarkation was KIIRUN (FORMOSA) the date of embarkation
was about August 1944. I do not remember the exact day.

Q. What was the method of embarkation.

A. PWs were brought out to the HAKUSAN MARU by naval destroyers and launches. The HAKUSAN MARU was about 100 to 150 metres away from the pier.

Q. Did the HAKUSAN MARU sail in convoy.

A. Yes we sailed in convoy with about 10 other ships. I do not know
whether the other ships carried PWs.

Q. What was your disposition in respect to other ships.

A. My ship was in the middle of the convoy.

---

- 2 -

Q. What was the actual date of sailing and time and the date and time
of arrival of PWs of disembarkation.

A. I cannot remember the date and time of sailing nor the date and time
of arrival. We did not call at any other ports, but I do know that
it took 6 to 7 days to go from KIIRUN to MOJI.

Q. What was the name of the ship on which you sailed, and give names of
other ships in the convoy carrying PWs.

A. The ship I sailed on was the HAKUSAN MARU. I do not know the names
of other ships in the convoy.

Q. Who were the Japanese Officers on board.

A. I think there were two officers on board, the ships commandant whose
name I think was Lieut IIDA or Lieut EDA. The other officers name
I do not know.

Q. Who was the i/c PW escort.

A. I do not know, the names or even how many escorts there were.

Q. How many PW were in the draft.

A. I am not quite sure but I think there were about 340 or 350 PWs.

Q. Where were the PWs accomodated.

A. The PWs were accomodated in the 3rd class passenger cabins.

Q. How many were accomodated in each cabin.

A. These cabins were very large Japanese method cabins, which at normal
times accomodate 350 Japanese passengers. Into these two cabins were
put the 340 to 350 PWs.

Q. Give a complete description of the method of accomodation.

A. I cannot describe the method of accomodation as I have never personally
seen how they were accomodated, although I heard from my junior
officer. I told my chief officer to provide space in the second
class passenger room for the sick. This in due course was told to
the ships commandant. I do not know whether the sick were accomodated
there as I did not go and see them.

Q. Was there additional cargo carried besides PW? If so, how much?

A. Yes, I think there was rice and sugar on board. I think it was less than 2000 tons.

Q. What ventilation facilities were given?

A. The ship was new and is inspected yearly by officials for ventilation, therefore I think it was adequate.

Q. What facilities were given to PW to escape from the ship in case of
accidents or sinking?

A. The PW were alloted to respective life boats or rafts. There were in
all 12 life baats and numerous rafts.

Q. Was there any life saving equipment provided for PW, if so was this
amount sufficient.

A. Although I did not see it myself I am quite sure that the army
provided each PW with a life jacket.

Q. Was "boat drill" ever carried out for PW?

A. Boat drill was not carried out for PW, or for any other person on
board.

---

-3-

Q. What instructions were given to PW, as to what they should do if the
ship sank?

A. There were no special instructions given to PW, as to what they
should do if the ship sank, instructions would have been given out
by the ship's commandant at the time of the incidents.

Q. What facilities were given to PW for exercise?

A. I very often saw PW on deck having a walk.

Q. Were the PW battened down at any time.

A. No. PW were never battened down.

Q. What was the lighting facilities in the PW quarters?

A. It was up to the standard of the Government test, so I should imagine
that it was adequate.

Q. What was the rations scale and water scale per day per PW?

A. I do not know, but I think the army supplied PW with sufficient
water and rations. There was sufficient water on the ship for everyone.
Rations were brought on board by the army, and even ships crew
were fed on army rations. Water was one thing we had plenty of compared
to other freighters, as water was one thing passengers required
a lot of. I think that the water situation was pretty good on my
ship.

Q. Who was responsible for seeing that the PW rations and drinking
water was collected on brought on board.

A. The army was responsible for the rations and the ships master was
responsible for the water.

Q. Where were they supplied from.

A. I cannot say exactly where they were supplied from but I do know
that it all came from the army.

Q. How many PW became ill on the voyage.

A. I do not know the exact number but I do know that there were sick
PW. Some sick were brought on at KIIRUN and I asked them to put the
sick in hospital there, but was refused and I was told that it was
an order, so I had to obey.

Q. What was the nature of the illness.

A. I do not know the exact nature of their illness, I did hear that they
were cases of malnutrition. They were survivors of a ship which was
sunk off the south of FORMOSA. I am not sure but I think it might
have been the survivors of the ASAKA MARU.

Q. What treatment did the sick PW receive.

A. I do not know what treatment they received. I did hear that there
was a PW Medical Officer with them, and between the ships commandant
and the PW Medical officer the sick were treated accordingly.

Q. What medical supplies did the PW Medical officer receive on board
or before embarkation?

A. The army supplies a box or so of medical supplies to the ship, on
the voyage the ships commandant supplies the necessary medicines for
the sick.

Q. Who was responsible for seeing that the PW Medical officer had adequate
medical supplies?

A. The ships commandant was responsible for that.

---

- 4 -

Q. Where were they supplied from?

A. They were supplied from the box or boxes the army supplied to the
ship.

Q. How many PW died on board, and from what illness or desease?

A. I did hear just before we arrived at MOJI that there was a death on
board, I do not know how many deaths there were. I was also told by
the ships commandant that the PW medical officer and he decided to
throw the body overboard. After arriving at MOJI there were rumours
that there might have been 17 or18 deaths.

Q. What were the latrine and urinal facilities for PW on the ship?

A. There were enough latrines and urinals for about 350 passengers in
the 3rd class passenger cabins. I think the PW there were using them.

Q. What were the bathing facilities?

A. Every day a special water pump used to be put into action for the
purpose of washing out the latrines, PW took this opportunity and
had a bath. I could not say how many at a time, but I have heard my
crew talking about how they were bathing in the nude.

Q. Did all the 10 ships in the convoy arrive at MOJI.

A. I am not quite sure, but I think on this trip the entire ships in
the convoy arrived in MOJI.

Q. Did your ship arrive with the convoy or singly?

A. My ship arrived with the convoy till we reached the place in MOJI
for the medical inspection officials.

Q. Did the ship carry any markings to show it carried PW?
A. No, there were no markings to show that we carried PW. There were
no orders from the army as to marking the ships carrying PW.

Q. Did you sail at any other time with a ship load of PW?

A. No, this was the only time I had PW on board my ship.

(Sgd) Signature.

/Sgd./ [in Japanese characters ]

Interpreter.

I certify that I duly translated the above summary to the witness in
his own language, prior to his signature which appears above.

(Sgd) Signature G.H. Thomas Capt.
Interpreter

Sworn before me G.H. Thomas Rank Capt.

Description This 29th Day of January 1947

Detailed to examine the above by the Commander in Chief, Allied Land Forces, South East Asia.
Authy: ALFSEA War Crimes Instruction No 1 (2nd Edition) Para 19 (a).

---

P1330886

Exhibit "Q"

Summary of examination of: MORI NAOKI

Occupation: CHIEF ENGINEER JAPANESE MERCHANT NAVY "ASAKA" MARU.

Address: KOBE CITY, SUMA KU, SEKIMORI CHO 2/17

Duly sworn states :- I am 63 years of age, Japanese Nationality
and born at KUMAMOTO KEN, KUMAMOTO SHI KANSHANAI NINO MARU.

My permanent home is KOBE CITY SUMA KU, SEKIMORI SHO 2/29

I am at present living at KOBE CITY SUMA KU, SEKIMORI CHO 2/17.

I was Chief Engineer of the "ASAKA" MARU a vessel of 4681 tons
belonging to the HAMANE KISEN K.K. of KOBE which left SINGAPORE
for MOJI on 4 July 1944 in a convoy of six ships. We carried
about 759 Prisoners of War (Englishmen). I think one or two of the other
ships in the convoy carried PsW but I cannot be sure. The
"ASAKA" MARU was in the centre of the convoy.

Captain KOTAKE Bunji

Ist Officer KI Hideo

Chief Steward OISHI Eitaro

Ports of call and dates are as follows:-

4 July 1944 SINGAPORE. Weighed anchor in the forenoon.

8 - 10 JULY 1944 MIRI BORNEO

16 July - 9 Aug MANILA From MANILA there were 28 ships in the Convoy.

10-12 Aug SAN FERNANDO

14 Aug KOKOWAN (FORMOSA)

About 15 Aug the "ASAKA" Maru was damaged after running
aground when the convoy was dispersed following reports of
the presence in this vicinity of a USA submarine. I did not know
what happened to the other ships. On 15-16 Aug two 500 ton Coast
Defence Vessels (KAIBOKAN) took off all the Prisoners. As far as
I know there was no actual Draft Conducting Officer (YUSO
SHIKIKAN) and no Japanese Military Officer on board. There were
50 FORMOSAN troops of which the highest ranking man was a
Sgt Major. I cannot remember his name I never heard of a Lt. INO.
The PW were accommadated in the holds and on the boat-deck with
liberty to cone and go. Occasionally there were squalls and
the PW's clothes became soaked, but I think they preferred the
wetting to the heat of the holds. I do not know what space was
allotted per man I should think the Ship's Master and the First
Officer were responsible for this. We carried a cargo o
bauxite as well as the PW.

There were four lifeboats and four rafts aboard. As to
lifebelts I cannot be sure. The facilities were so poor that in
the event of damage escape would have been difficult. To the best
of my knowledge the PW's never did any boat drill.

PW's never did any work or took any exercise. In any
case the deck was too small and space too confined, even though
the holds were never battened down. There were six electric lamps
in the hold, lit both by day and night.

---

- 2 -

The diet of the PW consisted of rice and potatoes twice
{ a day } I do not know the exact quantity they received but the
diet was quite insufficient, for foreigners. Drinking water
was in short supply and the ration was one water bottle per man
per day. The Chief Officer of the ship was responsible for the
supply of drinking water, and the Chief Steward for the food.
Supplies of which were drawn from the Anchorage Command SINGAPORE.

I put forward the following facts to explain the shortage of
water. We took on a good supply at SINGAPORE but the journey to
MANILA was long, the weather hot, and the PW many, and we wished
to conserve the supply, for facilities at MANILA were not good.
Almost every day when the weather was fine the Captain, Chief
Officer and myself went to the Anchorage Commander's office to
agitate for water, coal, supplies etc. We did this at both
SINGAPORE and MANỈLA (for three weeks). Under the Command of the
Anchorage Commander were several junior army officers who were
responsible for water, coal, oil, repairs, stores,medicine etc.
and we put in our requests to them. Almost invariably there was
haggling KAKEHIKI) and our requisitions were cut down. The Ships
Captain spoke to the Anchorage Commander but he did nothing about
it (KUREMASEN DESHITA). The attitude seemed to be "There's nothing
we can do about it. (SHIKATA GA NAI)

At MANILA there was a general shortage of water and
in addition the big water lighter had been damaged and two smaller
ones which were totally inadequate to supply so many ships were
in use.

The ASAKA MARU had five drinking water tanks. I cannot
remember now after three years whether they were full at MANIlA but
as it is only four days journey to TAKAO in good weather and
we should have had no cause to worry if they had been full. I
should think they were not. Anyway the Captain did complain roundly
at MANILA.

In my opinion the Anchorage Commander at SINGAPORE
and his subordinates were responsible for the shortages, for they
should have known that facilities at MANILA were not good. Although
I knew them at the time I cannot remember the numbers of these
two Anchorage Commanders and I never did know the names of the C.O.s

As far as I know there was no violent outbreak of sickness
on board though one PW, a man named MITCHELL had some severe
illness, of which I do not know the name. Among the PW was a doctor
with a Russian name. He and I got on very well together. (Interrogator's
note. This is probably CAPT. PETROVSKI MBE RAMC now at HQ BRINDIV
JAPAN) I don't know anything about medical supplies on board except
that the PW doctor had a small supply and as there was no Ship's
Doctor the First Officer had charge of the medicine chest. ONE PW
DIED ON THE VOYAGE..

There were six (maybe more) latrines hung out over
the ship's sides, and as there was no dysentery or diarrhea on
board I should think they were enough. As for bathing facilities
the shortage of fresh water would not allow of it, but there must
have been opportunities for pumping up sea water. There were rats
in the holds and not a few cockroaches.

In my opinion the Ship's Master, KOTAKE Bunji, was
responsible for the lot of the PW on board but he was under the
orders of the Anchorage Commander.

We did not carry any distinctive markings to show
we carried PW.

On no other occasion did I sail in a ship which carried
PW.

/Sgd./ { in Japanese characters}

N. MORI.

---

Interpreter

I certify that I duly translated the above summary to the witness in his own language, prior to his signature which appears above.

Signed. S.G. Brickley Capt.

Interpreter.

Sworn before me S.G. Brickley rank Capt.
(description)
Interrogation Officer BMWC
This 14th day of February 1947

Detailed to examine the above by the Commander in Chief,
Allied Land Forces, South East Asia.

Authy: ALFSEA War Crimes Instruction No 1 (2nd Edition) Para 19(a)

---

P1330889

Exhibit "R"


Summary of Examination of: HAYASHI Niichiro
Occupation (Present): Clerk
Address: Kyoto-shi, Sakyo-Ku, Shogo-In, 1 - Banchi, Yokoyama - Kata.

Duly sworn states, I am 30 years of age, of Japanese rationality and born at: Kyoto-shi, Higashi-Yama-Ku, Yamato-Oyi, Shinbashi-Kado.

My permanent home is: Shiga-Ken, Sakata-Gun, Mai-Bara-Cho, Aza, Iso, 1962.

I am at present living at: Kyoto-Shi, Sakyo-Ku, Shogo-In, 1-Banchi Yokoyama-Kata.


I was Purser of the 4,681-ton cargo Ship ASAKA MARU from December, 1941 to February, 1945. She belonged to the HAMANE KISEN KABUSHIKI KAISHA, KOBE, and was sunk by Allied bombing on the 12th February, 1945 in the harbour of TAKAO, FORMOSA.

During my service there I was directly responsible to the Master of the ship (ODAKE Bunji - from May (?) 1944 to February 1945).

I remember that when we arrived at SINGAPORE at the end of June 1944, an NCO from the Anchorage Command came on board and handed an embarkation order to the Captain. Captain sent for me and the Chief Mate (KI HIDEO - from about December 1941 to February 1945). We were then informed that a draft of about 1,200 British PW was to be embarked and transferred to MOJI.

Allocation of Space: As a rule, in the embarkation and loading orders from the Anchorage Command, there was nothing regarding actual allocation of space on board ship, only the total number of passengers and amount of cargoes to be carried being shown.

It was my own and Chief Mate's duty to plan allocation of space. I do not know of any regulations pertaining to allocation of space. Normally in the case of Japanese troops 1 tsubo — 6' x 6' was allocated to 3 - 5 persons.

The plans, together with requisitions for additional necessary installations and equipment, were passed to the Captain and, on his approval, forwarded to the Anchorage Command.

Embarkation: Embarkation was carried out under the supervision of the Ship's Commandant ( whose name I do not remember ), according to the plan marked out by me and the Chief Mate, and approved by the Captain. Embarkation was effected by launches, as the ship was outside of harbour.

Escort: The escort of the PW consisted of about 40 Formosan guards. Ship's Commandant was the only officer on board and was accommodated in a separate cabin, while the guards were placed with the PW, 10 in each hold. No difference was made between them and the PW in respect of allocation of space.

There was no other troops on board. The ship carried about 1,000 tons of bauxite in the lower hold.

Condition of PW on Embarkation: The condition of PW at the time of embarkation was very poor. Many of them were suffering from beri-beri. There were no stretcher cases.

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- 2 -

Accommodation: PW were accommodated in 4 Holds on the upper tween
deck, about 300 PW in each Hold. Later during the voyage, when
the number of patients increased, the back hold was used for sick
PW and the rest were transferred to other holds. This was
requested by the PW doctors who approached me about this. I
referred this matter to the Captain and obtained his permission.
Ship's Commandant had no authority to allocate space on board
or to alter allocation plans.

There was no excessive overcrowding as 1 tsubo — 6' x 6' of space
was allocated to about 3½ persons, and PW had sleeping space.

Ventilation facilities were not very satisfactory as the
ASAKA MARU was a cargo ship. There were canvas wind catchers
rigged to the hatches, l to each hatch. Hatches were always kept
partly opened except during storms.

There were no lighting facilities in the holds although
requested from the Anchorage Command.

PW were allowed on deck without any restriction in number,
but the size of the deck allowed only about 50% of them to be
there at a time.

PW Cleaned their places of accommodation themselves during
the voyage.

Latrines and Boilers: For this particular voyage I requested
through the Chief Mate, 20 additional latrines and 5 boilers, for
cooking, to be installed on the upper deck, but the Anchorage
Command installed only 12 latrines and 2 boilers, which was
insufficient. I do not know if the Chief Mate reported this to
the Captain.

The PW latrines were cleaned by the PW.

Washing facilities: There were no washing facilities for the PW
and their escort, although Anchorage Command was requested to
instal such.

Drinking Water: Chief Mate was responsible for drinking water.
We could not take enough water on board as only one of our water
tanks was usable, the rest being damaged when transporting bauxite.
Chief Mate requested the installation of additional tanks, but the
Anchorage Command failed to satisfy this request, which resulted
in shortage of water. I heard from the Chief Mate that he
reported this matter to the Captain, who in his turn was going to
report this to the ASTC, MOJI, on arrival.

PW ration of drinking water was about 0.5 litre per day per
man, while Japanese personnel was issued about l litre per man
per day. The Chief Mate was responsible for issuing water.

Life-saving equipment: We had sufficient amount of individual
life-saving gear on board, as some time prior to this voyage we
had transported about 3,000 Japanese troops.

There also were 4 life-boats and about 20 rafts.

Medical Supplies: It was the duty of the Chief Mate to requisition
medical supplies for the passengers direct from the Anchorage
Command, although each unit in transit (including PW), used to
carry its own small supplies of medicines, Chief Mate told me that

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- 3 -

the Anchorage Command had failed to issue sufficient amount of medical supplies.

Medical Care: There was no Japanese doctor on board. Sick
PW were attended by 2 PW doctors, who were allowed to use the
ship's medicine box in addition to the supplies carried by them.
One of the doctors was Capt. Petrovsky.

On this voyage about 100 PW became sick with dysentery
and 1 died.

Food Rations: Food rations were requisitioned by the Chief
Cook (OISHI Ryotaro) from the Anchorage Command through the
Captain and were stored, issued, cooked and distributed under
his supervision. PW took part in the preparation of food.

As far as I remember PW's rice ration was 260 - 300 gr.
per day per man, while that of the Japanese personnel was
500 - 600 gr. per day per man. I was told by the Chief Cook
that this rate was fixed by the Anchorage Command.

In addition to rice PW were getting some meat and
vegetables and this ration did not differ much fron that of the
crew.

Relations between Guards and PW: The ship's crew and PW were
on very friendly terms, but I heard from some PW that they did
not like the guards. This was explained to me partly in
Japanese, partly in English.

I also heard guards say that in case of a riot they were
allowed to use hand-grenades against the PW. I did not see any
hand-grenades muself, nor did I witness any beatings or other
illtreatment of PW by guards.

Particulars of voyage: The embarkation in SINGAPORE took place
at the end of June and the ship actually sailed on July 4.
ASAKA MARU sailed in convoy with about 20 ships, SHINSEI MARU
and RASHIN MARU among then. SHINSEI MARU also carried PW.
I do not know the names of other ships. ASAKA MARU was second
or third ship from the end of the convoy. The ship was not
marked to show that it carried PW. We arrived at MIRI, BORNEO,
on 8 July, 1944 and proceeded from there to MANILA, arriving
on 16th July. In MANILA a few PW were sent to Hospital. We
left MANILA on 9th August and on the 15th our ship was damaged
by storm near TAKAO, FORMOSA. The convoy was broken up and
since then we did not see any of the other ships. We signalled
to TAKAO and a coast defence ship (KAIBOKAN) was sent, and all
the PW were safely transferred to this ship. It was the last
time I saw them.

I never sailed on another ship carrying PW.

Signed. { in Japanese Characters} HAYASHI Niichiro


Interpreter

I certify that I duly translated the above summary to the witness
in his own language, prior to his signature which appears above.

Signed S. Kassatkin Major (Interpreter) S. KASSATKIN

Sworn before me (signature) S. Kassatkin rank Major

Description: Interrogating Officer This 14th day of FEB 1947

Detailed to examine the above by the Commander-in-Chief,
South East Asia Land Forces.
Authy: ALFSEA War Crimes Instruction No.1 (2nd Edition) Para 19(a)

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Continuing with the Examination-in-Chief of F.R. Yardley until the close of the first day of proceedings, and just before cross-examination commences the following day, 3rd September, 1947.


Page 6 ..Tan

Q. Is he present in Court today and if he is can you point him out?
A. I believe the officer sitting over that side of the room is Lt.Ino.

Q. Is he the one in the white shirt or the one in uniform?
A. The man in uniform (accused No.2 )

Q. Now then, just prior to embarking on the ship can you give a brief description of how you embarked and what happened just previous and what actually happened when you stepped on board the ship.
A. We were marched from the camp in Havelock Road down to the docks. We sat on the dockside for about two hours, and then we started to embark. As the men went aboard they were sent down into the hold and packed into the hold side by side in a sitting position. As more men were sent down into the hold we discovered it would not be possible to accommodate everybody but the Japanese insisted that we try to do so, and two or three Korean guards were down there packing men in. Their kit was taken away from them and left in the centre of the hold, and we were on small shelves inside the hold, arranged at the sides and in the middle. Whilst this was going on one or two men fainted and they were passed to the top, but we still continued to send men down into the hold. In the meantime the Japanese had allowed us to send men ashore with buckets and tins, our own possessions, to take water from a stand pipe at the dockside, which we brought back on board with us. This was given to men who had fainted and those who were feeling sick. When we had about 650 men down below our senior officer managed to get an audience with, I believe, Lt .Ino, and he agreed that it was not possible to get more men down below and then they allowed us to come out. At the same time they allowed us to occupy the forward deck space of the ship as well as the stern deck space of the hold into which they had been trying to put us all. Afterwards we were permitted to occupy the boat deck.

Q. Approximately how many were in the hold and approximately how many were on the decks?
A. On the forward deck I think there were about 225 men. On the boat deck about 75 men and in the hold at the stern of the ship just over 400 men, but I do not know the exact numbers.

Q. Did you ever come in contact or know the Captain of the ship?
A. I never came into contact or knew the Captain of the ship.

Q. Could you recognise him again if you saw him?
A. Yes, I can recognise the Captain of the ship.

Q. Can you point him out to the Court?
A. I believe the man in white was the Captain of the ship. (accused No.1)

Q. Going back again to what you have just told us, in which place did you yourself actually sleep?
A. For the first period of the voyage from Singapore to Manila I slept on one of the forward hatches. From Manila to the south of Formosa I slept in a wire store in the forward part of the ship.

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Page 7 .. Tan

Q. Can you give an approximate date of embarkation on the ship?
A. I believe we embarked about June the 17th.

Q. And can you give the year?
A. 1944

Q. Did you sail straight away or did you wait any length of time before sailing?
A. No we didn't sail straight away. We went out into the outer roads and anchored until July the 4th the day we sailed for Japan.

Q. When you were anchored outside or in the roads were any of the prisoners ever allowed ashore?
A. We were allowed to send four sick men ashore before we sailed, but I cannot be certain at the moment whether anybody accompanied them and returned to the ship.

Q. What sort of state of physical health were the majority of these prisoners in?
A. We had been working in Thailand for two years and the majority of us were supposed to be the fittest men picked out to go to Japan. Judging by normal standards I wouldn't say that any man was fit.

Q. Can you remember if any men were suffering from diseases, such as beri-beri, dysentery, diarrhea, at the time of embarkation?
A. To commence with I know a very few men who were suffering from diseases such as those you have mentioned, apart from a very small minority with fever, possibly malaria.

Q. You stated that your own personal accommodation was on one of the decks. Was there any shelter from rain or sunshine? Was there any overhead roof rigged up of any kind?
A. Yes, a tarpaulin of sorts was arranged over our heads, but it was of very little use in bad weather, but it did help to keep the sun off us. That was on the forward deck, but on the stern deck, I do not know of any covering being erected apart from some boards over the hatch.

Q. Accommodation in the hold - do you know what the accommodation down there was like? Was it better than for the people on top?
A. Most of us preferred to sleep on the deck because the hold was very hot indeed. There were no air inlets apart from the hatchway above the heads of the men; there were no lights at all, and it was ridden with cockroaches and rats and other insects.

Q. Do you know if the prisoners in the hold were always battened down or was there some means of escape?
A. There was never to my knowledge any time when the men were battened down. There was one little wooden stairway used by the men for going in and out.

Q. Were you permitted to take exercises on the deck?
A. We were encouraged to do physical training each day.

Q. So much then for your accommodation at the present time. Can you now give the Court a brief description of the food that you had in this first ship?
A. (next sheet)

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Page 8 .. Tan

A. The food on the ASAKA MARU was very poor. It consisted of rice for each meal. For breakfast there was usually a little thin watery gravy with perhaps one or two pieces of vegetable. For lunch again rice with fishy watery gravy. For our evening meal, rice with a little gravy and perhaps a little bit of meat which was carried by the ship. It was bad meat, very small in quantity, which you could hardly notice. Occasionally we received some beans which were usually quite good, and on two occasions I remember fruit being bought ashore and brought on board for our use.

Q. Was the food fairly well cooked?
A. We considered the food was badly cooked and then we were allowed to cook our own way, but this only occurred on two or three occasions because dysentery broke out and it was considered by the Japanese it would be better to allow them to cook it, and we reverted to the old standard.

Q. Did the food ever improve or deteriorate during the journey?
A. The food aboard appeared to me to remain of the same standard throughout the journey on the ASAKA MARU. We had no food when we ran aground, but until then the food appeared to be of the same standard throughout the journey.

Q. Do you know if the Japanese guards received the same food?
A. I do not know.

Q. What about drinking water. Did you get any drinking water?
A. We were issued with what we thought was condensed sea water, but the sick men were issued with fresh water.

Q. Did you ever get any proper fresh drinking water?
A. Yes, the sick men received fresh drinking water.

Q. This other water that you were telling the court about, how often did you receive that and in what quantity?
A. We received at least a British military water bottle each day, and possibly more, but we were issued hot tea with each of our meals, which most of us drank in lieu of water.

Q. What was this tea like? Did most of the prisoners drink it or was it not any good?
A. The tea was made from condensed sea water and was not very palatable. I personally drank it when I was able to.

Q. What about water for washing. Was any available for prisoners to wash themselves?
A. The Japanese turned on a standpipe or pump at certain hours of the day and we used the sea water from this in turn, so many men per time. We also washed ourselves when it rained.

Q. How often were you given this opportunity of washing yourselves?
A. Normally once per day. If the weather was bad or if we were in port it was not possible.

Q. Was there any soap or towels available?
A. No soap or towels were issued. Most of us had our own, having brought them from Thailand. I may be giving a false impression about towels. Most of us had a piece of cloth, not towels.

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Page 9 .. Tan

Q. Were there any PoW medical officers on board?
A. We had two doctors fron the RAMC attached to the party.

Q. Was there much illness or sickness on board the ship?
A. At the beginning of the voyage there was not a great deal, but gradually men became sick, particularly with beri-beri and dysentery. There was malaria, and I knew one case of black water ferer.

Q. Did you suffer personally from any of these diseases?
A Yes, I suffered from malaria and beri-beri.

Q. What was done to cure you?
A. I was given some quinine for my malaria, but our doctors were very short of this, and for beri-beri I was given one injection of what I believe was vitamin B and very few vitamin B tablets, not more than five over the period.

Q. Was this the normal treatment for such illnesses as these,
or did other people fair better or worse?
A. I had malaria early on in the voyage, and there was some quinine available. Later on in cases of malaria I do not think there was any quinine. The doctors had for cases of beri-beri some injections of what we believed to be vitamin B, and they kept these usally for what they considered were the worst cases. They also had a very small quantity of vitamin B tablets which they gave again to people whom they considered to be very bad cases, and I believe the Japanese issued a few packets of what we believed to be vitanin B tablets as large as one's finger nail.

Q. Did the British medical docters ever run out of supplies at all?
A. I believe their supplies were so small that they had to ration them very very thoroughly, and I would probably be wrong if I said they ran out of supplies. They had a very few when we eventually arrived in Japan. They had to keep a few back for emergency cases, but they didn't have enough for everybody.

Q. Am I right in saying they were not sufficient for the needs of the prisoners?
A. I would say there was not sufficient medicine for the needs of the prisoners.

Q. Dd they ever apply to the Japanese on board the ship for some extra medicines?
A. Yes, I know they did ask the Japanese for extra medicines.

Q. Do you know if they were successful in getting any?
A. They were isssued with small quantities of quinine tablets and small quantities of what they called vitamin B tablets

Q. Now, taking the journey on the ASAKA MARU as a whole, what would you say was the percentage of prisoners who were sick?
A. Before I answer that question may I add to my last statement about medicine?

Q. Yes.
A. Each party of 150 men was issued with a small kit of medical supplies before we left either Singapore or Thailand - a small box about 4" deep and a foot square, containing odds and ends, a few quinine tablets perhaps and other things. I don't know if they confined bandages.

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Page 10 . . Tan

Q. During your journey on the ASAKA MARU can you give the Court some idea of the percentage of the people who were seriouly sick?
A. Between the 17th or l8th of June and the 4th of July, 1944, we had four men very seriouly ill who were sent ashore, and as the journey progressed we then had, I would say, well over 100 cases of beri-beri. I cannot give any exact figures. I was sick nyself and wasn't very interested. We arrived in Manila and we had a nuber of cases of dysentery. To begin with when we firat arrived in Manila we were allowed to send 8 men. ashore. They never returned to our ship, and we were later allowed to send a further 21 men with dysentery, or some other disease, possibly beri-beri, to Manila, and I believe eventually there must have been at least 200 with dysentery or berl-beri.

Q. I believe that cases of beri-beri, unless they are treated properly, may often be fatal. Were there any cases of this during your journey on the ASAKA MARU!
A. I cannot answer that question I am afraid, except that in Japan afterwards in the camp to which we were sent I believe some men did die as a result of beri-beri.

Q. What do you think was the reason for all these diseases and sickness?
A. Lack of food, lack of sanitation, lack of medicines of course, and I suppose lack of shelter was a contributory factor.

Q. Sanitation - can you give the Court some idea of the sanitary arrangements on board the ship?
A. There were on board four pairs of boxes hung over the side of the ship with a hole in the bottom in which a man crammed himself when he wanted to reieve himself. There was one lavatory which officers were permitted to use during the early part of the voyage.

Q. This must have struck the dysentery patients rather hard. What happened to them?
A. They had to olimb up on the railings and go into the box as any one else had to do.

Q. Were the numbers sufficient or did you usually have to queue up?
A. During the day they were sufficient, but first thing in the morning there was usually a queue.

Q. Live-saring quipment - was there any live-saving equipment on board?
A. I believe there were four life-boats, a number of rafts, and about 600 men were issued with life-belts of some description. Some of these belts were made of pieces of wood roped together; others were made of kapok, and there were also some big bundles of raw rubber, but we did not know if they would float. There were I think about 100 to 150 men without life-belts.

Q. Was there any form of boat drill carried out or any orders as to the procedure if you ever had to abandon the ship?
A. During the early part of the voyage there were parades seach day when we had our life-belts with us, but I do not know of any procedure having been laid down for abandoning ship and so on.

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Page 11. . . Tan

Q. Did any other events of najor importance happen while you were on the ASAKA MARU?
A. After we left Manila we proceeded up the coast and took shelter in a bay from what we believed to be submarines, and then we proceeded on up the coast. When we got off the north of Luzon we ran into a typhoon and the typhoon lasted all night and part of the next day, and then we ran ahore off the south coast of Formoza on a rooky shore. During the typhoon all the food which was stored on top of the hatches was swept overboard. All the cooking arrangements which were also on deck were swept overboard, and the majority of the men's kit went too, and also I believe most of the rafts and life-boats and belts, etc.

Q. What was the immediate result of this typhoon after your food had been washed overboard?
A. We just went without until some of that we use to call rice crispies (actually they are scrappings fron the rice bowl) that had been collected many months previouly by the Japanese and stored in cases down in the hold for food for animals in Japan, I believe, were produced, and these we shared two or three times per day to those that wanted it. Once when we were allowed to use the ship's galley for certain periods, most men got about a cupful of very sloppy rice, about 50 men at a time; we never got more than one small meal in that way.

Q. How long was it that you existed on those rice crispies you speak about before you went on to your former food?
A. Approximately four or five days. It is a very approximate figure. I cannot remember the period exactly

Q. What was the result of being grounded on this rock you talk about. What happened to the ship and to you?
A. We ran ashore in the middle of the night, and it wasn't until dawn the following day when we were able to see what had happened. We were about 30 to 40 yards from the shore on the rocks. The ship was possibly rolling with the waves as they came in, but she was fixed fairly hard and fast, and we just sat about on the desks and endeavoured to sleep at night, and just waited wondering what was going to happen to us. After a few days two destroyers came along: one destroyer first and the second one followed. They anchored some little wayfrom us and the Japanose tried to get a line across. It was very bad weather indeed at that time. At first they were not successful, but they managed to get a line across in the end, but it was too rough to get an ordinary rowing boat over, and they tied a boat along this line and tried to pull themselves to the ship. This wasn't very successful. Later on in the day the weather abated a bit and they managed to get a very few lifeboats on to the side of the ship furthest away from the coast. It was still very bad weather and the men had to jump into these from the side of the ship. The Japanese were doing the same. They were taken over to the destroyers and the boats came back again. Later the weather calmed down still more and they managed to get the boats round to the leeward side of the ship, and the men went down rope ladders into the boats.

Q. Did these destroyers take you all to your final destination or were you transferred to another vessel?
A. Immediately all the men were on board we sailed in a northerly direction and 24 hours later landed at Kiirun where we were transhipped by means of barges to another ship, the Hakusen Maru.

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Page 12 .. Tan

Q. What was the general condition of this other ship? What waa your accommodation and other things like?
A. The ship was obviously a passenger hip and our accommodation was in the steerage accommodation. The floors were covered with Japanese matting and then they had built another shelve between the floor and the roof in this compartment in which other men slept and we were issued with straw matting there as well. The first compartment they put us in was not large anough to hold everybody, and we eventually used another compartment for the sick as there were many sick then - about 200 to 250 men who required attention. There were portholes which we were allowed to open during the day, but which we had to close during the night, and we were fairly overcrowded. It therefore became a bit hot at night but they had a special means of taking air out of the holes through canvas tubes. There were proper lavatories, the Asian type of lavatory, and one or two wash hand basins which most of us attempted to use whenever possible. We used to try to control the number of men going up at a time. We were also allowed to have a hose pump working at certain periods of the day.

Q. What was the food like?
A. The food was very much better on this ship. We received rice and barley which were mixed. The rice was of very much better quality. They used to put little pieces of pork and vegetables in it. We at that time did not consider there
was enough to eat, but I should say there must have been about three-quarters of a pint to a pint of cooked rice per person three times a day.

Q. How then do you think the general accommodation and general daily living of the ship compared with that of the ASAKA MARU?
A. Exept for the fact that we were not allowed up on the deck except for one period per day, the accommodation and general living was very much better.

Q. And about the sick. Were there any fresh people going down ill with diseases?
A. Yes, we had quite a mumber of cases of dysentery, beri-beri and malaria, as a result fron the previous ship, and we had about 17 all told who died during an eight-day journey from Formosa to Japan.

Q. Did they die as a result of these diseases?
A. We used to consider that had they not been down in these hot compartments at night (it used to get very hot down there at nights), and also the submarine alarms which were sounded when we were battened down, we used to consider that that was a factory contributing towards the death of men who were very sick of dysentery and malaria.

Q. Were any roquests over made to any Japanese offioer or person on the ship to allow you up on the desk?
A. Yes, and I believe the men were allowed up on the deck. The men in hospital were just not fit to go up on desk, but had they wanted to do so they could have got up on deck for a short period.

Q. Was this during the day or at night?
A. This was during the day.

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Page 13. . . Tan

Q. You mentioned sonething about submarine scares contribatin perhaps to some of the deaths. What exactly do you mean by submarine scares?
A. During the trip from Formosa to Japan we had a number of submarine warnings and there definitely was one attack and some ships were sunk. When I may I consider it was a contributory factor I mean the men were very sick and were naturally scared of being battened down below, especially whenever another ship was hit the noise was so loud down there.

Q. Were there any orders laid down to abandon ship if the ship was to be abandoned?
A. Each man had his life-belt, a good life-belt, and I was told by Capt. Hall, who was our senior officer, that we would be permitted to leave these compartments if the ship was hit, but there was a guard on the door of the compartments all the time during the submarine alarms.

Q. Were there any other incidents of importance during the remainder of the journey on this HAKUSAN MARU?
A. None that I know of.

Q. What about medicines? Were there any facilities laid on whereby more medicines were available on this second ship?
A. I am afraid I cannot answer that question; all I know was that there was a Japanese nurse on board and they tested us for dysentery, each man, but I do not know whether medicines were given or not.

Q. How long were you out of action, so to speak, on this seoond ship?
A. I was in the hospital all the time in the second ship, and I was more or less not permitted to leave my bed space.

Q. Therefore you don't really know very much or at least you cannot give us any information about the general running of the PoWs apart from what you have already told the Court?
A. Apart from what I have already told the Court I know nothing else.When we first boarded the HAKUSAN MARU we did not immediately stay down in the holds. We put our kit down there and went to the decks again, and at that time we were examined by the Japanese medical authorities, testing mostly for dysentery, and there was one small space where there were a good number of us, and the decks were fairly dirty with straw and so on. Whether they had been carrying animals or not, I do not know, but this was eventually cleaned up. That is all I know. When we set sail we were allowed up on deck for a portion of the day, but as I was in the hospital nearly all the time I did not see much.

Q. You stated that you were probably accommodated in steerage quarters, and you stated the ship had probably been built as a passenger ship.Do you know if any one occupied the cabin part of the ship?
A. There were a few Japanese military personnel, I believe officers, in some of the cabins, and at the time we did not think that all those cabins were filled.

Q. Just a few final questions. You stated that you stopped at Manila, the ship called there. How long did you stay at Manila?
A.(next sheet)

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Page 14. . .Tan

A. Roughly I should say we stayed at Manila about 17 to 18 days.

Q. Were any prisoners allowed to get on to the shore?
A. We sent 8 ashore when we firat arrived in Manila, and then we sent a further 21 ashore later on before we sailed.

Q. Were they fit prisoners?
A. These were sick prisoners going ashore. Fit men were not allowed ashore except on one cocasion when they helped to load some vegetables, but they did not go further than the dockside.

Q. Were you or any other prisoners allowed to go ashore to buy any fresh vegetables or fruit for either the sick or other prisoners?
A. Not to my knowledge.

Q. During the journey on both ships, how did you get on with your guards?
A. On the whole we disliked our guards. The guards were Korean guards and we did not get on very well with them.

Q. What was their attitude towards you? Was there any instance of illtreatment or brutality?
A. I cannot remember any particular instances of brutality, but it was the general attitude we had towards them - we disliked them.

Q. Did accused Lt. INO come round on any occasions to see the prisoners, and if he did, did you have an opportunity of putting forward any complaints to him?
A. Lt. INO used to come round the ship, but not regularly. I never had any opportunity myself of intercourse with him.

Q. Do you know if any of the other officers or prisoners-of-war ever made any request to improve their conditions in any way?
A. Yes, they did approach Lt. INO, but their main difficulty in approaching him was getting permission fron the Korean guards to do so. On one occasion they by-passed the guards and went straight to Lt. INO. Normally we would have to ask the guards, and they did actually receive permission to see Lt. INO on sone ocassions.

Q. Did you see the person whom you recognised as the Captain of the ship, did you ever see him come round the ship?
A. I have seen the Captain looking over on us from the bridge, and also looking over on the stern part of the ship. I never actually saw him amongst us.

Q. While you were aboard the ASAKA MARU did you call at any other port apart from Manila?
A. We called at Miri in North Borneo; that was the only other port.

Q. Were you allowed ashore at all there?
A. No.

( PROSECUTOR hands a document to the witness )

Q. Throughout the journey did you ever keep a diary or any document which was a record of what went on on the ship?
A. I wrote a small story, a sort of day by day story. I did not add to it each day, but occasionally I added to it until we reached the end of the voyage.

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Page 15. . . Tan

Q. Is that the matter you are referring to?
A. This is a copy of the notes which I made.

(THE COURT is given sight of the original notes as written by the witness.)

Q. Would you look through those notes you have kept, and if there is anything relating to the questions put to you this ther afternoon which you have forgotten or wish to clarify, please tell the Court.
A. No, I don't think there is anything.

(End of Examination-in-Chief).


—

(AT 1600 HOURS THE COURT ADJOURNS UNTIL 1000 HOURS ON 3rd SEPTEMBER, 1947.)

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The transcript of the proceedings before the lunch adjournment on 3rd September, 1947.

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Page 16 (Kwek)

At 1020 hours on the 3rd of September 1947 the Court re-assembles pursuant to adjournment. Present the same President and Members as on the 2nd of September 1947.

—

F.R. Yardley 1st Prosecution Witness: - CROSS EXAMINATION:

(Witness is reminded that he is /held on his previous Oath)

(Before the cross-examination the witness wishes to correct an answer to a question put by the Prosecutor)

Witness: I was asked by the Prosecuting Officer whether any shelter was provided on the decks and I answered that on the forward deck some tarpaulin of sorts were issued but not on the stern deck. I would like to correct that on the stern deck also, some tarpaulin of sorts were issued.

Court: There is one point there; does this apply to the first part of the voyage?

Witness: Yes, the first ship.

Q. When the ASAKA MARU left Singapore did she sail by herself alone or was she a part of a convoy. Did she sail as part of a convoy?
A. The ASAKA MARU, when she sailed, sailed as part of a convoy.

Q. On that occasion was there any Japanese Navy escort?
A. Yes, I believe two Japanese destroyers attached themselves to the convoy after we left Miri.

Q. Were there Japanese soldiers on the ASAKA MARU on that occasion?
A. Yes, there were a few Japanese ship soldiers on board the ship.

Q. Do you not remember the approximate number?
A. Do you wish me to include the Korean guards.

Q. Yes?
A. I should say there must have been 20 to 30 Korean guards. This is very approximate and about 10 Japanese soldiers.

Q. What part of the ship did these people occupy?
A. They occupied a compartment. It is very difficult to describe, but it is underneath the boat deck on the same level
as the forward deck. You see, you enter the doorway into the compartment.

Q. On what part of the ship did you first come across the master of the ASAKA MARU?
A. You mean when did I first see him.

Q. When you first saw him on what part of the ship did you see him?

Court:: Where was the master of the ship when you first saw him?

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Page 17 (Kwek)

F.R. Yardley - CROSS EXAMINATION: Contd.

A. The first time I recognised this man as master was when he was on the bridge and that was several days after I boarded the ship. I was not able to recognise the master or members of the crew until we were on the ship after several days.

Q. Did you see him only on one occasion?
A. Oh no, I saw him on several occasions during the voyage.

Q. Did you not see him anywhere else apart from the bridge?
A. I can honestly say that I never came across the ship's master apart fron when I saw him when he looked down from the bridge and also when he looked down on us from the boat deck on one occasion.

Q. When you went on board the ASAKA MARU at Singapore, how long did it take for all the prisoners of war to get on board and settle down in the hold?

A. We started going on board the ship at about mid-day and I should say towards evening about five o'clock everybody was on board. They were not all down in the hold because by that time we were given permission to come out of the hold again. During the time when we got on board and when the ship left dock side we were given permission to leave the hold. So actually when we were pulled out of the hold dock side there were only a few people in the hold. Most of the people were going out to get some air, you see.

Q. Then can I say that you were actually in the hold for a very short period?
A. The men were in the hold for a period of not more than two to three hours at the most.

Q. Then were you put in the hold group by group?
A. This party of 750 was split up into a party of 150 each. Starting from the first party they were put on board the ship and they were put into the hold, each man following the other into the hold. Each man was put in position by Korean guards. Then further men got down, their kits were taken from them and they were put in position again.

Q. Then I should say there was a great difference between the first man who went into the hold and the last man who went into the hold?
A. Oh yes, definitely. The first man who went into the hole was very much longer in the hold than the last man who went into the hold

Court: That seems fairly obvious.

Q. You have mentioned that the prisoners of war were encouraged to have exercises on the deck, was that encouraged by the Japanese or encouraged by your own people?
A. When you say Japanese do you include the Korean guards as well?

Q. Yes?
A. I wish to make a difference between the Japanese and Koreans. You ask me whether the Japanese encouraged us to do physical training. Well, I will answer this way. When

{ For HOLE read HOLD throughout the proceedings. /sgd./ P.A. Forsythe Lt.Col.}

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Page 18 (Kwek)
F.R. Yardley - CROSS EXAMINATION: Contd.

A. the Korean guards took us out of the hold in the mornings and the evenings they suggested that we should do physical training.

Q. You have also said that fruits were bought and supplied to you - who did supply the fruits?
A. I do not know who supplied them. They were issued as part of the rations.

Q. You have also said that you cooked your own food, was that immediately after you went on board?
A. No. The food was cooked for us by the ship's crew for a period. Later we were permitted by the Japanese to cook our own food and then when dysentery broke out, the Japanese considered that it was not safe for us to cook our food ourselves, so it reverted to the ship's crew again. Some prisoners of war assisted in the kitchen most of the time.

Q. What was actually the reason which made the Japanese to allow you to cook your own food?
A. We were dissatisfied with the way in which our food was cooked by the ship's crew and after our senior officers approached the Japanese, they gave permission for us to do it.

Q. Do you know who prepared the food for the Korean guards and the Japanese?
A. I don't know.

Q. Was it not then, that when you prepared your own food, you prepared the food for the Japanese at the same time because there were very few Japanese on board the ship?
A. During the period when we cooked our own you mean.

Q. Yes, that's right?
A. I believe we did prepare food for the Koreans.

Q. Was there any difference in the food between the Japanese and the Koreans and the Allied prisoners of war?
A. I never saw the food prepared for the Japanese. But come to think of it, yes there was a difference. The Japanese food was cooked in the ship's galley and their food was different from ours. But the Korean food I never saw it issued to them, so I cannot say whether there was any difference between their food and our own. (Witness pauses) I remember now with regard to the food issued to the Koreans, On one occasion they complained that they did not like our method of cooking. So I can only assume that they were complaining about their food and it was the same as ours.
They were issued with the same type of food as we were getting ourselves.

Q. Was there any difference between the Japanese and the prisoners of war with regard to washing and drinking water?
A. The Korean guards used to use a little pump situated on the forward part of the ship and it was a hand pump. This was reserved for the Korean guards and the Japanese crew. The other pump on the stern of the ship was used by the
prisoners of war.

Q. What kind of pump was that, operated by hand?
A. The Korean guards and the Japanese crew operated their pump by hand and the prisoners of war had a pump which was working automatically from the ship's pump I suppose. Water came out.

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Page 19 (Kwek)

F.R. Yardley - CROSS EXAMINATION: Contd.

Q. When did you have the first case of sickness on board the ship?
A. Between the 17th of June and the 4th of July.

Q. When you had sick persons were they given a different place to live?
A. Yes. We used to use a forward hatch and it was a hatch at the rear of the ship also when the forward hatch became
too full.

Q. You have mentioned that there was a case of dysentery, how coould you know that it was dysentery?
A. I mentioned a case of dysentery; I mentioned cases of dysentery.

Q. On both occasions, whether a case or cases of dysentery, how could you know that was dysentery?

/initialled. "for" / ( Witness seems not to understand the question. )

Court: The inference is that, you are not a medical man, how could you tell these cases you spoke about were actually dysentery? cases

A. We had two Royal Army Medical Corp doctors on board who used to tell us when our men were sick that they were cases of dysentery.

Q. Did those medical officers examine the stools of the sick people?
A. Oh yes, the men when they came out for the morning sick parade - when they reported themselves sick; when they said they had diarrhoea or something like that they were to produce their stool on a piece of paper or in a tin.

Q. Do you know whether the Japanese had medicines with them or not?
A. I saw the Korean guards with some quinnine tablets and I saw individual Japanese and Koreans with little files of what they used to tell us were vitamin B injections. They used to go to the doctors and asked them to inject into them.
The ship's crew had a medical chest, or there was a medical chest on board the ship and I know that because I had that the first time from the doctor.

Q. Do you know that the prisoners of war doctors were allowed to take medicines from that medical chest with the permission of the ship's master?
A. In order to answer that question fairly, the only information I got on that subject was from Dr. PETROVSKY who was on board. He was one of the medical officers and I believe on occasions he did have access to the ship's medicines chest but I do not know what medicines, if any, he had out of it.

Q. You have mentioned that the lavatory on board the ASAKA MARU was in the shape of boxes and apart fron those boxes you had another lavatory for the officers. Did you not say that?
A. Yes I said that.

Q. Why were the prisoners of war who were sick not allowed to use that lavatory for the officers?
A. Well, they could have used that lavatory if they wanted to. It was rather difficult to get from the forward part of the ship to that lavatory. Most of the men were lying on the forward part of the ship. I have admitted that officers

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Page 20 (Kwek)

F.R. Yardley - CROSS EXAMINATION: Conted.

A. were using this lavatory if they wished to but I know that some men also used it. You see, it was very simple to get
to the wooden boxes lavatory than to the lavatory for the officers.

Q. Were not those boxes used by the Japanese also?
A. I saw the Korean guards using them.

Q. You have mentioned that the number of life belts were inadequate. Did you actually try to find out how many life
belts were on board the ship?
A. Yes, when we first went on board the ship there was one officer in charge of 100 men each. We had to make a report
to our senior officers the number of life belts we were short of and I had to report that there was a number of men in my own company who were short of life belts.

Q. Did you have any life belt yourself?
A. No. I must alter that statement somewhat. There was a number of rubber bales to go with which we did not know whether they would float or not but I used to get on one of these as a pillow and I used to have it handy.

Q. Then there were enough rubber bales to make good the deficiency of life belts on board the ship?
A. Yes, there were enough rubber bales for everybody to go round with. These rubber balts had a handle like an attache case or suit case. It was a little rectangular block of rubber with a little handle on it and you just carry it like that.

Q. You have mentioned that after leaving Manila the ship encountered typhoon, all the food were washed away and you had to live on burned rice. Didn't the Japanese suffer the same conditions also?
A. The position was this. Yes, we were feeding on this burned rice. On one occasion I also had a small cup of rice which was cooked in the ship's galley. Now, the ship's crew got their food from the ship's galley, their kitchen was different from ours. They being in small number were able to get their food from the galley. How often they got it I do not know. We were given permission to cook in the ship's galley when the ship's crew was not using it. We had 750 men to cook for and it took a long time to provide a meal for everybody. The Korean guards also had the same case, they took the first lot of rice which we cooked. If we cooked for 50 men, instead of going to our 50 men it went to the Korean guards. So I knew that they had their meals from the same source as we did.

Q. Could you not say that on account of the typhoon the number of sick people increased?
A. I should say the weather was a contributory factor to the amount of sickness, yes.

Q. Did the HAKUSAN MARU sail by herself or together with a convoy?
A. In convoy.

Q. Could I presume that there was a navy escort on that occasion?
A. Yes there was a Navy escort.

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Page 21 (Kwek)

F.R. Yardley - CROSS EXAMINAIION: Contd.

Q. You have mentioned that there were 17 deaths on board the HAKUSAN MARU before reaching Japan. Could I say that it was the result of the great agony they underwent when they had the typhoon before on board the other ship?
A. I should say there was more than one contributory factory As I said previously typhoon was a contributory factor, I thought, towards the sickness of the men, but of course these men had been on the previous ship and had possibly contacted {sic}their sickness then. I won't say that typhoon was the cause of their being sick.

Q. You have also mentioned that you were allowed to use the deck once a day during a certain limited hours. Did you not make any complaints against that?
A. I do not know whether our senior officers made any complaints or not. I was in the hospital for most part of the voyage.

Q. You have said that at night you were put into the lower hold, did you not make any complaints against that?
A. We were in the same hold as by night and day.

Q. Was it a fact that all the portholes of the hold were closed at night?
A. Yes, all the portholes were closed at night. There was a black out you see.

Q. Do you know the reason why all the portholes were closed?
A. Yes. You want to know the reason.

Q. Yes?
A. The portholes were closed in order to provide an efficient black out for the ship whilst travelling at night.

Q. You have said that you had a medical examination on board the HAKUSAN MARU conducted by the Japanese, what was the result of that medical examination?
A. I do not know the result of the medical examination. Unless some men were found to be carriers of dysentery germ, they tested for dysentery.

Q. You said that on board the Harusan Maru Lt. INO used to go round and have his inspections. Did he go round and see you on board the other ship, the ASAKA MARU?
A. I said we used to see him aboard the ASAKA MARU. I saw him on the HAKUSAN MARU also, not on regular inspections.

Q. What were the duties of Lt. INO, do you know his actual duties?
A. I always understood that Lt. INO was accompanying us to Japan in charge of the 750 men.

Q. What was his attitude towards you all?
A. His attitude towards all the men?

Q. Towards the prisoners of war?
A. I never saw him directly maltreat any man, if he was approached of {sic} if we managed to get audience with him by permission of the Korean guards, he would always speak to our officers who went to him. Now, I like to think just a moment, it is 3 years ago you see and I would like to recollect. No, I don't think I'll make any other statement. I never saw him maltreat directly any man and he always spoke to our senior officers when they did get audience with him.

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Page 22 (Kwek)

F.R. Yardley - CROSS EXAMINATION: Contd.

Q. Under the circumstances which prevailed at that time, you think it was possible to alleviate the conditions of the sick on board both ships, the ASAKA MARU and the HAKUSAN MARU, and to lessen the number of deaths?
A. On board the ASAKA MARU, the only way to alleviate the distress on board the ship was to transfer us on to a better ship. On board the HAKUSAN MARU if we had been given accommodation with more air at night particularly, I think that it might have easily alleviated the situation slightly.

Q. Could you say whether that was within the PoWer of the accused to alleviate the conditions?
A. On board the ASAKA MARU?

Q. Yes, on board the ASAKA MARU?
A. I do not know who was responsible for putting us on board the ASAKA MARU. I know that Lt. INO was in charge of the 750 men. Whether he had PoWers to persuade his senior officers to put us on a better ship I have no idea whatsoever.

Q. According to your opinion do you think then that that was the result of the gross negligence of their duties of these two accused?
A. I do not think the ship's captain could have alleviated our distress. Lt. INO might have approached his senior officers or whoever was responsible for sending us to the ship saying that this ship was not suitable, but what was the reply to that, I do not know. I would like to enlarge on a previous answer. You asked me what was the attitude of Lt. INO towards the prisoners of war and I stated that I have never saw him maltreat any man and secondly he always spoke to our senior officers when they did get permission to talk to him and thirdly I would like to say that Lt. INO was known by us as one of the better Camp Commandants in Thailand.

End of Cross Examination.

No Re-Examination.

QUESTIONED BY THE COURT:

Q. Did you say that the first case of sickness occurred when the ASAKA MARU was in Singapore harbour?
A. Yes.

Q. During the embarkation at Singapore did you see any Japanese officials on the ship.. By that I mean any one
from the Port Commandant's office?
A. I saw officials on the dock side. When I say Japanese officials I mean Japanese officers on the dock side. Where they were from and who they were, I don't know.

Q. Is it within your knowledge how many of these prisoners of war died on board the ships?
A. 3 prisoners of war died on the journey to Formosa.

Q. This was on the first ship?
A. Yes. A further two died during the period of our shipwreck when we were on the rocks and our arrival in KEELOON. I cannot remember now whether any one actually died on the destroyers or not, but on the HAKUSAN MARU a further 17 men died.

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Page 23 (Kwek)

F.R. Yardley - QUESTIONED BY THE COURT: Contd.

Q. It would be about 22 approximately?
A. I should say my figures are quite accurate and if you would let me to refer my notes.

Q. When you were at sea what happened to those men who died?
A. We buried them at sea but some were taken on shore when we arrived at Moji, Japan and some men were actually buried in KEELOON.

Q. Did you witness any of these burials at sea?
A. I witnessed burials at sea on the ASAKA MARU but on the HAKUSAN MARU I was in hospital, so I did not witness any burial on her.

Q. Would you say that these men were given a decent burial?
A. These men were wrapped in blanket, weighed with steel or some other heavy things which we could get hold of and they were given a Christian burial by the Officer in Charge. What happened to the men who were taken to KEELON
and MOJI, I do not know that. Nobody accompanied them.

Q. Do you know if there was any available space or any other space which could have been used to accommodate the prisoners of war but was not used to accommodate prisoners of war?
A. Prisoners of war on board the ASAKA MARU occupied every available space except on the bridge, the officers' cabins and the crew's cabins and the Korean guards accommodation.

Q. Were prisoners of war allowed to sleep on deck during the night on the HAKUSAN MARU?
A. Not to my knowledge.

Q. Do I understand you to say that neither of the accused made any regular inspection of prisoners of war accommodation on board the ASAKA MARU?
A. Not inspections as I know then in the British Army.

Q. Did you go into the hold at all yourself when the men were first put into the hold at Singapore?
A. Yes, I was assisting to accommodate them down there.

Q. I am going to read a passage and I shall ask you to comment on it. (President reads out extract from Exhibit 'L')

"750 men were placed in this hold. We remained in the hold for approximately 3 hours and by the end of that time about 40 men had collapsed. The botton of the hold was about one and a half inches deep in moisture owing to excessive perspiration of the occupants. The hold was not battened down and after about 3 hours some of the men panicked and forced their way out of the hold."

A. Firstly there were 750 men in the hold. I do not think that the men panicked. The men became very annoyed at the
conditions down there but I never saw them panicked and thirdly I think it was a gross exageration to say that there were one and half inches of perspiration down at the botton of the hold. There was an excessive perspiration of every man in the hold.

Q. Did you observe any marking on either of the ahips in which you sailed that indicated that they were carrying prisoners of war?
A. No, I did not observe any markings at all.

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Page 24 (Kwek)

F.R. Yardley - QUESTIONED BY THE COURT: Contd.

Q. I am now going to read you part of the affidavit, Exhibit 'J', at the bottom of the page. Affidavit of Frank McGuire.

(President reads extract of Exhibit 'J')

Q. On embarkation the first group of 150 men were put into the hold in the aft of the ship, where the accommodation consisted of 2 wooden platforms on 3 sides of the hold. A straw matting was laid on these platforms. It would fairly comfortable as regards sleeping room for 150 men. However, on the instructions of the Japanese Officer in Charge of the prisoners another 150 men were put into the same hold. There was no water and the men complained of giddiness.
Representations by Capt. C.C. PETROVSKY, R.A.M.C. to the Japanese Officer regarding the crowded conditions werei gnored and a further batch of 100 men were forced into the hold. Many men were fainting and had to be carried out on deck, and the Japanese Captain of the ship who had just come on board ordered that only 300 men should remain in the hold and the remainder equally separated into 3 parties. One party on the deck aft of the ship and one party on the starboard bow (deck) and the remaining party on the deck bow."

Q. Will you give us your comments on that?
A. Yes it is correct. Men were put down in the hold in batches of 150. They went in parties you see. Naturally 150 men
could not go down altogether. Each man followed the other down the stairs and as they were being placed in position the queue might have stopped for some time. Capt. PETROVSKY made his representations to Lt. INO and the SHIP CAPTAIN or was it Capt. PETROVSKY who made the representations. It might have been Capt. LONGBOTTOM or Capt. HALL, the senior officers. He was actually in charge of the 750 men. At what period they made their representations I do not know. I did not see the CAPTAIN of the ship on board myself. I did not know who was the CAPTAIN until several days later because I do not remember seeing the officers of the ship wearing badges of rank. I do not know how this man recognised the CAPTAIN. He might have been pointed out to him. He was correct in saying that there was straw matting to lie down after the first 150 men came down.

Q. Is it within your knowledge that there was an order in which 300 men should remain in the hold and the remainder should be distributed equally into 3 parties?
A. I don't believe it is true Sir, because I know that 300 men plus Capt. CHAPMAN's company of 150 men were placed in the forward deck and the boat deck. The other 450 men were allowed to stay in the hold or on the deck. These men had the option to stay in the hold or come out on the deck.

Q. So it really was worse than this person states, instead of 300 there were 450 men.
A. No. There were really 3 types. They were allowed to stay in the hold or come out. Some occupied the decks and some preferred below because they knew they would get shelter there.

Q. When you arrived in Japan did you meet other prisoners of war who had made that trip with you from Malaya to Japan in different ships?
A. On arrival in Japan we arrived at our final camp in OSAKA, the men we met in the camp had made their voyage from Hongkong and they had made their voyage in 1942.

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Page 25 (Kwek)

F.R. Yardley - QUESTIONED BY THE COURT: Contd.

Q. Did they give any indications as to the conditions under which they travelled?
A. I Only remember having discussed the question with one officer, Lt. HAMILTON who actually travelled on the LISBON MARU which was sunk by American submarines in 1942.

Q. Can you tell us whether the life jackets which were issued were serviceable ones. You see, we know one affidavit that states that life jackets which were issued were useless and the men ignored them. Would you say that was correct?
A. I would split this answer into two parts. On the HAKUSAN MARU the life jackets were definitely sound, on the ASAKA MARU there were 3 types of life jackets, one was the kapok type, the second made of wood and the third was the rubber bales which I talked about which had a small handle on. Whether they were life jackets or not, we never knew.

Court: Any questions to put through the Court arising out of questions asked by the Court?

No Questions by the Prosecutor.

No Questions by the Defence.

Court: Thank you Mr. Yardley for the way in which you have given your evidence. You are released now.

Court: In view of the fact that we are practically on the verge of our normal adjourment time, I think it might be better if we start with the next witness at 1400 hours.

The Court will adjourn until 1400 hours.

—

 

A new witness and the afternoon of 3rd September, 1947, in court.

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Page 26 (Kwek)

At 1400 hours the Court re-assembles.

2nd Prosecution Witness, Charles Simon, after having made a Solemn declaration, is examined by the Prosecutor:

Q. Will you tell the court your name and present address?
A. Charles Simon, 8 Winchester House.

Q. What did you do during the last war?
A. I was in the Straits Settlements Volunteer Force and served with one of the battalions, the 3rd Battalion in Penang.

Q. What was your rank?
A. Private.

Q. Did you ever come into contact with the Japanese?
A. Yes, with the exception of the first five and a half months when I was in Changi gaol when I went to Siam and subsequently to Japan I was practially in daily contact with them.

Q. You were a prisoner of war then?
A. Yes.

Q. You just stated you went to Japan, how did you travel to Japan?
A. I travelled by ship on the ASAKA MARU to begin with, then after we ran into a storm we went on board the destroyers as far as KELOON and then from KEELOON to MOJI on the HAKUSAN MARU.

Q. Can you give an approximate date when you left for Japan?
A. We went aboard the ASAKA MARU on June 18th but we did not sall until July 4th. We were in the Singapore roads all the time.

Q. Can you give a brief description to the court of this ship, the Asaka Maru?
A. It was a very old ship as far as I can recollect, built probably in 1908, about 4,000 tons, might have been just a little bit over. It was an ordinary cargo ship as far as I know, 4 holds altogether of which 2 were full of cargo, one occupied by some Japanese personnel and the last one prisoners of war.

Q. How many prisoners of war went with you, British prisoners of war?
A. There were altogether so far as I know 750 men. I am not sure whether any were left behind in Singapore as a result of sickness.

Q. Can you describe the events, what actually happened when you went on board the ship, where you were and what your accommodation was, etc.?
A. The 750 prisoners of war were divided into 5 groups. I was in the last group, Group 29. While we were waiting on the dockyard for the others to get in. We saw them all on the dock and then disappeared down the hatch into the hold.
When we finally got in into this hold we found that the men were sitting alone {sic} 3 sides of it. There were two stern decks and above that a bunk. The men were sitting on the ground with their knees drawn up 8 deep. We were just

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Page 27 (Kwek)

Charles Simon - Examination in Chief: Contd.

A. squeezed in anyhow. The main thing was that we all should get in there. It was obvious that conditions like that couldn't last because it was very hot and stuffy in there. We were all perspiring profusely, men started to faint and as far as I could see nothing was done to alleviate the conditions.

Q. If you were the last group as you have already stated, do I understand then that approximately 750 men were in the hold at one time?
A. At one time I believe all the prisoners must have been in the hold. We must have all been pushed down there including most of the officers with the exception of perhaps the senior officers and two medical officers that were in our party.

Q. How long were you kept there?
A. I should say about 2 to 2½ hours. That applies only to my group, the other groups had been there of course far longer.

Q. What happened after these 2½ hours, were you taken out?
A. Conditions got very bad very rapidly and as I said earlier, men were atarting to faint pretty quickly and as it seemed that nothing was being done, the men more or less took matters into their own hands and got out of the hold. Many of them helped their own mates who had fainted, up on deck.

Q. What happened then when you went on deck?
A. Nothing happened right there and then but after perhaps two to three hours everything calmed down. The men began
to feel a bit better. Word came thought that 450 of us would be allowed on deck, the aft deck well and the forward deck and that 300, and that 300. that is to say, two groups, would have to remain down the hold.

Q. Where were you yourself?
A. The first night I tried to sleep down in the hold but as the place was so filthy, what with rats and all other types of vermin, I found it impossible. In fact I did not sleep right through the whole of the night and eventually I went on deck and and slept on deck right through the whole voyage.

Q. When you were on deck was there any form of shelter put up against either the sun or rain to protect you?
A. There was no shelter.

Q. Did this apply only to the place where you were in or would you say that all the other prisoners of war sufferred in in the same manner?
A. Later some awnings were put up. I am only talking about the deck. Awnings were put over the two hatches and those two areas were partly put aside for rations and partly for the very sick. Apart fron that we had more or less the run of the ship. But those that were in the open deck like myself, we just had no shelter. If it rained we got wet and if there was sun, well we just got sun burn.

Q. Was there any Japanese officer or NCO or guards looking after the 750 prisoners of war?

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Page 28 (Kwek)

Charles Simon - Examination in Chief: Contd.

A. There was an officer there and there were of course guards. I wouldn't say exactly that they were looking after us.
I personally saw the officer once and the guards just very occasionally, perhaps three or four times.

Q. Would you recognise this officer if you saw him again?
A. Yes.

Q. Do you know his name?
A. I know his name is INO.

Q. If he is in court to day could you point him out?
A. Yes.

Q. Will you look round and see if he is here?
A. That is the officer there, sitting in uniform.

(Witness points accused INO)

Q. At the time of embarkation did you see any officials or Japanese officers standing by the quay side while you were
embarking?
A. No sir.

Q. What about the CAPTAIN of the SHIP, did you ever come across him?
A. I saw the CAPTAIN of the SHIP also only once and that was soon after the outbreak of the storm that we ran into when immediately after our rations were washed away. When the CAPTAIN came along to the top of the ladder leading down to the aft well of the deck, I was standing two or three feet away from him and I heard him issuing some orders, which of course I could not follow.

Q. Do you know his name and would you recognise him again if you saw him?
A. I don't know his name, I would recognise him though.

Q. If he is in court today will you point him out?
A. That is the man next to the officer in uniform.

(Witness indicates accused ODAKE)

Q. Now, can you give us some indication of what you did during these days. You said you embarked on the 18th and did not set sail until the 4th. Can you tell me what you did during those days?
A. We had to run all the fatigues ourselves which was cleaning up the whole ship where we lived. Apart from that there was really nothing we did apart from reading books, play chest, play bridge.

Q. What state of health were the majority of the prisoners of war in?
A. I find that it is rather a difficult question to answer because I am not qualified and also it is rather irrelevant question because according to Japanese standard we were fit to travel. We were the fittest of the survivors of the people on the Burma/Siam railway. According to our standard I should imagine we were pephaps, C1 or C3 or something like that.

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Page 29 (Kwek)

Charles Simon - Examination in Chief: Contd.

Q. In order to clarify the position a little bit, were all the men suffering from diseases as opposed to just a bad state of health?
A. I believe that most of us had had sometine or other an attack of malaria as well as as diarrhea. Most of us had ulcers of some sorts. Even at that time I myself had an ulcer. Further than that we would consider ourselves fit according to Japanese standard again.

Q. Can you give a brief description of the food you normally had.
A. At the beginning, well, we had rice, that was the main thing and at most times we had some of tapioca stew. It was
bits of tapioca floating in salt water. On very few occasions we had some brinjal or cooked fruits in very minute quantities, worked out to perhaps three or four slices per man.

Q. How often a day did you get these meals?
A. 3 times per day.

Q. Was the food fairly well cooled or would you consider that it was badly cooked?
A. Rice was well cooked and what little vegetables we had, was also well cooked but it was very unappetising, so much so that after some time, I can't remember what period, after we made some representations we were allowed to employ some of our own men as cooks in the cook house.

Q. During the time that you were on board the ASAKA MARU, and after the prisoners of war were allowed to help in the kitchen did they remain there for the remainder of the journey?
A. Yes.

Q. Did the food throughout the journey on the same ship ever get better or did it deteriorate in any way?
A. There must have been three or four meals which were considered good because they were different. Instead of having vegetabals and stew, our men thought we might like something else and they braced the brinjal. Apart from that the food was the same as ever.

Q. You stated earlier on that there were some forms of guards. Do you know of any other Japanese soldiers apart from guards of the ship?
A. So far as I know there were 70 other Japanese personnel whom I believe were sick being repatriated to Japan.

Q. Do you know if these people and the guards got the same food as you or did they get different food?
A. I never actually saw the food that any of the Japanese got but I did hear that they had fats, more vegetables, and also some meat in their diet.

Q. So much for food, what about drinking water?
A. Our drinking water consisted of condensed steam. We had plenty of that at any time of the day.

Q. Does that differ from fresh water in any way?
A. Very much, because the steam, well it was condensed steam of the ordinary salt water that was used for cooking rice and as such it left us continually thirsty.

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Page 30 (Kwek)

Charles Simon - Examination in Chief: Contd.

Q. Apart from this condensed steam did you ever get any fresh water?
A. Never Sir.

Q. What about washing water?
A. There was one pump on the aft well deck, salt water of course and that was all we had. Some of us had buckets and those who had buckets could of course wash themselves at any time of the day or night. All you have to do was just to sling the bucket overboard.

Q. Those who did not possess any bucket or any receptacle of any sort, how often was the punp made available to them?
A. The pump was generally speaking available all day long. There were exceptions. On certain occasions when for the
sake of affording all the men a wash it was arranged that certain groups would have certain hours, which meant of course longer queues, longer waits and very quick washing.

Q. Can you give us a brief description of the sanitary arrangements?
A. There were just 4 boxes as far as I know on the entire ship. Two in the aft well of the deck and two on the forward deck and they were just slung over the sides of the ship on the port side, that was all.

Q. Did the 70 Japanese soldiers you have already mentioned, did they use the same latrine as you had?
A. I never saw them in any of these boxes.

Q. Would you say that these 4 boxes were sufficient for the needs of everyone or did you have to queue?
A. I should say on most occasions we had to queue. Not on all occasions.

Q. What about medicines, were any any medicines on board the ship?
A. Well, I am afraid I am not in a position to answer that, as I myself had none and a mate that I looked after who had frequent attacks of malaria could not get hold of any of the quinnines that he so badly needed. That is all I know.
Whether there were any medicines available or not, I am not in a position to say.

Q. Were there many other cases of malaria or any other diseases that were frequent?
A. Of course as days went by more and more diseases became apparent, malaria spread, diarrhea, beri beri and subsequently when we got to Manila, even dysentery broke out.

Q. Did you apart from yourself and your mate you have mentioned, did you see any other prisoner receive any medical attention after the time that you reached Manila?
A. The only medical attention I saw some prisoners received was a change of bandage, perhaps occasionally, and rations of soft boiled rice instead of rice, and I know we had some milk which we had brought ourselves and this had been bought by us in Siam and this was reserved also for the very sick.

Q. Was there any medical doctor or members of the RAMC in the number of prisoners?
A. We had two qualified medical officers.

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Page 31(Kwek)

Gharles Simon - Examination in Chief: Contd.

Q. Were they able to do much or help the sick in any great degree?
A. So far as I could see there was nothing much they could do for lack of medical supplies.

Q. As far as you would know did any of the people protest or did any of the officers protest to the Japanese or people in the ship for extra medical supplies?
A. So far as I know certain representations were made but again so far as I know there was never any result. On one occasion I was told that the answer had been that no medical supplies could be made available to us as they were very short of it themselves. So much so that they could not treat their own 70 personnel that were on board.

Q. By the time that you were transferred to the two destroyers you mentioned earlier on, what was the rough percentage of the number of people who were sick after the draft?
A. I should say about one third of the draft were really sick, not counting those who had slight attacks of malaria or diarrhoea; who could still walk.

Q. Could these people walk by themselves?
A. You mean the really sick.

Q. Yes, the really sick?
A. Very few of them could walk by themselves. Most of them had to be helped along by their friends.

Q. What did you contribute the sickness to?
A. Well I should say to the lack of proper care and attention to the sick. Lack of adequate accommodation. All those
conditions I should say must have contributed to the conditions of the sick.

Q. I understand that disease such as berl beri, if it is not given the proper treatment at the right time, some time proves fatal? Do you know of any such case during your voyage in the ASAKA MARU?
A. I don't know personally any case that really died of berl berl. The worst case of berl beri I myself saw was a man who had gone completely blind and when it came to transferring the men from the ASAKA MARU to the two destroyers he had to be carried with ropes lowered on to a boat on to the destroyers, one of the two destroyers. I do not know what became of him after that.

Q. Was there any othe prisoner in such a bad state that eventually died from one of the diseases you mentioned
earlier on?
A. Well, I was present myself at one burial at sea on the HAKUSAN MARU and furthermore when we eventually got to MOJII helped carry 4 coffins down to the wharf, with bodies in them of course.

Q. At the moment I just trying to find out aboutt this ASAKA MARU. Will you apply this last question to the ASAKA MARU? Were there any prisoner who died in the ASAKA MARU that you know of?
A. I know of one case that died on the ASAKA MARU. Just about two days before we ran into the storm.

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Page 32 (Kwek)

Charles Simon - Examination in Chief: Contd.

Q. Were the sick segregated from the remainder of the prisoners in any way?
A. The top of the hatch over the hold in which the men were was reserved for the sick and the other hole on the same aft well of the deck was reserved for rations and the sick, half for rations and half for the sick. I do not know what happened in the forward part of the ship. That was all I know.

Q. Were there any life saving appliances, equipment or rafts aboard the ship?
A. When we got on board we were given a rubber cushion. I might say that it had a rubber handle and I was told that that was our life saving belt. Apart fron that I gathered later after stationed myself on the deck looked around and saw that there were several rafts and a few life boats.

Q. Do you think that these life saving things that you had would be effective in the water?
A. Well, I consulted some fellow volunteers who were rubber planters and they maintained that these rubber cushions might hold a man up for five or six hours, certainly not longer, but we never actually tried it.

Q. Did every PoW have one of these rubber cushions?
A. I cannot answer that question Sir, but as far as I chould see they were there in sufficient quantities to go round but actually they were for the greater part spurned by the PoWs because nobody really believed that they would serve the purpose.

Q. Did you have any form of a boat drill aboard?
A. We never had any boat drill aboard.

Q. Were there any instructions issued either from the Japanese or from the ship's crew as to what action would be taken if you suddenly had to abandon ship?
A. Not to my knowledge Sir.

Q. Did you have any incidents such as attacks by air or torpedoes during your journey on the ASAKA MARU?
A. Not on the ASAKA MARU.

Q. Did you call at any port on the way to MANILA?
A. We stopped at MIRI.

Q. Were any of the PoWs given a chance to get off the ship to buy vegetables or fruits for the sick?
A. We only stopped out on the roads sir. We did not go along side at all.

Q. I take it then that none of the sick were put ashore then?
A. That is right.

Q. Your next stop was MANILA, is that correct?
A. Yes.

Q. What happened there, did any of the prisoners of war get ashore?
A. So far as I know two days after we got to MANILA, well again we did not go alongside except on one occasion when we took coal aboard. Two days after we reached MANILA 8 very sick men were sent ashore. Dysentery broke out while we were out in the roads and before we left I remember rightly, 3 or 4

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Page 33 (Kwek)

Charles Simon - Examination in Chief: Contd.

A. days before we left Manila another 21 men were sent ashore.

Q. Up to the time that you were transferred to the two destroyers did you have any form of fresh fruits or fresh
vegetables issued to you in your rations?
A. I am not sure whether we had any fresh fruits. I am trying very hard to think but I am afraid I cannot give you a definite answer. It is possible that we might had it on one occasion.

Q. It wasn't such a common occurrence then that you can remember it to any extent?
A. No Sir.

Q. Now, you have mentioned a lot about destroyers, the transfer to the two destroyers. What was the reason for the change of ships?
A. During the storm, the ASAKA MARU had apparently taken in too much water and so far as I know the CAPTAIN decided to beach the ship. Well he did so and two days later two destroyers arrived, took us off on the destroyers on to KEELOON.

Q. Apart fron the roughness of the sea, did the typhoon have any effect upon the prisoners. Did it result in any hardship or anything as a result of the typhoon?
A. Definitely our hardships were increased because heavy seas washed right over the ship, as a result the sick who were on the two hatches had to shelter elsewhere. The same thing applied to the men. When we got wet all the time we had nowhere to go to dry ourselves and of course we had no food. Speaking for myself, I had no food at all right though from the time when we ran into the storm as a result of which our rations and kitchen were washed away, right up to the time just before we were taken off the ASAKA MARU on to the destroyers.

Q. Can you give an approximate number of days for that. Is it a week, a fortnight or a month?
A. We ran into the storm on the 12th of August and the ship was beached approximately midnight on the 13th or 14th of August. We were finally transferred to the destroyers on the 16th of August.

Q. Would I be right in saying that you were without food from four to five days?
A: Yes Sir.

Q. Was there no food available whatsoever for the prisoners during this time?
A. Well, before we ran into the storm it had been the practice to gather together what we call 'nutty nutty' which was dried rice found on the sides of the pan. This nutty nutty was usually stacked away in sacks. I do not know whother this was apparently produced after our cookhouse had been washed away but at that time it was already in such a condition that I just couldn't eat it.

Q. During the time that you were aboard the ASAKA MARU did you see the CAPTAIN of the ship or perhaps his second in command or his first mate. Did they every go round on inspections? Did they ever mingle with you in any respect?

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Page 34 (Kwek)

Charles Simon - Examination in Chief: Contd.

A. Never Sir.

Q. Now, how long did you stay on the destroyers before you changed to the HAKUSAN MARU?
A. Approximately 24 hours.

Q. Could you give the Court a description of the accommodation aboard the HAKUSAN MARU?
A. Well, after the first night when we just flopped down on deck we were given some time at organising. Accommodation was made and my group, i.e. 29 was allotted a hold right forward up against the bow. It was quite a small hold but we were there on our own. What happened to the other groups with regard to accommodation I am not quite sure. But I think they were given the same type of accommodation as the Japanese troops had themselves, because so far as I could see there were proper life belts aboard because the ship had been used as a trooper.

Q. Was the accommodation better or worse than that you had aboard the ASAKA MARU?
A. Well it was certainly cleaner. We did not have the run of the ship as we did on the ASAKA MARU. We were confined to the hold or below decks most of the time. We were allowed on the deck once a day. It worked out to about 7 to 10 minutes a man for a smoke and so-called wash, and that was all.

Q. Were you allowed to sleep on deck during the night?
A. No Sir. We were confined below decks in our proper places.

Q. How were you confined. Were the doors locked or how was it that you were confined?
A. The doors were not locked because there were proper latrines on the HAKUSAN MARU and if the doors had been locked we would not make our way to the latrines. We were kust told to stay put at our places and orders were issued, presumably by the Japanese to the effect that we were to stay put in our proper places.

Q. Was the food on the whole better or worse that you had on board the other ship?
A. It was definitely better than when we were on the ASAKA MARU.

Q. What about water?
A. We were given half a pint of fresh water per man per day.

Q. What about the sick, did they improve slightly with the better conditions or did they get worse?
A. I know very little of the sick on the HAKUSAN MARU because I did not see them. They were actually segregated from the main body of the party. All that I heard was, in the upper part of the ship where they were, ventilations were very very bad and as a result of that and coupled with the exhaustion we suffered on the ASAKA MARU, there were several deaths.

Q. Was that the grand total of deaths or were there any other deaths besides those you have mentioned?
A. To my knowledge on the whole from the time we started from SINGAPORE to the time we got on to JAPAN, there were 23 deaths.

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Page 35 (Kwek)

Charles Simon - Examination in Chief: Contd.

Q. On board the HAKUSAN MARU did the medical situation improve?
A. I believe, speaking for the majority of the sick who would not give way completely, the position improved considerably because of better food and I believe also better medical facilities, better care and attention all round.

Q. Were you issued with any proper life saving equipment?
A. Yes Sir.

Q. Was it sufficient for every PoW?
A. Yes Sir.

Q. Do you know if there were any signs on either of the ships as to show markings that the ships carried prisoners of war?
A. I never noticed any sign Sir.

Q. Can you give an approximate number of the guards that were actually in your party, Japanese guards with your party?
A. I should say about a dozen guards.

Q. Can you recall any instances of ill-treatment or brutality on their part?
A. There were the daily slaps. I myself was beaten once because they used to take daily roll calls on the ASAKA MARU as well as the HAKUSAN MARU and on one of the roll calls I was late on the HAKUSAN MARU because I had an attack of diarrhoea and I could not make it in time and without waiting for any explanation I was slapped on the face. Apart from that there was another serious incident when one of our men who was assisting in the kitchen apparently did not understand the order issued by the Japanese to remove a rat (?) which he had left by the side of one of the rice pans, as a result of which he was beaten, kicked and beaten several times with a rifle butt in the stomach and generally messed him around and in fact I was just a few feet away when the incident took place. I cannot remember who the Japanese was. He had a rifle with him and if he handn't been stopped in time, I shouldn't be surprised if he had bayonetted him.

Q. How do you know that he was one of the Japanese guards with your party that did it and not one of the Japanese soldiers who travelled on the same ship?
A. Because I never saw any of those Japanese that had been transported to Japan as sick go round our place and besides this man had a rifle with a fixed bayonet on it and I took him to be one of the guards.

Q. Do you know what duties the accused Lt. INO had to do?
A. So far as I know he was Officer in charge of our party. He was the Japanese in charge of the party.

Q. Any complaints therefore or protests that you wanted to make would presumably be made to him?
A. Yes Sir.

Q. Do you know of any one made and if it was made, was it done frequently?
A. Purely from hearsay, I know of several representations that were made. Beginning with the first one when they tried to confine the 750 of us in the hold. Before we actually left SINGAPORE and right through the whole of the voyage quite a few complaints must have been launched with regard to the bad conditions.

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Page 36 (Kwek)

Charles Simon - Examination in Chief: Contd.

Q. Would you say that many of these protests or pleas were successful?
A. No Sir.

Q. What was the attitude of the accused Lt. INO towards the prisoners of war?
A. Well, so far as I could see, he just couldn't care less whether we were there or not. He had a job to do and he did lt as he thought fit but he definitely did not do it as a man of his responsibility of 750 men placed in his care and trust should have done it.

Q. Could you just give an example, one or two things, that might have been done to alleviate some of the hardships
that the prisoners had to undergo?
A. Well, I think perhaps the sick could have been given better rations, although there might not have been enough vegetables to go round with to make a real meal for each man, there might have been sufficient to give to the sick more vegetables and during the storm when two big boxes that were on the deck on the ASAKA MARU burst open, quite a lot of fresh fish, papayas and ice, all just dropped out on the deck and I maintained that if Lt. INO had come round and ascertained for himself what the conditions were, he could have done something about the sick at least if not about alleviating the conditions of the men.

Q. Just one point, one last point. Did the accused Lt. INO ever come round on inspections or did he ever appear amongst the prisoners?
A. There was not a single inspection that I know of and not a single occasion in which he appeared amongst us.

(End of Examination in Chief)

Court: As we are approaching the time for adjournment, the Court will adjourn until 1000 hours tomorrow morning.

Court: I an afraid Mr. SIMON, we shall have to ask you to attend tomorrow again. You will be the first in the box and probably you will be able to go off before lunch time.

Witness: Yes Sir.

Court adjourns at 1600 hrs 3rd Sept. 1947

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Conclusion of Mr. Simon's evidence on the morning of 4th September 1947.

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Page 37 (G. Chan).

ON THE 4TH OF SEPTEMBER, 1947, AT 1000 HOURS THE COURT RE-ASSEMBLES PURSUANT TO ADJOURNMENT.
PRESENT THE SAME MEMBERS AS ON THE 3rd OF SEPTEMBER, 1947.

C. SIMON, 2ND P.W.. IS CROSS-EXAMINED BY DEFENCE COUNSEL:

Q. Do you know Mr. YARDLEY?
A. Yes.

Q. Did you go to JAPAN together with Mr. YARDLEY on board the ASAKA MARU?
A. Yes.

Q. What was Mr. YARDLEY's rank on that occasion?
A. He was a Lieutenant.

Q. What was Mr. YARDLEY doing on that occasion?
A. He was one of the officers detailed to look after one of our groups.

Q. Were you in his group?
A. No.

Q. Who was the officer-in-charge of your group?
A. He was Mr. FARRIE.

Q. Do you think that Mr. YARDLEY has full knowledge of what has happened on board the ASAKA MARU and HAKUSAN MARU?
A. I can't say whether he has full knowledge, i.e. Mr. YARDLEY himself can only answer that.

Q. Mr. YARDLEY has appeared in this Court and gave the evidence. If there should be any difference between his statement and your statement, how do you account for that - which do you think is correct?
A. That again is a difficult question to answer straightaway because my evidence really applies to what happened to was in and what happened in his vicinity, I can't tell. Further there were so many things happening at different times, he might have had some different perspective of things that I got.

Q. Of course there are differences of perspective and opinions, but on the whole do you think what Mr. YARDLEY
has said is correct:

( COURT ): I must point out that witnesses do not hear each other give evidence, therefore the witness is not able to answer the question as put by you.

You may be able to get the answer you require but I suggest you put the question in another form.

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P. 38 (G. Chan)

(Defence) I understand.

Q. When you went on board the ASAKA MARU you said all the 750 men were put into the hold but according to Mr. YARDLEY's statement, he said not all the 750 men were put into the hold. Is his statement incorrect?
A. First of all, I should like to know what his statement was.

Q. Mr. Yardley said that not all the 750 men were put into the hold.
A. Well, yesterday I did say that, to my knowledge 750 men which comprised the total party were put on board, but I do not know whether any sick men had been left behind in SINGAPORE. I make that qualification.

Q. You have mentioned that too many people were crammed into the hold as a result of that some men fainted, how many persons altogether?
A. I can't give you the exact figure but I should imagine in the short space of time that I was there, it must have been pretty heavy to be sure - in the region of 40 - 50 men.

Q. Were all these people who fainted taken up to the deck?
A. Not at first.

Q. Did two Korean guards take these people who fainted up on the deck later on?
A. I never saw any guards whatsoever in the hold.

Q. Mr. YARDLEY has mentioned that two Korean guards took all those who fainted up on the deck. Is that not correct?
A. I can't say; what I know i.e. in the short space of time that I was there, when these men were fainting nothing was done and we were waiting to hear from our officers as to what was urgently going to be done from the Japanese. When no decision came from that direction we decided that we would have to take the law in our own hands and we just helped our own comrades who were ill out of the holds. That is all I know.

(Court): May I interrupt here - where did you find that on the RECORD? You mesn: "Mr. YARDLEY said that 2 Korean guards helped those fainting men up on the deck"?

(Defence): I thought I heard Mr. YARDLEY mention that in the Court but I have just received the transcript.

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P. 39 - (G. Chan)

(Court): Mr. YARDLEY did say that two or three Korean guards were packing the men into the hold. There is nothing on the RECORD to say that Korean guards took the men out. You probably confused this statement but quite definitely there is nothing in the RECORD about it. You must not assume things as facts when they are not proved as facts.

(Defence): Maybe that was my mistake Sir, I like to withdraw that question.

Q. You said that no measures were taken when the people fainted but was it not a fact they were allowed to carry water with buckets for the fainted people?
A. Definitely not.

Q. Did you have shelters at two places on board the ASAKA MARU at the stern and at the bar of the ship?
A. What do you mean by shelters?

Q. What I mean is some canvas covering.
A. Yes, as I have stated in my statement yesterday, there was some covering put up later on to give shelter but only to the sick people by our own arrangement that was put under this railing.

Q. Was tea served on board the ASAKA MARU?
A. We never had tea on the ASAKA MARU.

Q. How many people died on board the HAKUSAN MARU?
A. I didn't keep a record, but from what I had gone through this experience I gather that 19 men died on the HAKUSAN MARU.

Q. According to your knowledge how many people did actually die on board the two ships ASAKA MARU and the HAKUSAN MARU until you reached JAPAN?
A. 23 .

Q. Were you allowed to have physical exercise on board the ASAKA MARU?
A. There were orders to the contrary whereas as we were so crammed and as conditions were so bad we had felt like taking exercises.

Q. Then was Lt. YARDLEYs group allowed to have exercise on board the ASAKA MARU, was his group encouraged to have exercise on board this ship?
A. I am not in a position to answer that.

Q. You have mentioned that all the portholes were ordered to be closed on board the HAKUSAN MARU. Do you know the reason why they were ordered to be closed?
A. We were told that we were in dangerous waters and to ensure any proper blackout all the portholes had to be closed from sundown to sunrise.

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P. 40 (G. Chan)

Q. You have mentioned that on one occasion a certain PoW was assaulted by a Japanese guard at the ship's galley. The Japanese guard was carrying a rifle. with bayonet fixed and if nobody had stopped him, he would have bayonetted the PoW. Who actually did stop him from bayonetting the PoW. Do you know who?
A. Well, there was quite a crowd of people gathered round this incident and the PoWs were getting more and more angry and shouts were raised and eventually I think there was some Korean or Japanese who stopped the Japanese guard. You see, he was working himself up into a frenzy and we could all see that quite clearly and eventually I think it was some Japanese who actually did stop this guard.

Q. You have said Lt. Ino did not carry out his duty properly. What is the reason which makes you say that?
A. The only reason is that to my mind an officer who has 750 men placed in his responsibility, care and trust should make regular, at least weekly inspections as we had in the British Army to see that the men get nearly all they want or to try and make conditions as easy as possible and seeing that Lt. Ino never did actually make any inspection, to my knowledge I can only form my opinion that he failed in his duty.

Q. He might not have the regular inspection as you have in the British Army but did he not come round and see the PoW occasionally?
A. I have never seen him. I only saw him once and that was after the ship had been stopped when we were waiting on the Asaka Maru to be taken off and I was then crossing the bridge making my way towards the forward part of the ship
and I saw Lt. Ino standing somewhere on the Captain's cabin which I presume to be the Captain's cabin.

Q. Do you say that the captain of the Asaka Maru did not carry out his duty properly?
A. Well, that is a question which is very difficult to answer because I did not really know what his duties were apart from running the ship whether he had been detailed by anybody higher up in the Japanese Army to be responsible for the prisoners' conditions. This I do not know.

Q. Do you know whether the sick on board the Asaka Maru were supplied with fresh water?
A. I do not think so because I know of my own particular friend who had malaria several times who I mentioned yesterday never had a drop of fresh water given to him.

Q. According to Mr. Yardley's statement, he says sick men received fresh water. Do you think that is incorrect?
A. To my knowledge that is incorrect.

(Defence) That closes my cross-examination.

( No Re-examination).

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P. 41 (G.Chan)

QUESTIONED BY THE COURT:

Q. Mr. Simon, during the whole of the voyage were you at any time sick in hospital, I mean when I say hospital I mean the part of the ship that was assigned for very sick people.
A. No, Sir.

Q. Can we assume from that, then, you were in a position to see what was going on around you not only in your own part of the ship but other parts of the ship.
A. Whilst sailing on the Asaka Maru I did not feel inclined to move about much, I mean, I was far too depressed to worry much about the forward part of the ship. I could sometimes see what went round on the other deck but generally all my time was taken up by looking after my frineds who were very sick on the Hakusan Maru. Well, I was so taken up with my own personal affairs leaving practically no time to mind what was happening around the other part of the ship.

Q. If you knew Mr. Yardley during the time of this incident we are investigating now, will you tell us how well you know him.
A. I only knew him as a someone who had been in Malaya before the War and as an officer in charge of one of the groups. To my memory if it serves me right, I don't think I ever spoke with him on the voyage because I just had no time whatsoever. He was in a totally different part of the ship from where I was.

Q. Is it within your knowledge, Mr. Simon, who was responsible for the order that men should be accommodated on deck. Do you remember you said that these people were all crowded in the hold, then an order came up for them to be partly accommodated on deck. That was in your evidence yesterday wasn't it?
A. I am afraid I don't know who was originally responsible for that order. The order just came through to us to the men of my group through our Sgt. Major who said that an arrangement had been made by the higher-ups that 450 men were allowed on deck on the Asaka Maru and 350 men to remain in the hold. That at first it was thought it would be better to arrange this accommodation by groups but then as some men preferred down the hold and others on the deck, well, it was really left to the men themselves.

Q. How many prisoners-of-war officers were on board?
A. There were altogether 7 officers including 2 medical officers.

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P. 42 (G. Chan)

Q. Can you tell us from your knowledge whether they were afforded any privileges or advantages that the other ranks did not have?
A. To my knowledge they had the same food as we had, same conditions; I can't say anything at all about their accommodation because I just never noticed them in the upper deck or at night where they were sleeping on but whenever we had meals they were with us all the time.

Q. Had you at any time previous to this voyage to Japan from Singapore met the accused No.2 i.e. Lt. Ino?
A. No, Sir.

Q. Can you give us approximately the position of the ship's galley from midship, fore or aft of the ship?
A. Is that the ship's galley which is distinct from the PoW cook-house?

Q. Yes.
A. The ship's galley was near enough the mid-ship.

Q. Now when was the Pow in the galley or the place where they cooked their food before they used or after they used the ship's galley?
A. I seem to remember they used the ship's galley on one occasion which they were allowed to use.

Q. Well, do you know of any place other than the ship's galley where the prisoners-of-war were permitted to cook?
permitted to cook?
A. There was some sort of cookhouse erected up on the upper deck where I was, I mean on the starboard beam on the upper welter-deck. It was just there and that was where all the cooking was done for all the prisoners.

(Court) Any questions to put through the Court arising out of the questions asked by the Court?

(Prosecutor) No, Sir.

(Defence) May the witness be asked whether he was in the Thai PoW Camp or not?

(Court) Were you in the Thai PoW Camp or not?

(Witness) Yes, Sir.

(Defence) Then may he be asked whether he knows the Camp Commandant or not, who the Camp Commandant was on that occasion?

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P. 43 (G. Chan)

(Court) I will put the question to the witness as from my experience in these courts there were innumerable camps there. Is he referring to any particular camp I would like to know that.

(Defence) The camp to which witness belonged.

(Court) Will you answer that question?

(Witness) During the two years that I was in Siam, 2 years short 10 days, I must have been in at least 10 to 12 camps.

(Defence) Thank you very much, that closes my cross-examination.

(Court) Well, thank you Mr. Simon, you are now released.

 

More exhibits introduced by the prosecution listed.

EXHIBIT "S" The Prosecutor reads and hands in a Statement by the Japanese Shipping Transport Services Regulations (in original) which is marked Exhibit "S", signed by the President and attached to the proceedings.

EXHIBIT "T" The Prosecutor reads and hands in a Statement by the Army Transport Military Extracts (in original) which is marked Exhibit "T" signed by the President and attached to the proceedings.

EXHIBIT "U" The Prosecutor reads and hands in an Affidavit of Lt. Ino Takeo (In original), which is marked Exhibit "U" signed by the President and attached to the proceedings.

EXHIBIT "V" The Prosecutor reads and hands in an Affidavit (in 3 parts) of Ship Master Odake Banji (in original), which is marked Exhibit "V" signed by the President and attached to the proceedings.

EXHIBIT "W" The Prosecutor reads and hands in Affidavit of Ship Master Odake Banji (in original) which is marked

EXHIBIT "X" The Prosecutor reads and hands in Affidavit of Ship Master Odake Banji (in original) which is marked Exhibit "X" signed by the President and attached to the proceedings.

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P1330892

Exhibit "S"

Japanese Shipping Transport Service Regulations.

Extraot of Field Operational Manual Pt III


Para 3： Duties, and Missions of Transport Commander on an Army Transport.

a. Definition. The Senior Offteer of the unit aboard each
transport (in case of transient units commanded by staff officers
it will be the Sentor Staff Officer), will be the transport commander.
The General Officer, ASTC, can, if necessary, assign another
officer as Transport Commander.

b. Duties. The transport commander will be in charge of
embarkation and debarkation, security during the voyage, and the
delegation of matters concerning supplies. However, it is the
responsibility of each unit commander to maintain discipline and
execute various regulations, etc. The transport commander cannot
interfere with departure, arrival, or movement of ships unless
specially authorized.

Para 4(2) The Transport Commander will take general command by taking
position in the viciniy of pier (sea-well) at the time of
embarkation of military units. He will always maintain close
contact with officers in charge of loading and the anchorage
commander to complete loading with specified time. On completion
he will go aboard.

(3) Upon completion of loading, the transport commander will
report this fact to the Anchorage Commander, Supervising Officer,
and Captain of the ship, and will inspect the condition
of the cargo by going through the ship.

Para 5. On Board Ship.

The transport Commander will immediately consult with the
Supervising Officer and Captain on security within the ship
and administrative duties of military units and thereupon
issue the necesary orders.

The Transport Commander will set forth the necessary
matters concerning various administrative duties such as
daily schedules, fire prevention, rations, sanitation, etc.

Para 6. The Transport Commander must encourage the troops on board
as well as those on duty and, consulting with the ship's
Captain, must maintain high standards of sanitation. When
sanitation and veterinary supplies are needed by the troops
ship's captain and will return the equipment after use. He
must make the individuals who handled expendable supplies
propare a receipt and hand it over to the Captain.

I certify that the above are true extracts from a Japanoese translation
of the Field Operational Manual, as recently recd from TOKYO.

/sgd./ M.G.A. Watson Maj.
sgd. M.G.A. WATSON Major.

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Exhibit "T"

P1330893


Army Shipping Transport MIlitary Operations Regulation.

——

Chapter I. Section I.

Embarkation and Disembarkation.

Para 56. The army will carry out its embarkation and disembarkation
for itself based upon the rules and regulations
which have been decided upon by the embarkation commandant
in connection with them as well as upon the agreements
which are to be established between itself and this commandant.

Para 57. The transport troop commander (his proxy in unavoidable
circumstances) will proceed beforehand to the embarkation
point with the necessary number of the personnel (if
practicable, those who are to be on duty later). He will
inform to the embarkation commandant, by delivering to him
the specifications for the transport of men and materials,
with reference to the number and quantity of the above
which are to be embarked. He will then, be informed by
embarkation commandant of all rules and regulations concerning
embarkation, matters regarding protection. The
Transport troop commander will then issue orders concerning
embarkation in proper time after reconnoitring the
embarkation point and the inside of the transport ships.

The matters which are to be laid in the orders to be
given by the transport troop commander regarding embarkation
are mostly as follows:

The embarkation troops and the distribution in the ship
concerning embarkation and loading.

The time for the commencement and conclusion of embarkation
and loading.

The method and time of assembly.

How to carry out embarkation and loading (the order for
embarkation and loading, allotment of boats, the distribution
of practice for embarkation and loading, the boat's
side, and the movement of ships.)

The allotment of duties for the personnel on duty and
guards and the time and place to which they are to be sent
out.

The supply and sanitation in ships.

Matters concerning the preventive and relief measures
against danger.

The position of the transport troop commander and the
time of embarkation, etc.

Para 62(6). After the loading is over the members of the shore
party must inspect the inside and the outside of the point
of embarkation, examine the existence of leavings and after
confirming the completion of the whole embarkation report
to the transport troop commander and get on board awaiting
his order.

Para 63. The transport troop commander usually taken up the position
near the pier (quay) during the embarkation of the
troops and command the whole matters and also always keeping
the close relation with the embarkation officer and the
embarkation commandant and endeavouring to complete the
loading within the fixed time he gets on board lastly.

If such a situation as which effects the progress of
embarkation arises he makes, if necessary, arrangements
with the embarkation commendant concerning its disposition.

Para. 64. As soon as embarkation has completed, the transport
commander will report it to the embarkation commander, the
supervising officer of ship transport and the captain and
inspect the interior of the ship to examine the condition
of embarkation.

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-2-

Section II.

Para 68. The transport troop commander, after consulting with
the supervising officer and the captain, will give
necessary orders concerning protection and interior duty
of troops in the ship.

Para 69. The transport troop commander will regulate necessary
affairs regarding interior duties such as various duties,
times of daily routine, precautions against fire, supply
and sanitation etc.

Para 70. Guards maintain the discipline in the ship, take precautionary
measures against fires, and pay attention to
sanitary; and the number d men will be decided in accordance
with the number of the posts.

The clothing and service of the personnel on duty are
decided by the transport troop commander.

Para 80. In the case that the rations are furnished in contract
by the shipowner, the transport commander, should the food
is not good enough or is not sufficient enough in checking
the menu presented by the captain, is to request the latter
and strive to improve it.

Para 81. The rations in ship are usually ranged from the supper of
the day of embarkation to the luncheon of the day of landing,
however, several luncheons are allowed to be carried in
landing in circumstances, especially in the case of landing
before the enemy. If necessitated by the circumstances
after landing, embarked troops are ordered to land carrying
with a part of the reserved provisions and fodder. In this
case it is usually ordered previously.

Para 82. The transport troop commander should keep the hygiene in
a good condition in urging the embarked troops and service
men and also in consulting the captain, especially it should
be so when the navigation continues for a long time or in
the case of transport in hot seasons. For the purpose, the
transport commander should make every effort with various
means avallable in order to increase the appetite of soldiers
with such measures as encouraging spirit, improving the physical
strength in giving military trainings and physical
athleties, and also conducting hygienic education and preventive
injections, paying attentions to ventilators in the
ship, keeping clean of the kitchen, bath rooms and toilets
and taking preventive methods against the seasick in using
medicines in necessity.

I certify that the above are true extracts from a Japanese translation
of the Army Shipping Transport Military Operations Regulations,
recently recd from TOKYO.

/sgd./ M.G.A. Watson
Sfd. M.G.A. WATSON Major.

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Exhibit "U"

P1330895

Exhibit U

Certificate in accordance with R.P. 4 (E).

I, J. HUGHES WILKINSON certify that I have now duly warned (the
accused) Lt. INO TAKEO in the following terms.

"Do you wish to make any statement or to give evidence on oath?
You are not obliged to say anything or give evidence unless you wish
to do so, but whatever you say or any evidence you give will be taken
down in writing and may be given in evidence." R.P. 4 (E)

(The accused) Lt. INO TAKEO states that he
will make a statement upon oath.

Sgd: - J.HUGHES WILKINSON Rank F/Lt.

Date:- 28 DEC 46

---

Sworn statement by Lt INO TAKEO.

I, INO TAKEO make oath and say as follows:-

I have been duly warned that I am not obliged to make any statement but that whatever I say will be taken down in writing and may be used in evidence.

I wish to state voluntarily that ;-

The principle cause for the illness and deaths on both
the ASAKA MARU and HAKUSAN MARU amongst the PsW was because the
voyage was a long one. Another reason was that the food the PsW
received was bad in comparison to that which they received in the
PsW camps ashore. I brought this matter to the member of the
ship's crew who was in charge of the food on board. I was told
that the food allotted to the PsW was fixed and they would have to
do with what they were given.

The PsW received and carried the regulated or fixed
amount of medical supplies. If there was any shortage on board
a ship, they were to be supplemented from the medical supplies carried
by the ship. In this case there were none carried on the ship.
Hence they wore not able to receive any.

When the ship was at MANILA I sent KANEHARA, who is now
in KOREA, to the PsW camp to obtain medical supplies. He was able
to procure some. Also, while at MANILA, I got about thirty PsW
hospitalised. These were left behind when the ship sailed.

On the ASAKA MARU there were not many sick. The PsW were
allowed complete freedom of the ship. At first they were not allowed,
but I got this permission from the ship's master.

On the HAKUSAN MARU there were many sick PsW. The ship's
master at first refused to allow the sick on deck. I approached a
Japanese medical officer, who was with another unit. He saw the
ship's master who at last consented. The sick PSw were then given
separate quarters on deck.

Throughout the whole voyage on both ships from SINGAPORE
to MOJI there were thirteen deaths amongst the PsW.

At all times I did my best for the welfare of the PsW.

The above statement has been read over to me by an interpreter and is
a true and correct transcript of what I have said, to the whole of
which statement I now append my signature.

Signed at CHANGI JAIL this 28th day of DECEMBER 1946.

Signature:- INO TAKEO.

Sworn before me

Sgdi:- J. HUGHES WILKINSON F/Lt.

This 28th day of DECEMBER 1946.

An officer detailed to examine the above by C-in-C ALFSEA.

I, NIZUTA Shigetoshi make oath and say that I truly and correctly
translated to the accused INO TAKEO the words of the above caution
and that he thereupon elected to make a sworn statement, that he was
duly sworn, and that he then nade a statement which I truly and
correctly translated in English and saw taken down by F/Lt. J. HUGHES
WILKINSON. I read over the whole of the above statement to the
accused in the JAPANESE language and he acknowledged it as correct
and has now duly signed it in my presence and in the presence of
F/Lt. J. HUGHESE WILKINSON.

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- 2 -

I, certify that no inducement threat or promise was held out to the
accused and that he made the above statement entirely voluntarily.

Signed this 20th day of DECEMBER 1946.

Signature:- MIZUTA Shigetoshi.

Sworn before me (signature) J. HUGHES WILKINSON (rank) F/Lt.
(deseription) No 7 WAR CRIMES INVESTIGATION TEAM this 28th day
of DECEMBER 1946.
An officer detailed to examine the above by the C-in-C ALFSEA.

(Authy. ALFSEA War Crimes Instruction No. 1 para. . .)


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Exhibit "V"

P1330898

Exhibit "V"

Summary of examination of: ODAKE Bunji.

Occupation: Ships Master.

Address: TOYAMA-KEN, HIGASHI-TONANI-GUN, TEMACHI, SUEINOKI-SHIN, 87/2.

Duly sworn states, I am 48 years of age, of Japanese nationality and
born at: TOYAMA-KEN, HIGASHI-TONAMI-GUN, TEMACHI, SUGINOKI-SHIN, 87/2.

My pernanent home is: TOYAMA-КEN, НІGАSНІ-TONAMI-GUN, TEMACHI, SUGI-NOKI-SHIN, 87/2

I was Master of the 4681 ton cargo vessel ASAKA-MARU fron June 1942
to Jan 1945. She belonged to the HAMANE KISEN KABUSHIKI KAISHA КOBE.
She was sunk in the middle of Jan 45 by the Allied Aircraft bombing in
the harbour of TAKAO, FORMOSA.

In June 1944 I received orders to take on board 742 PW for transfer
SINGAPORE to JAPAN. They embarked on the 18th June from wharf. The
ship moved them out of harbour and actually sailed on 4 July 1944
in convoy consisting of about 24 ships. I do not remember the names of
other ships and the position of my ship in convoy. We reached MILI,
BORNEO on 8.7.44, and left it on 10.7.44,: Arrived in MANILA on 16.7.44.
Left MANILA on the 8th of August and on the same day arrived in BATAAN.
Left it on the 9th and reached ST. FERNANDO on the 10th.Left it on the
12.8. About noon of the next day net with a typhoon. The velocity of
the wind was 7.8 and was increasing. The convoy was broken up. The
storm damaged the ship and flooded the engine room. A signal was sent to
TAKAO Anchorage Command, and on the 16th No 6 and No 61 KAIBOKAN arrived
and took on board 746 passengers and about 70 members of the erew. 28
members of the crew, myself and 4 passengers were left on board the ASAKA
MARU. All the PW were transferred, It was the last time I saw them.
The ship arrived in TAKAO in tow of NAGATE MARU on 3.9.44.

The ships officers during the voyage fron SINGAPORE to TAKAO were
as follows:-

Master - ODAKE Bunji.

Chief Enginneer: MORI Naoki (KOBE-SHI, SUMA-KU, SEKIMORI-CHO, 2/17).

1st Engineer Officer: FURATANI Mitsutsu (YAMAGUCHI-SHI, O.AZA, MIYA-NOSHITA, 2773)

2nd Engineer Officer: HANASHIDA Takumi (HIROSHIMA-KEN, TOYODA-GUN, HAMAMURA, AZA, O-HAMA, 1257).

3rd Engineer Officer: TEJIMA Kingo (YAHATA-SHI, O-AZA, FUJITA, 573)

Purser: HAYASHI Niichiro (SHIGA-KEN, SAKATA-GUN, MAEBARA-MACHI, O-AZA, ISO, 1962).

Chief Steward: OISHI Iitaro (WAKAMATSU-SHI, FUKUDA-MACHI, 20 ).

O.C. Troops: INO Takeo Lieut.

P.W. Draft Conducting Officer: and 26 NCOs and privates, ( I do not know their names )

1st Officer: KI Hideo ( KAGOSHIMA-KEN, KAWABE-GUN, NISHI-MINAMI -KATA-MURA, TOMARI, 483 )

Q. Did any other ship in the convoy, carry PW?

A. I think that some of them carried PW but I do not know the names.

Q. The number of PW in the draft?

A. 742 PW

Q. Where were the PW accomodated on board?

A. PW were accomodated in the four holds on the upper tween deck.

Q. How many were in each place of accomodation?

A. I do not remember.

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- 2 -

Q. Give a complete description of the method of accomodation,

A. I do not know. This was fixed by the Anchorage Command.

Q. How much space was allowed per PW?

A. I do not remember exactly. About 4 persons to l tsubo of space.

Q. Was there additional cargo carried besides PW? If so how much and where?

A. We carried 5750 ton of Bauxite and 601 ton of manganese in the lower holds.

Q. What ventilation facilities were given?

A. Ventilation facilities were not very good as it was a cargo ship.There were 4 metal ventilators to each held, and canvas wind catchers were rigged up to the hatches, 1 to each hatch. As it was very hot in the holds PW usually slept on the deck.

Q. Was there any life-saving equipment provided for PW? If so was this amount sufficient?

A. I think there was sufficient amount of life-jackets. Afew rafts, 4 life-boats.

Q. Was what we know as "boat drill" ever carried out as far as the PW were concerned?

A. It was done twice, I think.

Q. Were the PW given instructions as what to do if the ship sank? If so, what were their instructions?

A. I explained to O.C. Troops at the time of embarkation what the passengers should do in case of an emergeney.

Q. What facilities were given for exercise.

A. PW were allowed on deck during the daytime. And some of them slept on deck at night.

Q. Were the PW battened down at any time?

A. Only during the typhoon.

Q. What lighting facilities were in the PW quarters?

A. There were dimmed eleetric lights in the PW quarters.

Q. Give the complete ration scale and amount of water or other liquid received per PW per day?

A. I do not remember. The Chief cook was in charge of issuing rations. Water was issued by the Chief Mate.

Q. Who was responsible for seeing that the PW rations were collected and brought on board before sailing? Not only rations but adequate drinking water? Where were they supplied from?

A. Food rations were collected fron the Anchorage Command by the cook. Water supply was supervised by the Chief Mate, and was also obtained from the anchorage command.

Q. How many PW became ill on the voyage?

A. I do not remenber. But 33 PW were sent to hospital in MANILA.

Q. What was the nature of the illness?

A. I think it was typhus.

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- 4 -

(Sgd) Signature: { in Japanese characters} ODAKE Bunji

Interpreter.

I certify that I duly translated the above summary to the witness in his own language, prior to his signature which appears above.

(Sgd) Signature S. Kassatkin, Maj.

Sworn before me (signature) S Kassatkin (rank) Major
Description) Interrogating Officer This 27th day of Jan. 1947

Detailed to examine the above by the Commander in Chief, Allied Land Forces, South East Asia.

Authy: ALFSEA War Crimes Instruction No 1 (2nd Edition) Para 19 (a).

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Exhibit "W"

P1330901

Exhibit "W"

I Maj. S. KASSATKIN certify that I have now duly warned the accused: ODAKE Bunji in the following terms.

"Do you wish to make any statement or to give evidence on oath? You are not obliged to say anything or give evidence unless you wish to do so but whatever you say or any evidence you give will be taken down in writing, and may be given in evidence." R.P. 4 (E)

The accused.: ODAKE Bunji states thet he will make a statement upon oath.

Signature: S. Kassatkin. Maj

(Name in Block Letters) S. KASSATKIN

Date.: 7th March 1947

I ODAKE Bunji make oath and say as follows:

I have been duly warned that I am not obliged to make any statement, but that whatever I say will be taken down in writing and may be used in evidence. I wish to state voluntarily that my service history is as follows.

My name is ODAKE Bunji and my occupation is Ship's Master. I am 48 years of age, of Japanese Nationality and born at: TOYAMA-KEN, HIGASHI-TONAI-GUN, TEMACHI, SUGINOKI-SHIN 87/2. My permanent address is as above.

In addition to my statement of the 27th of Jan 1947, I wish to state that:-

Embarkation orders.

In the beginning of Jun 1944, I received orders from the Anchorage Command in SINGAPORE to take on board 749 PW. It was a verbal order given to me by an officer of, I think, Planning Section, whose name I do not know. At that time the ship was to be loaded with Bauxite and Manganese and I thought it would be dangerous to take any passengers. I expressed my opinion to the officer, however, I was told that could not be helped due to the shortage of shipping. This order was confirned by a written order from the Anchorage Comand prior to sailing.

Accommodation, equipment and life-saving gear.

Prior to embarkation the available accommodation was inspected by the O.C.Troops (Lt. INO Takeo) and a representative from the Anchorage Command, The accommodation was shown to them by the Chief Mate (KI Hideo), the Purser (HAYASHI Niichiro) and myself. { In each of the four holds there were sleeping bunks, as far as I can remember.} Allocation of holds to PW was done by the O.C.Troops.

I requested the installation of additional latrines for PW, but due to shortage of materials the Anchorage Command did not satisfy fully my request. I do not remember the exact nunber of latrines.

On my request, rafts for the PW and bamboo life-jackets were supplied by the Anchorage Command. I think, there was no shortage of these. I handed over the rafts and jackets to the O.C. Troops who distributed them to each hold.

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- 2 -

Overcrowding.

There was no excessive overcrowding of PW on this voyage and they had sleeping space. Japanese troops on previous voyages were much more overcrowded.

Conditions of PW

At the time of embarkation the health of PW was not so bad, although there were a few sick among them.

During the voyage, as I previously stated about 33 Pw became sick and were left in MANILA; three died of typhus on this voyage.

At the time of the transfer of PW from the "ASAKA MARU" to the Coast Defence ships (KAIBOKAN), PW looked quite healthy. I saw them from the bridge.

Medical supplies.

As far as I know, medical supplies for the PW were issued by the PW Administration and were carried by them. O.C.Troops (who, I think, was at the same time was a PW Draft Commander) directed their issue. A PW doctor, whose name I do not know, requested some medicine from the Chief Mate and the Purser. This matter was referred to me and I allowed the use of the ship's medical chest by the PW doctor.

Food rations and water

Food rations for the crew, PW and the Japanese troops were received from the Anchorage Command by the Chief Steward and the Ration scale was laid down by the Anchorage Command. As far as I remember PW were getting less food than the Japanese. Issue of food was supervised by the O.C.Troops. Water was supplied by the Anchorage Command and stored by the Chief Mate, who issued it to the Chief Steward for boiling and distribution. I do not remember the ration scale.

O.C.Troops (or Ship's Commandant) Lt. INO Takeo, was responsible for the following:

1. Allocation of Accommodation for the PW. He issued actual orders regarding this, taking in consideration the opinion of Chief Mate, Purser, and Master. I remember that on this voyage when a number of PW became sick, O.C.Troops consulted the Chief Mate regarding the accommodation for the sick PW. The Chief Mate referred this matter to me and we decided to transfer PW from the aft hold to other holds and to use the aft hold for the sick PW only.

2. Direction of all matters pertaining to the PW and troops on board.

3. Security measures (in co-operation with the Ship's crew) and protection of ship during the voyage against enemy air, surface or submarine attacks.

Responsibility in disaster

It was generally understood that in case of a disaster orders to the Units and PW to abandon the ship were to be issued by the O.C.Troops on advice of the Captain. General direction of rescue work was to be the responsibility of the Naval Convoy Commander.

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- 3 -

Ship's Master

As a Master of the ship I was responsible for the navigation and security of ship against ordinary maritime risks. I, therefore, inspected the ship several times during the voyage. On these Inspections I noticed that places of accommodation of PW and latrines were kept clean by the PW and were in a much better condition than when the Japanese troops were transported. Members of the crew assisted them in this matter.

Guards

All the guards, as far as I know, were KOREANS. I do not know their names.

The above statement has been read over to me by an interpreter and is a true and correct transcript of what I have said, to the whole of which statement iI now append my signature.

Signed at BMWCLS, TOKYO this 7th day of March, 1947.

Signature: ( in Japanese characters)

Name in Block Letters: ODAKE Bunji

Sworn before me

Signature: S. Kassatkin rank: Maj.
description: Interrogating Officer this 7th day of March 1947

An officer detailed to examine the above by the Commander in Chief, Allied Land Forces, South East Asia (Authy
ALFSEA War Crimes Instruction No 1 2nd Edition, para 19 (a)

Certificate of Interpreter

I, Maj. S. KASSATKIN make oath and say that I truly and correctly translated to the accused: ODAKE Bunji the words of the above caution and that he thereupon elected to make a sworn statement, that he was duly sworn, and that he then made a statement which I truly and correctly translated in English and saw taken down by: — . I read over the whole of the above statement to the accused in the: Japanese language and he acknowledged it as correet and has now duly signed it in my presence and in the presence of: — .

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- 4 -

I certify that no inducement threat or promise was held out to the accused and that he made the above statement entirely voluntarily.

Signed this. 7th day of March 1947.

Signature: S. Kassatkin, Maj.

(name in Block Letters): S. KASSATKIN

Sworn before me: N. Reed? Collins rank Lt. Col

description: O.C. BMWCLS this Seventh day of March 1947.

An officer detailed to examine the above by the Commander in Chief, Allied Land Forces, South East Asia (Authy : ALFSEA War Crimes Instruction No. 1 2nd Edition, para 19a)

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Prosecution closes, and end of proceedings on 4th September, 1947. { The court gave its findings on Page 97, and there are a few more exhibits. }

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P. 44 (G.Chan)

PROSECUTION IS CLOSED

(Court) Will you tell the accused that the Court have heard all the evidence that is being given by the Prosecution.
The time has now come for them to make their defence. It is my duty to inform them as to their rights in this respect.
Firstly, they need say nothing at all; secondly, they may make a statement not on oath or hand in a written statement not on oath; thirdly, evidence can be given on an oath from the witness-box as they have seen evidence given by the Prosecution witnesses. In the first two instances they cannot be cross-examined or questioned by the Court. If they give evidence on oath they are likely to be cross-examined by the Prosecutor and asked questions by the Court. Evidence given on oath is given more credence by the Court because it can be tested by questioning and cross-examined. Finally, the decision as to the method they will adopt in their defence is entirely a matter for them but I feel that they will be guided by their Defence Counsel.

(Court) I will just ask the routine questions and then we will adjourn. Do you intend to call in witnesses in your defence?

Counsel: The two accused will give evidence on oath Sir.

(Defence) Before entering into my defence, I have to make preparations for my Opening Address.

(Court) May I have the answer to my question - do you wish to call in witnesses in your defence i.e. 'Yes' or 'No'?

(Defence) Three witnesses apart from the two accused, Sir.

(Court) Are they witnesses as to character only?

(Defence) All of them are as to facts, Sir.

May I ask for an adjournment until tomorrow to make my preparations because I have only received day before yesterday's transcript and not received yesterday's. I must go through the transcript.

(Court) The Adjournment is granted until 1000 Hrs. Tomorrow.

(AT 1200 HOURS THE COURT ADJOURNS UNTIL 1000 HOURS ON THE 5TH OF SEPTEMBER, 1947, TO ENABLE DEFENCE COUNSEL TO PREPARE HIS OPENING ADDRESS).

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{Page not numbered}

{ Standard typed Court Form inserted}

DEFENCE

The accused {is}/are asked the following questions :

Do you wish to give evidence on oath?
Answer Yes.

{ (If the answer is in the negative) - Do you wish to make - a statement not on oath? }

{Answer}

Do you intend to call any witnesses in your defence?
Answer Yes

Are they witnesses to character only?
Answer No

Counsel/ {defending officer/accused make (s) {no} /the attached opening address marked. . . "Y". . . (only applicable if one or more witnesses as to the facts of the case are to be called by the defence R.P. 41).

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Page 45 Tan.

(AT 1000 HOURS ON THE 5TH OF SEPTEMBER, 1947, THE COURT RE-ASSEMBLES PURSUANT TO ADJOURNMENT. PRESENT THE SAME MEMBERS AS ON THE 4TH OF SEPTEMBER, 1947.)

—

EXHIBIT "Y" Officer assisting the Defence reads and hands in Opening Address for the Defence, which is marked Exhibit "Y", signed by the President, and attached to the proceedings.

EXHIBIT "Z" Officer assisting the Defence reads and hands in statement of OISHI ITARO, which is marked Exhibit "Z", signed by the President, and attached to the proceedings.

EXHIBIT "AA" Officer assisting the Defence reads and hands in Affidavit of Lt. Col. A.A Jobnson, which is marked Exhibit "AA", signed by the President, and attached to the proceedings.

(The Court informs Defence Counsel that as the last mentioned Affidavit constituted evidence as to character, and as it was being produced at this stage of the proceedings, the Prosecutor was entitled to bring in evidence of bad character)

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P1330908

Exhibit "Y"

OPENING ADDRESS IN DEFENCE OF THE ACCUSED

BY

ABE Taro

Defence Counsel

In the case of

Ship's Master ODAKE BUNJI
Lieutenant INO Takeo

—

Mr. President and Members of this Honourable Military Court:-

Both the first accused, ODAKE Bunji and the second accused, Lt. INO Takeo, are charged with commiting a war crime in that they, as ship's master and officer in charge of a P.O.W.s draft consisting of 750 British P.O.W.s who were being transported from Singapore to Moji, Japan, were together concerned with the ill-treatment of the said P.O.W.s, thereby contributing to the death of some and causing mental suffering to many others of said P.O.W.s. In this respect, the abstract of evidence reads:

"The first accused, ODAKE Bunji, as master of the ASAKA MARU was guilty of gross negligence by failing in his duty to improve the lot of the P.O.W.s by such means as were in his power; by failing in his duty to arrange an equal distribution of medical supplies between the Japanese troops and the P.O.W.s; by failing in his duty to allocate adequate and edible food for consumption by the P.O.W.s."

"The second accused, INO Takeo, as P.O.W.s draft conmander, was guilty of failing in his duty to concern himself with the physical and mental welfare of the P.O.W.s; although in a position in which he must have been fully aware of the pitiful conditions under which the P.O.W.s were living, he failed in his duty to improve their living quarters, to improvise additional latrine facilities, and to make it possible for a reasonable standard of hygience to be observed. His callous indifference and deliberate neglect was the main cause of so much sickness and so many death among the P.O.W.s."

In point of fact, however, the Japanese Army and Navy, at that time, were panting, struggling and agonizing painfully under the pressure of the unfavourable situation of the war which was at its last stage and, on account of this, only a limited quantity and quality of food and poor equipment of ship were available to both accused, who made and exerted the maximum of their efforts in an attempt to improve the lot and living conditions of P.O.W.s aboard

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the ship. Therefore, I wish to submit that both the accused can not be said as having failed
their duties.

In other words, those details which have been pointed out as act of ill-treatment were all outside the bounds of the responsibility of the two accused persons.

Therefore, both accused plead not guilty to the charge and I, the Defence Counsel, wish to make them stand in the witness-box to get their case proved by themselves.

Next, the Defence Counsel will wish to get the following defence witnesses called into the Court:-

Col. (Army) YOSHIDA Eiji,

Capt. (Army ) TAKAGI Hitoshi

Capt. (Navy) ONODA Sutejiro.

In addition the Defence Counsel will tender in evidence affidavits deposed to by the under-mentioned;-

Chief steward OISHI Eitaro,

Lt. Col. ALEC ALBERT JOHNSON.

Dated this 5th day of Soptember, 1947.

/sgd./ Taro Abe
(ABE Taro)

Japanese Defence Counsel

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P1330910

Exhibit "Z"

Summary of examination of: OISHI Eitaro.

Occupation: Ex-Chief Steward (for the crew) of ASAKA MARU.

Address: KAGAWA-Ken, Takamatsu-Shi, Fujizuka-Cho, 147.

Duly sworn states, I am 58 years of age, of Japanese Nationality, and born at: HYOGO-Ken, KAKO-Gun, KAKOSHI-Mura, KITA-SHINDEN.

My permanent home is: KAGAWA-Ken, TAKAMATSU-Shi, FUKUDA-Machi, 20.

I am at present living at: KAGAWA-Ken, TAKAMATSU-Shi, FUJIZUKA-Cho, 147.

I served as Chief Steward aboard the ASAKA MARU from about Jul 41 to Jan 45 when the ship was sunk.
The ASAKA MARU was under the control of UJINA ASTC, and consequently there were two Chief Stewards aboard, one for the crew, and the other for the Units in transit and Military and civilian passengers, including PW. My duties were connected with the crew only.

At the time when PW were transported aboard the ASAKA MARU in June 1944 SAKAI Ryukichi was the Chief Steward for the passengers. Sanitary conditions on the ship were the responsibility of the Chief Officer, KI Hideo, whose duty was to look after the cleanliness of the ship. Prior to embarkation the ship was cleaned by the crew and disinfected by members of the Sanitary Section of SINGAPORE Anchorage Command. During the voyage the PW holds, latrines, Kitchen ete were disinfected by the crew under supervision of the Chief Officer. The cleaning of the holds were done by the PW themselves, while the latrines and deck were cleaned by the crew.

The OC Troops, whose name I do not remember, had overall responsibility for discipline and hygiene during the voyage.

There were 6 latrines on the sides of the deck as far as I remember. I remember the Chief Officer requested the installation of additional latrines but the Anchorage Command refused it on the grounds that they had no materials, PW were therefore allowed to use the two latrines used by the crew. I think that the latrines facilities were adequate.

I remember that PW Doctors brought some medicine with them. The Chief officer requested medical supplies from the Anchorage Command, but only a small quantity was issued.

There was no Japanese Doctor on board and the PW Doctors attended the members of the crew, using for this purpose, the ships medicine chest, kept by the chief officer:

The food for the PW and Japanese passengers was cooked under the supervision of SAKAI Ryukichi, while I supervised the cooking for the crew. PW took part in cooking their food. Distribution of cooked food was done
by the PW themselves.

The Chief Officer was in Charge of drinking water. It was supplied from the Anchorage Commands at SINGAPORE and MANILA. The MANILA Anchorage Command refused to supply water, but when the Captain requested as an alternative that some passengers be taken off the ship, they supplied a small quantity. This was sufficient for drinking purposes, but not for washing.

There was no discrimination between the PW and Japanese in the distribution of drinking water.

I do not know if the same ration scale was fixed for the PW and Japanese.

signed: { in japanese characters}

Interpreter

I certify that I duly translated the above sunmary to the witness in his own language, prior to his signature which appears above.

Signed: S. Kassatkin Hon. Maj
Interpreter.

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- 2 -

Sworn before me: S. Kassatkin Rank: Hon. Maj.

Description: Interrogation Officer BMWCLS, TOKYO this 23rd day of July 1947.

Detailed to examine the above by the Commander in Chief, Allied Land Forces South East Asia.
AUTHY - ALFSEA War Crimes Instruction No 1 2nd Edition Para 19a.

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P1330912

Exhibit "AA"

I ALEC ALBERT JOHNSON of Hele House, Bickleigh, near Plymouth in the County of Devon a Lieutenant-Colonel in His Majesty's Army make Oath and say as follows:-

1. I would refer to the original communication which I have received from Lieutenant Ino Takeo of the Japanese Army which is attached hereto together with a copy thereof in English, and marked Exhibits "A and "B"

2. In this Lieutenant Ino Takeo asks me to say something on his behalf as he is being tried for alleged War Crimes committed against Prisoners of War in his hands.

3. During the time that he was Commandant of the Camps containing Prisoners of War in which I was the Senior Allied Officer he behaved much better than the great majority of Japanese Officers and I am prepared to say that he and one other were the only ones with whom I came in contact of whom I could say a good word.

4. It is quite correct, as he states in his letter to me, that he did use his influence to prevent beating and striking Prisoners of War, and as far as I know, he never struck any Prisoner of War himself.

5. It is also correct to state that he did on many occasions give to the Prisoners of War in his charge the opportunity of purchasing extra food.

6. I would sum up by saying that although conditions in the Camps referred to were by no means satisfactory according to European standards, yet Lieutenant Ino Takeo did take some trouble to help us, and no doubt according to his own lights and standards, he behaved very well.

I trust that this submission may be given due weight when his case comes before the Court for Trial and Sentence.

SWORN by the above-named Alec Albert )
Johnson at No.34 Silver Streot In the City )
of Lincoln England this 15th day of March )
1947,

Before me,

W. ? ?

Commissioner for Oaths.

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"B"

This is the second and remaining part of the Exhibit referred to in the Affidavit of Alec Albert Johnson.

Sworn before me this 15th day of march 1947.

W??
A Commissioner for oaths.

15th Feb. , 1947

Changi Gaol.

To: Lt. Col. Johnson,
Ex British Senior Officer of
No. 2 Sub-Branch of Siam PoW Camp
No. 2 Branch.

From: Lt. INO, Takeo
Ex O.C. No. 2 Sub-Branch of
Siam PoW Camp No. 2 Branch

—

Dear Col. Johnson:

It has elapsed about 2 years and a half since I saw you last. I hope you are getting quite all right; I presume
you are at times looking at specimen of butterflies and orchids you collected at Tarkanun and Tamron-part days.

As for myself, I was getting all right till Sept. 1945, when I was automatically arrested as a member of Siam PoW Camp staff, and at present I am detained in Changi Gaol, S'pore, together with many others including Interpreter Adachi.

In the meantime, I was accused by the following reasons and my trial is expected to take place shortly, for which I feel exceedingly sorry.

I was accused in connection with Pow transport to Japan, the reasons being:

1. The space of accommodation alloted for PoWs was narrow.

2. General facilities were not satisfactory.

3. Poor rations.

4. Insufficiency of medical supplies.

The above, however, were all beyond my powers, as I was. detailed as O.C. of escorts of PoWs to Japan.

I am confident, as you know Col. Johnson, I did the best of my ability for the interets {sic} of your people in hard days, for instance:

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- 2 -

1) Non-interference of action of PoW officers.

2) Opening of concerts were permitted at any time whenever an application was made.

3) For the purchase of edible oils, tobaccos, fruits and other daily requisites for PoWs, we used to employ local boats specially for this purpose, and send your people, together with Korean guards, down to a village at about 4 K.M. distance.

4) In order to create an amicable atmosphere in our camp, we encouraged your people to participate in Japanese concerts, and we had often matches of basket-ball between your people and our guards.

5) In order to provide longer hour of rest for PoWs after daily work, we ablished {sic} evening roll-call.

6) At the time when we arrived at Tar-kanun camp, the supply of tents was unsatisfactory; I made a request to Japanese Billeting Unit nearby to accommodate 100 PoWs to live in there and got their approval, thus we could minimize the difficulties at that time.

7) We arranged to obtain extra supply of vegetables for PoWs from the said Billeting Unit and could make up otherwise insufficient supply of vegetables.

8) At the time of outbreak of cholera, we valued your suggestion above anything else, thus we could minimize the victims in our camp.

9) In Tamron-part days, we built a special hut for 23 PoW officers in our camp.

10) Personally I have never even shouted at any PoWs, and gave instructions to Korean Guards to treat them kindly, and behaved myself as a model.
Thanks to these instructions, none of my Korean Guards. were accused against ill-treatment of PoWs.

11) As you know, I did everything in my power for the interests of PoWs.

I shall be much obliged if you will kindly look back upon these matters and see your way to give your special favour on my behalf.

Apologizing for my incivility in writing you so abruptly,

I am, Sir,

Yours faithfully,

(Sgđ) Lt. INO, Takeo.

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{ Page 45 continues } Apologies - I managed to not photograph page 49 back in 2011 !


(Defence Counsel proceeds to call witnesses)

ODAKE BUNJI, 1st D.W.. having made Solemn Declaration, is examined by Defence Counsel:

Q. Give your full name, your age and cscupation.
A. Odake Bunji, age 48, Master of a ship.

Q. About June 1944 where were you?
A. I was in Singapore.

Q. What were you doing on that occasion?
A. I was Master of the ship Asaka Maru.

Q. What did you do as Master of that ship on that occasion?
A. I transported PoWs and a few Japanese from Singapore to Japan.

Q. When and from whom did you receive the order as to the transportation of the PoWs and the Japanese to Japan?
A. I received the order from the Anchorage Command on the 17th of June.

Q. Was that a verbal or a written order?
A. That was a verbal order.

Q. On that occasion how many prisoners boarded the ship?
A. About 750.POWs and 60 Japanese soldiers. I wish to clarify this statement of mine. On that ocoasion I thought 750 was too many to be accommodated into the hold of that ship; therefore I made representation to the Anchorage Command personally to transfer 250 out of the 750 to another ship. The answer from the Anchorage Command was that a similar number had already been allotted to other ships and could not be changed. Then I tried to make arrangements to borrow 3 tents especially for the use of the PoWs. The tents were not available at the wharf and I went to the Anchorage Command with an NCO in search of the tents, but I could not find tents anywhere. That was why no tent was available when we left Singapore.

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Page 46 Tan

Q. The number allotted to the ASAKA MARU - 750 prisoners-of-war and 60 Japanese - who actually designated that number?
A. The officer of the Anchorage Command fixed that number.

Q. On what part of the ship were the prisoners accommodated?
A. In the third hatch on the middle deck.

Q. Who designated that place?
A It was done by the Singapore Anchorage Command.

Q. From whom did you actually receive the order as to the place of accommodation of PoWs?
A. From the officer of the Anchorage Command.

Q. What was the area of that place?
A. It was about 50 ft. square, and divided into a top and bottom compartment.

Q. Was that place used all through the voyage?
A. No, about 450 were transferred to the various decks.

Q. Did someone request you to transfer these 450 or you did it by your own self?
A. That was after I was approached by the O/C troops. I thought it was quite reasonable on account of the following reasons:- (1) The space was too crowded; (2) I found it necessary for them to have exercises on the decks;
(3) It was safer to abandon ship when attacked by submarines.

Q. When were they separated on the decks?
A. As soon as the ship left the wharf.

Q. Why did you separate them after the ship left the wharf?
A. On account of counter-espionage measures there was an order not to allow anybody on the deck while the ahip was in the wharl.

Q. What were the sanitary arrangements of that place designated to be used by the PoWs?
A. I inspected the spot on four or five occasions; I found it very clean.

Q. How many lavatories were there on board the Asaka Maru?
A. I think there were six.

Q. Those six, do you mean they were meant for the passengers?
A. Yes.

Q. Who made arrangements for these six lavatories?
A. The Anchorage Command did it.

Q. Was there any discrimination as to the use of these lavatories between the Japanese and the PoWs?
A. They were used by both.

Q. Was the number of lavatories sufficient?
A. It was insufficient I think.

Q. Then what measures did you take to improve the condition?
A. On many occasions, either verbally or by written statements, I made representations to the Anchorage Command to increase the number, but it was not approved by them because they did

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Page 47. . . Tan

not have enough materials. Therefore I thought of making them myself. I asked the Anchorage Command to supply me materials, but the answer was that if they had the materials they themselves would construct the lavatories in the ship. So an a final measure I allowed them to make use of the lavatory meant for the crew.

Q. What was the gross tonnage of the ASAKA MARU?
A It was 4681 tons.

Q. Was it a cargo ship?
A. Yes, it was a cargo ship.

Q. Did you not think that it was not proper to transport men in a Cargo ship?
A. In the Japanese Army all units were transported in cargo ships, usually, but on that particular occasion I thought it was not proper because we had some cargo loaded in the ship. Therefore I went to the Anchorage Command and asked them to get all the PoWs boarded on the other ship, but the answer was that nearly all available transport ships had been sunk and they had very few ships left, and they had to make use of any available ship. Finally I was told that was an army order and I could not reject it. Therefore I obeyed the order with the condition that only 500 in all should be boarded on the ship.

Q. Who equipped the ship?
A. The No.3 Transport Command, that is, Singapore Transport Command, ordered Anchorage Command to do it.

Q. Then was the construction of lavatories part of the equipment?
A. Yes.

Q. Did you have any experience prior to that of transporting men on board the Asaka Maru?
A. Yes.

Q. What was the maximum number you transported prior to that?
A. Over 3,000.

Q. Where was the food for the ship loaded?
A. It was loaded at Singapore.

Q. From where was the food supplied?
A, From the Anchorage Command.

Q. Do you remember the different kinds and quantities of the food supplied?
A. The staple food was rice. Most of the subsidiary foods were dehydrated stuff. Apart fron that there were fresh
vegetables and dried salt fish.

Q. Who actually fixed the different quantities and kinds of foods?
A. The Anohorage Coumand.

Q. As a Ship's Master did you bave power to fix the different quantities and kinds of food?
A No, I didn't have.

Q. Who cooked the food on board the ship?
A. We made the PoWs to cook the food.

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Page 48. . . Tan

Q. I presume the ship's crew did their own cooking separately?
A. Yes.

Q. Then when the PoWs cooked their food did they cook for somebody else also?
A. The PoWs cooked for themselves as well as for the Japanese soldiers.

Q. Was there any difference between the Japanese troops and PoWs as to quantity and quality of the food?
A. No differenoe at all.

Q. Have you yourself seen the food of the Japanese troops and the PoW s?
A Yes, I have.

Q. Didn't the POWs make a complaint with regard to food?
A. I have not heard any complaint from the POWs myself, but I heard a complaint from the O/C Troops. Therefore I went to the Anchorage Command to make representation. On that ocoasion I demanded fresh meat, but they said no fresh meat was allowed by order and they could not do anything. Then I asked them to try their best to consult higher authorities and make some sort of arrangement and went back to the ship. Two or three days after that bananas were supplied. That was the result of my endeavour after I had a request from the O/C troops.

Q. What was the condition of the supply of fresh water to the POWs?
A. A large glassful of tea was supplied to each POW at each meal, and once a day water was supplied.

Q. That tea which was supplied to the POWs, was it made out of sea water?
A. No, it was not so, because there was no such equipment on my ship to get fresh water out of sea water.

Q. What was the condition of the supply of water for washing?
A. There was a pipe running fron the bow to the stern of the ship, and at two places in the front deck and at two places at the stern deck there were pipes, and they were making use of these pipes.

Q. Was there any disorimination between the Japanese troops and POWs as to the supply of washing and drinking water?
A. There was no such discrimination.

Q. Who was in oharge of supplying the washing and drinking water on board the ship?
A. The Chief Officer of the ship.

Q. Who was actually in charge of supplying the water?
A. The orderly NCO was in charge.

Q. Did the Asake Maru have a smooth sailing?
A. She met a typhoon near Formosa.

Q. How was the typhoon?
A. The weather became very bad about the 13th of August, and there was a storm, and all the goods on the decks were washed away. On that occasion the kitchen and the food were washed away also. After midday on the 14th there was a leakage, and we couldn't find the reason for it. We tried to pump out the

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PAGE 49 MISSING

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Page 50. . . Tan

At every Anchorage Command the condition was alike, and I found it very difficult to obtain medical supplies. Therefore I had to sail with what I had.

Q. Was there any request made by the POWs with regard to making use of the medical chest of the ship?
A. A request was made by the O/C Troops before reaching Manila.

Q. What did you do then?
A. I supplied him.

Q. Were those medicines used for the POWs?
A. Yes.

Q. Was any request nade by the POWs' medical officer direetly to you?
A. No.

Q. Did you not have any discrimination as to the usage of medicines in that medicine chest between the Japanese troops and the POWs?
A No, I did not make any diserimination.

Q. Did the Japanese take any medicines along with them when they went aboard?
A. I remember they had their own medicine.

Q. Was any request made by the Japanese troops as to the usage of medicines in the medicine chest?
A. No request.

Q. Was there any sick case among the POWs during the voyage?
A. There were about 50 to 60 cases of illness. I remember they were suffering fron malaria, beriberi and dysentery.

Q. What medical treatment was given to these slck?
A. They received medical treatment in the room at the stern of the ship which could hold about 25 persons.

Q. Was there any medical practitioner on board the sbip?
A. There were two.

Q. Japanese?
A. No, they were POWs.

Q. What happened when the Japanese got sick?
A. They received medical treatment from the said medical officers in the same way.

Q. During the voyage did you stop them from using the decks?
A. No I did not stop them; they were free to make use of the decks.

Q. What was the ventilation of the hold where the POWs were accommodated Iike?
A. There were four metal ventilators and two canvas ventilators. When it was not raining we opened the covering of the hatch to allow more air to come in.

Q. Did they have electric lights?
A. No they didn't.

Q. Why did you not give them electric lights?
A Because we had to observe air-raid precautlins all the time.

Q. What sort of live-saving belts did you have?
A. (next sheet)

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Page 51. . . Tan

A. We had some made of kapok, some made of wood, and some of bamboo. They were all life-belts.

Q. Did you not have any rafts or boats?
A. We had four life-boats, we had about 34 rafts made of wooden frames stuffed with cork, about 2 metres square, and I remember apart from these things there were about 45 bamboo rafts about 18 ft. by one metre.

Q. Did you have any complaints from the POWs?
A. No, I have never had complaints from the POWs but from the draft commander and I rectified what they complained about; I allowed the POW to make use of the deck and the lavatories for the ship's crew freely; I allowed them to have some bananas and to have a special room for the sick as a result of the complaints made by the draft commander.

Q. Did the POWs have any recreation?
A. There was no recreation accorded by the Japanese to the POWs, but they had their own playing cards and books, and there were no restrictions in regard to these.

Q. What was the relation between the ship's crew and the POWs? Were they friendly or not?
A. They were very friendly. On many occasions I have seen the POWs in the cabins of the crews chatting with each other. I would like to add another word to this. The reason why they were so friendly I think was that the draft commander had told the ship's erew to treat them kindly because they were POWs to be taken to Japan and work for the Japanese in Japan.

Q. Were there any incidents between the POWs and the guards?
A. I have not seen any incidents nor heard of such things.

Q. Apart from what you have said relating to the accommodation and treatment of POWs, have you got anything else to say?
A. There are two more things which I wish to tell the court. one relates to the water aupply.. Before reaching Manila we asked the flag ship of the escort ships to wire Manila to supply us with water. It was some time 8 o'olock in the evening of the l6th July when we reached Manila. The next day we went to the water supply department for water. On that occasion I was reprimanded by the officer in charge of that water supply department. He asked me whether I had not heard anything at Singapore. He said that a signal was sent from Manila to Singapore telling them that water supply waa strictly limited at Manila and every ship heading for Manila should curtail the usage of water as much as possible.
He reprimanded me for having used too much water. Then I told him I used the minimum quantity of water for human beings to live on. After I returned to the ship no supply of water was made. I made requests two or three times a day but there was no favourable result. After three days at Manila there was very little water left in the ship. Then I went
to the Anchorage Command immediately and tried to explain to them in detail what had happened until then. I requested them to allow the POWs to have a little rest somewhere in the POW camp in Manila. The answer was that they had not enough accommodation to hold 700 odd people in Manila. They said they would telephone the water supply department and make special arrangements. After that I went to the water supply

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Page 52 . . . Tan

department and I was scolded again. I was scolded because I had gone to the Anchorage Command. The water supply department told me it was not proper to approach Anchorage Command before coming to them first. So I told them I had made so many requests but there was no result, so I had gone to the Anchorage Command. Just at that time there was a water supply barge going off to some ship, so I got on to that barge, led it to my ship and had my water supply.

Secondly, I could not obtain any awnings at Singapore. So I went to Anchorage Command at Manila to borrow some awnings. I could not get any awning at the Anchorage Conmand, so with another NCO I went to some other unit in search of the awnings. I went to several places, but I could not get any.

Thirdly, I went to the Anchorage Command asked them to allow the POWs to go on shore to have a walk once or twice a day in turns of 100 to 200, but my request was not granted because they didn't even have enough sampans to transport the ship's crew; moreover they had no space for the POWs to have a walk. Also it was not favourable to have POWs walking around from the view point of espionage preventions.

Q. What do you think your duty is as a master of a ship tranaporting troops?
A. My duties ares (1) Navigation;
(2) Preservation of the ship;
(3) Supervision of the ship's arew.
That's all.

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(AT 1230 HOURS THE COURT ADJOURNS UNTIL 1400 HOURS)

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Pages 53 to 62. Cross-examination.

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Page 53. . . Tan

( AT 1400 HOURS THE COURT RE-ASSEMBLES)

CROSS-EXAMINED:

Q. Before starting with my questions proper I would like to clear up one point. As Master of a ship in peacetime were you responsible for the lives of all passengers and crew aboard that particular ship?
A. That is true during peacetime.

Q. Therefore during wartime if we eliminate danger from actual warfare or from weather, things over which you have no control, are you still responsible for all the lives aboard the ship?
A I do not hold such responsibility.

Q. Who holds the responsibility then?
A. The ship's commandant holds the responsibility for the passengers on board.

Q. I did not mention anything about passengers. All I said was in wartime if we eliminate danger from actual warfare or from the weather, are you responsible for all the lives on board the ship?
A. I am not responsible.

Q. How long before the ship sailed did you get intimation of the fact that you were going to carry POWs to Japan?
A. I was told about a week before embarkation.

Q. What had you been doing previous to this?
A. I was engaged in military transportation between Sourabaya, the Halmaherahs and New Guinea.

Q. Once a ship bas been requisitioned by the Army as a troop transporter did all orders come fron Anchorage Conmand?
A. That is right.

Q. When was the Asaka Mara requisitioned?
A. I think it was towards the latter part of June, 1943.

Q. And had it been carrying troops fairly continuously since that time?
A. Yes.

Q. If you had any complaints that you wanted to make regarding the ship or supplies, to whom did you address your complaints!
A. If it was in Japan I should have made the complains to the transportation command at Ugina. If I am abroad I will make the complaints to the Anchorage Command of the different ports.

Q. Dealing with cases that are abroad, complaints that you wish to make abroad, do you come up personally as Ship's Master to make the complaints, or do you send someone else or do you do it in writing?
A. Whenever I made complaints I made them myself.

Q. How was Anchorage Command organized? Did it have a separate department for each particular matter, that is, a special department for water, another for fuel, another for food?
A. Yes, there were different departments.

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Page 54. . . Tan

Q. Did these departments do their job well or did you frequently have to make complaints?
A. At the beginning of the war our complaints were heard, but towards the end of the war when everything was unfavourable about 80% of our requests were turned down.

Q. If Anchorage Command could not provide certain articles or enough of certain articles were you always compelled to sail without them?
A. Yes.

Q. Have you ever carried Britiah POWs before this occasion?
A. No.

Q. Then these 3,000 passengers that you said the ship carried earlier on, were they Japanese or were they some other nationality?
A. That was when I transported the Japanese and Indonesians from Sourabaya to New Guinea.

Q. Were there any deaths on that voyage?
A. No deaths, but there were two who lost their minds.

Q. Then conditions on that particular cocasions were fairly comfortable, is that correct?
A. It was not comfortable at all. It was far worse than when we transported the POWs. The deck was very, very crowded.

Q. Did you put in a complaint afterwards to Anchorage Command?
A. I do not remember making any complaints on that occasion.

Q. Were any changes made to the structure of the ship as soon as it was requisitioned as a trooper?
A. After the ship was converted as a trooper the living quarters were separated into two layers of beds and about 35 extra latrines were constructed, and on the upper deck there were about 4 to 6 3-ton tanks.

Q. Were these on the ship on this occasion?
A. No.

Q. Were you present or did you actually see the POWs come aboard the ship?
A. One day prior to the embarkation the interior of the ship was cleaned and disinfected and the next day the POWs came on board. I went round and inspected the place and found it clean and satisfactory.

Q. I said did you actually see the POWs come aboard the ship?
A. I was at the Anchorage Command at that time because I thought it was not fair to keep all the POWs inside the hold when the ship was alongside the wharf, but when I came back more than half of them were already on board.

Q. What state of health were the prisoners in?
A. From what I saw they were quite well.

Q. Did you inspect the main hold where the POWs were put in prior to their entering it?
A. Yes, I did.

Q. One of the witnesses has said in Court that the floor of the hold was covered with coal dust and there were a lot of cockroaches and other vermin. Do you think that is a true statement?
A. I think that is a lie.

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Page 55. . . Tan

Q. What about the Japanese guards? Where were they accommodated?
A. They were put into the reserve bunk under the bridge.

Q. Can you remember what kind of covering or roof was over the top of the hold in which the prisoners were placed?
A. I think there was no awning on top of No.3 hold.

Q. As the court is not quite certain where No. 3 hold was, I am referring to the hold in which the POWs were first placed.
A. I mean the hold where the prisoners were alleged to have been forced in at the beginning.

Q. Who gave the order for the POWs to be placed in this hold?
A. That was the order from the officer of the Anchorage Command.

Q. Do you know if any order was given to allow the POWs to come out of the hold to sleep on the deck and on any other place in the ship?
A. Yes there was.

Q. Who gave that order?
A. That order was given by the ship's commandant.

Q. Did he approach you first in order to get your permission to allow the prisoners to go on deck?
A. That is right.

Q. In other words it was really he who gave the order for the prlsoners to go on deck?
A. Yes.

Q. Were you often on the bridge of the ship?
A. During the voyage I was always on the bridge.

Q. From the bridge of the ship could you see this particular hold where the POWs were put?
A. It could not be seen.

Q. Did you see the prisoners walking around the decka on any occasion?
A. The prisoners were always walking around the decks.

Q. Were they allowed to use the deck at all times?
A. Yes.

Q. Did you ever see any of the prisoners sick or ill?
A. I did see.

Q. What did you do about it?
A. I had arrangements made to accommodate the light sick on No.4 deck with an awning on the top and the more serious cases I accommodated in a little compartment I have mentioned before towards the stern of the ship, and I made the POW medical officer to look after them.

Q. Was that done at the request of the POWs?
A. That was after a request made by the ship's commandant.

Q. Were you ever afraid that some infectious disease might spread out and might possibly affeet some of your own crew?
A. No infectious disease broke out.

Q. Were there any Japanese medical personnel on board the ship?
A. No Japanese medical officers.

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Page 56. . . Tan


Q. What happened if one of your crew got ill?
A. On that occasion he was treated by the POW medical officer.

Q. What was in this medicine box you have told us a lot about?
A. Medicines for fever, stomach trouble, for stopping diarrhoea, for constipation, for malaria, disinfectants, medicine for beri-beri, and some other medicines - about 25 to 26 different kinds.

Q Was this medicine box supposed to be for the use of your crew only, or was it to cover the needs of the 750 prisoners and other passengers as well?
A. Usually the medicine chest was meant for the ship's crew, but when the troops did not have enough medicines with them we had to supply them out of this medicine chest.

Q. Were you in the habit of using the medicine chest a lot on normal voyages?
A. My ship was requisitioned in Japan towards the end of June 1943, and in the beginning we had the ship's medicines purchased by the owner. When we reached Singapore it was already one year since leaving Japan and the medicine chest was nearly empty. Therefore after that for about half a year we had to rely on this medicine box.

Q. Did the transport commander ever come up and ask your permission to let the POWs use this box?
A. I think the transport commander told the purser and he received medicines. When the transport commander came on board I showed the medicine chest which was located at the entrance of the saloon and told him whenever he required medicines he could get it through the purser.

Q. Did you show Lt. Ino personally the box?
A. Yes, I did.

Q. Then this box was finished what was the next thing that you did?
A. This box was never finished.

Q. I shall now quote an extract from Lt. Ino's statement. He says: "If there was any shortage on board the ship they were supplemented from the medical supplies carried by the ship. In this case there were none carried on the ship. Hence they were unable to receive any". Who is the Court to believe, you or the accused Ino?
A. I think I am right in that respect.

Q. So far none of the witnesses have given us a very clear picture as to the exact medical supplies received from this chest. Do you ever remember any medical supplies being given from this box, was it ever done in your presence?
A. The actual supplies were made by the purser through Lt. Ino and the POW medical officer, and I do not know it myself.

Q. Were there representations of Anchorage Command, or were there mall units of Anchorage Command at most ports and islands throughout your journey from Singapore to Japan?
A. Only at Manila.

Q. Is it correct that you travelled in convoy?
A. Yes.

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Page 57. . . Tan

Q. If you are short of medicines as you have already said, why didn't you apply to other ships in the convoy?
A. I think the other ships were under the same condition.

Q. Were any of them carrying prisoners of war?
A. No.

Q. Going back to the stage of embarkation again. Were there any officers from Anchorage Command at the time of embarkation of the prisoners?
A. Yes.

Q. Any complaints that were made about accommodation would be made to them as well?
A. Yes.

Q. Were you told about this accommodation before the prisoners embarked?
A. Yes.

Q. And was the first thing you did to go to Anchorage Command and try to get it altered?
A. Yes.

Q. During the voyage did you ever inspect the inside of the hold?
A. Not during the voyage, but while the ship was at port.

Q. Surely as Master of the ship you are responsible both for the condition and cleanliness of the outside as well as the inside of the ship?
A. It was my responsibility when no troops were on board, but once troops were on board the troop commanders were solely responsible for the parts of the ship they occupied.

Q. Therefore if small pox or some other deadly disease had broken out through bad sanitation and badly cleaned quarters, you have no responsibility?
A On no occasion was there any infectious disease, so I do not know about that.

Q. I am asking now if such a thing had happened would you be responsible as Master of the ship?
A. No, the Ship's Master would not be held responsible.

Q. Even though there were deaths among your crew as a result of this infection?
A. Do you mean when the troops are using the ship.

Q. Yes.
A. It is difficult for me to answer that question.

Q. There must be an answer, yes or no. Are you responsible or not responsible for the lives of the erew?
A. You mean to say if the ship's crew died on account of illness?

Q. Yes.
A. The ship's crew I was in charge of, so I am responsible.

Q. Therefore if you were responsible for the ship'a erew, would you not inspect the ship to ensure there was no outbreak of disease or such illness?
A. When the troops were on board the ship, cleanliness of the ship was not my responsibility.

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Page 58. . . Tan

Q. Who drew the fresh water for the ship?
A. The First Mate of the ship drew the water fron the Ancborage Command.

Q. Did he draw as much water an the ship could hold?
A. Tes, he did.

Q. Did you know there might be a shortage of water during your voyage?
A. That was the thing which I was most worried about.

Q. What steps did you take to try and get this altered?
A. There was no other way but to curtail the quantity of water they used on board the ship.

Q. Did you apply to Anchorage Command for extra containers?
A. Even when we asked for 500 tons they gave ua only 400 tons; when we asked for 400 they gave us 300.

Q. Were the other ships in the conroy short of water too?
A. I think they were under the same condition.

Q. How often was washing water available for the prisoners?
A. Fresh water was not available for that purpose and they had to use sea water, and they could obtain sea water throughout the day.

Q. This tea you have told us the prisonera were able to have a glassful of with each meal, was it fresh water, salt water or condensed steam?
A. As I have mentioned just now we did not have facilities to make condensed water. That was the water we received from Singapore.

Q. Therefore each time they had a cup of tea it was made from fresh water?
A. Yes.

Q As Captain of the ship, apart from navigation of the ship, what next do you pay particular attention to as regards the running of the ship?
A. I thought it was most necessary to maintain cleanliness in the ship.

Q. How could you maintain cleanliness if you never inspected the ship?
A. I did have inspections.

Q. Do you consider sanitation important?
A. Yes I do.

Q. Am I right in saying that sanitation is the responsibility of the ship'a master?
A. It was not ny responsibility.

Q. Did you hear the extracts read from the various Army Shipping Transport Regulations?
A. Yes,

Q. Did you hear it said in one of these extracts that sanitation was the duty of the Ship's Master as opposed to that of the
Transport Commander?
A. As far as I can remember there was no such clause in any of the military operational regulations.

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Page 59. . . Tan

Q. Do you think there were sufficient latrines for 750 men?
A. I think there were insufficient.

Q. Could you not have improvised some?
A. I could not.

Q. Yet you say you had a week from the time you received the order you would be having 750 men on board and you say it was impossible to make any, is that correct?
A. Yes.

Q. Did you have a ship's carpenter on board?
A. Yes, we had.

Q. What did he do during the time you were at shore?
A. His job was to see to the water supply and when some part of the ship was damaged to repair it.

Q. Did he have tools and wood?
A. He had a few very poor tools and no wood at all.

Q. You said you had some food stored in bores on board the ship and they were washed ashore later during the typhoon. Could you not have used some of these boxes to construct the latrines?
A. I do not remember making such a statement.

Q. I'm sorry. You may not have made such a statement: it has been said by several witnesses and mentioned in the affidavits. Was there no wood lying along the docks?
A. I had made a request for materials in order to make the lavatories myself, but I was not supplied with the materials, and there was no wood lying along the docks.

Q. Previously you said you had 35 latrines when you carried these 3,000 Indonesians and Japanese. Why were they removed?
A. My ship was struok by a torpedo and we had to go back to Japan for repairs, and therefore at Batavia all the things were removed.

Q. Do you realise that sanitation was one of the main causes of malaria and dysentery?
A. There was no cse of dysentery, and as I aM not a medical practitioner I cannot say whether malaria is due to lack of sanitary arrangenents.

Q. Did you inspect the sanitary arrangements often?
A. On four or five occasions.

Q. How many latrines were there?
A. 6.

Q. Six latrines for 750 men. Were there any extra latrines for the Korean guarde or did they use the same latrines?
A. The Korean guards were using the same latrines.

Q. What do you think then of the statement made by the second Prosecution witness, who, in reply to my question, "Did Korean guards use the latrines", his answer was, "I never saw any".
A. They used the same latrines.

Q. When you stopped at Manila why was it impossible for you to obtain more water?
A. As I have mentioned just now I had a supply of water.

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Page 60. . . Tan


Q. Why was there then not enough water?
A. That was because the ship was loaded with bauxite, I wanted to take as much water as possible, but on account of that I couldn't take much water.

Q Were not any fresh vegetables or fruit bought at Manila?
A. Yes.

Q. Do you know personally if any of these went to the sick?
A. Of course they were given to the sick.

Q. Can you say how long the vegetables and fruits lasted once you got them on board?
A About four days.

Q. How long was the journey from Manila to Moji in Japan?
A. About four days and nights.

Q. Four days and nights was the normal length of time it took a ship to go from Nanila to Moji is that correct?
A. That is right.

Q Was Moji your original destination if the typhoon had not blown you off the course?
A. On that occasion I only received an order to proceed to Japan, not what part of Japan, and we were supposed to have the final destination given to us at Takao in Formosa.

Q. Did any Japanese passengers or Korean guards become sick or ill during this voyage?
A. I think there was no case of illness anong the Korean guards, but I think there were two cases of Japanese with beri-beri.

Q. How do you account for the fact that there were so many illnesses
A. I am not a doctor and I cannot give you a precise answer to that, but I think just because the POWs were on the way to Japan to work there, most probably they might have been downhearted and depressed, but the Japanese were heading towards their own country and they might have been happy and more active and lively.

Q. Then as an ordinary man and not possessing any medial knowledge al all, do you think if your morale is low it increases the tendency to contract diseases?
A. I think those were the reasons.

Q. How was it that no disease broke out when you carried these 3,000 passengers?
A. That was because the journey was very short.

Q. How long was the journey?
A. About 10 days.

Q. Am I correct in saying that there was no difference between the Japanese food and the food of the prisoners?
A. You are correct.

Q. Did you ever visit the sick?
A. Yes.

Q. How often?
A. On about three occasions.

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Page 61. . . Tan

Q. Do you know of any special arrangements being made for the sick apart from their segregation?
A. We tried to give rice gruel for the sick.

Q. Who made these arrangements? Did the POW doctors make it, or did you or Lt. Ino?
A. I think the arrangement was made by the POW doctor by the order of Lt. Ino.

Q. Were there any cases of beri-beri on the ship anong the prisoners?
A. Yes, there were.

Q. Do you know the main cause of beri-beri?
A. I do not know.

Q. If I said to you that one of the reasona for beri-beri is malnutrition, would you know anything about it?
A. I don't know about that.

Q. Was there a report ever made to you as to how many sick there were, what different groups of illness they had,
and partioulars about the sick generally?
A. I only heard from him on certain occasions. He was much troubled because he had some berl-beri patients and others as well.

Q. Did you ever ask for a report on illlnesses aboard the ship?
A. No, I didn't.

Q. Did you know one of the prisoners went blind an a result of lack of medical treatment?
A. I don't know.

Q. Did you make yourself acquainted with the condition of the POWs or did you leave that entirely to Lt. Ino?
A. Lt. Ino was solely responsible for the POWs. I took some interest as an onlooker.

Q. What happened to those prisoners who died?
A. At Manila we wrapped him up in a blanket, put him in a coffin and when the launch came we took it ashore and buried it ashore.

Q. The typhoon washed a lot of food overboard, so you have stated. What food did you get afterwarda as a result?
A. We received the scrapings of the cooked rice. We searched every part of the ship and found remnants of rice and we cooked it and divided it equally among all.

Q. Where were the other ships in the convoy at this time? Had they been separated from you?
A. On account of the typhoon they were all scattered and there was no ship nearby.

Q. If I were to suggest to you that you were not fully asquainted with the conditions under which the POWs lived on account of the fact that your inspections, if there were any, were very brief and occasional, would I be correct in that statement?
A. That is not correct.

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Page 62. . . Tan

Q. If you never inapected the holds, than how do you know the conditions under which the prisoners had to live?
A. When I went into the hold I alwaya found the place clean and tidy. The POWs were responsible for the cleanliness and tidiness inside the hold, and I always knew and believed British people like to kept their living places clean and tidy. As a matter of fact I alwaya told my crew to be like the British in the matter of cleanliness and tidiness.

Q. But a little earlier on you said you never visited the inside of the hold except at a port.
A. Yes, I didn't inspect during the voyage because the voyage was short and the period of staying in port was much longer than the actual voyage.

RE-EXAMINED:

Q. Did all the sick use the same six lavatories you have already mentioned?
A. No, the sick used movable chamber pots, about 20 of them.

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QUESTIONED BY THE COURT

Q. Can you tell the Court how many water tanks you had on board the Asaka Maru?
A. 7 under the double bottoms, and on the deck there were two near the kitchen, one 7 tons and one 8 tons.

Q. Those were for fresh water?
A. Fresh water and sea water.

Q. How many fresh water tanks?
A. 6.

Q. How many of the six tanks were actually in use?
A. I think about three of them.

Q. As a Master don't you know how many tanks were in use?
A. Actually 3 were in use out of 6.

Q. Now, your Chief Engineer, who should know something about tanks, said they had 5 water tanks, and your Purser, who I think had something to do with water, says there was only one in use. You say you had six tanks, 3 of which were in use. Who is correct?
A. I am correct and the other two are wrong.

Q. Now, in Exhibit "X" you sald the prisoners were accommodated in No.3 hold, but in Exhibit "V", you said prisoners were in four holds and in the upper tween deck. Now, which of these two statements is correct?
A. No .3 hold, just one hold, is correct.

Q. Then all the prisoners were in one hold?
A. Yes.

Q. Did you tell the Court that prisoners had exercises or P.T.?
A. I did not make any statement relating to exercises of prisoners.

(No questions through the Court)

(AT 1530 HOURS THE COURT ADJOURNED UNTIL 1000 HOURS ON 6.9.47.)

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6th September, 1947. New witness: Lt. Ino, Takeo, accused.

Page 63. . . Kwek

At 1000 hours on the 6th of September the Court re-assembles pursuant to adjournment.
Present the same President and Members as on the 5th of September 1947.

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2nd Witness for the Defence Lt. Ino Takeo, having been duly affirmed is examined by the Defence Counsel. (Accused No. 2)

Q. Give your full name, age and rank?
A. Full name, Ino Takeo, age 46, rank Lleutenant in the Japanese Army.

Q. What were your duties between the l1th of June 1944 and the 31st of August?
A. During that period I had the duty to transport prisoners of war, to Japan.

Q. When and from whom did you receive that order?
A. I received that order from Lt. Col. Yanagida, Commanding Officer of No. 2 Camp on the 10th of June 1944.

Q. Can you give the contents of that order?
A. My duty was to transport prisoners of war from the POW camp to Japan and hand the prisoners of war to the authorities in Japan.

Q. Did you have any other duty apart from that duty?
A. A day before embarkation I was ordered by the Commander of the Anchorage Command to be Ship's Commandant.

Q. How many prisoners of war altogether did you transport?
A. In the begenning the number was fixed at 750 but actually the number that sailed was 738.

Q. How is that there were 12 less?
A. On the day of embarkation we had medical examinations and 8 were found unfit by the Japanese medical officer and the Prisoners of War medical officer leaving 742 and the 742 went on board but we stayed about two weeks in the boat before sailing and during that period there were a few sick cases and finally before sailing another 4 were found to be not fit and they were left behind, so the actual number was 738.

Q. From where and on what boat were the prisoners of war made to embark?
A. They embarked on the Asaka Maru at Singapore which was a cargo boat.

Q. In which part of the ship were the prisoners of war put?
A. In the beginning the prisoners of war were supposed to make use of No. 3 hatch but the place was too crowded, therefore I asked the master of the ship to get another place for the prisoners of war. As a result of that they were allowed to use the decks by kindness of the Ship's master.

Q. Who ordered the prisoners of war to be put in that No. 3 hatch?
A. That was the order fron the Anchorage Command.-

Q. Did you not receive any complaints from the prisoners of war

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Page 64. . . Kwek

Ino Takeo - Examination in Chief: Contd.

Q. Saying that the compartment was too small?
A. It was not a complaint but they had asked me to allow them more spaces.

Q. What steps did you take?
A. As I have mentioned just now I requested the Ship's master to allow them more spaces.

Q. What happened then?
A. As a result of that the ship's master was kind enough to allow them to make use of the different decks of the ship.

Q. How were the decks used?
A. Soon after the ship left the wharf they made use of the decks

Q. How many persons were accommodated on decks?
A. About 450.

Q. Why were they not allowed to use the decks before the ship left the wharf?
A. I was told by the Anchorage Command that while the ship was in the wharf it was not advisable for the prisoners of war to use the decks on account of possible espionage.

Q. How long after that did the ship leave the wharf?
A. Soon after the embarkation completed.

Q. How was No. 3 hatch equipped?
A. We used the mid-deck of the third hold. The capacity was 50 feet square and about 10 feet high and this hold was divided into two layers of beds and of course the top layer was smaller than the lower by the dimension of the hatchway

Q. Was it dark or bright inside the hatch?
A. During the day they received light through the hatchway and it was quite bright. At night they had complete black out, that was why it was dark. They were not even allowed to snoke on the decks.

Q. So you did not have any electric lights?
A. On account of black out we did not have any electric lights.

Q. Did you have any ventilation?
A. There were 4 ventilators and apart fron these there were 2 canvas ventilators. Also there was enough air coming through the hatchway and they had plenty of air inside the hold

Q. What was the sanitary arrangement on board the ship?
A. There were 6 lavatories in the shape of boxes on the side of the ship but I thought that the number was insufficient, therefore I approached the Ship's master and asked him whether he could make some more. He told me that he had gone to see the Anchorage Command about that matter but was refused though he himself wanted to build some more lavatories

Q. Did the sick use these boxes and the ship's crew lavatories?
A. The light sick used the boxes but those who were quite seriously ill were given chamber pots.

Q. Who allowed them to make use of chamber pots?

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Page 65. . . Kwek

Ino Takeo - Examination in Chief: Contd.

A. I asked the Ship's master and he gave us empty casks to be used for that purpose.

Q. Were there Japanese soldiers apart from the prisoners of war on board the ship?
A. When you say Japanese soldiers do you include the Korean guards also.

Q. Yes.
A. Yes, there were a few Japanese soldiers on board. There were 40 Japanese and 26 Koreans.

Q. Which lavatories did these Japanese and Koreans use?
A. The Japanese used the sane lavatories which the prisoners of war were using.

Q. Who was responsible for the equipment of the ship?
A. The Shipping Transport Command was responsible for that and did 1t.

Q. Were the lavatories part of the ship's equipment?
A. Yes they were.

Q. Did you think these lavatories were appropriate or you had to improve them?
A. I do not think they were ideal.

Q. Could you not make them ideal by yourself. With your power could you not make them ideal?
A. That was beyond my power, I could not do anything.

Q. Did the prisoners of war have their own medicines?


Court: Before you go on to medicines, there is one point I would Ilke you to clarify. The witness has said
Japanese personnel had used the same lavatories as the prisoners of war. Now, does he mean by that, they actually used the same boxes. Did they use the same type of boxes?

Witness: There was no discrimination.

Q. Did the prisoners of war have their own medicines?
A. Yes they did.

Q. Who supplied them those medicines?
A. The prisoners of war camp supplied them.

Q. Were there medicines on board the Asaka Maru?
A. Yes there were.

Q. Have you not mentioned that there were no medicines in the ship and you received no medicines from the ship when you were Investigated by a certain gentleman, Mr. Wilkinson before?
A. Yes I was investigated by that gentleman and on that occasion I was asked whether I received any medicines from the ship myself, so I answered: No. He asked me what was the reason to that. So I answered that the ship did not carry medicines which were medicines required by the prisoners of war medical officer. Therefore I did not mean that the ship did not carry any medicines. What I meant was the ship did not have these particular medicines required by the Medical Officer.

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Page 66 . . .Kwek

Ino Takeo - Examination in Chief: Contd.

Q. What was the arrangement of medical supplies amongst the Japanese?
A. Medicines for the Japanese were handed over to the prisoners of war Medical Officer from the Japanese Medical Officer, Nobuzawa.

Q. Was there any difference between the Japanese Arny personnel and the prisoners of war with regard to medicines which were supplied?
A. There was no difference at all.

Q. Then was there any instance in which the Japanese used the ship's medicines and the prisoners of war were not allowed to use the ship's medicines?
A. B oth of them were using the medicines equally. There was no discrimination made between them.

Q. Was not the amount of medicines insufficient during the voyage?
A. Yes, on certain occasions the anount was not sufficient.

Q. What did you do on that occasion?
A. When our medicines were insufficient we were supposed to use the ship's medicines. When I approached the Ship's master on that occasion the Ship's master told me that the Chief Purser was in charge of the medicines and he asked me to consult with the Chief Purser and make use of the medicines accordingly. Usually the prisoners of war Medical Officer would ask the interpreter and the interpreter would report to me and I would tell the Chief Purser and get medicines and handed it over to the prisoners of war medical officer. But I found that method to be too troublesome, so I made arrangements for the prisoners of war Medical Officer to approach the Chief Purser directly and get the medicines directly from him. When the ship was anchored at Manila there was an occasion whan I went to the Manila POW camp and received some medicines from the camp.

Q. Who supplied food for the prisoners of war?
A. Food was supplied from the Anchorage Command.

Q. Who fixed the qualities and quantities of food to be supplied
A. The Anchorage Command also.

Q. As ship's commandant did you not have any authority to fix the quantities and qualities of food?
A. I did not have the authority to fix either the quantity or the quality but I was allowed to make requests for improvement.

Q. Did you not have any complaints from the prisoners of war relating to food during the voyage?
A. There was no formal complaint but they were saying that the food was not palatable.

Q. Did you find it necessary to improve the food for the prisoners of war?
A. Yes I did.

Q. Then what did you do in order to improve?
A. I approached the Chief Steward of the ship to improve the food condition but he told me that he received certain

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Page 67. . . Kwek

Ino Takeo - Examination in Chief: Contd.

A. limited quantities from the Anchorage Command and he had to prepare the food according to the instructions given and he couldn't do anything.

Q. Who prepared the food for the troops on board the Asaka Maru, for the Japanese troops?
A. The prisoners of war did that.

Q. Do you mean that they prepared all through the voyage?
A. Yes, all through the voyage they did.

Q. How is that the whole cooking was done by the prisoners of war?
A. That was because the prisoners of war themselves volunteered for it.

Q. Who supplied the cooking materials to the ship?
A. The cooking materials were supplied by the Chief Steward to the prisoners of war directly.

Q. Did the Asaka Maru have a smooth voyage?
A. After Manila she was caught in a typhoon and went aground on the south coast of Formosa.

Q. What were the conditions of the prisoners of war during that typhoon?
A. During the typhoon the prisoners of war were accommodated in the ship's crew cabins and in the saloons. For 3 days they could not have any sleep, therefore they seemed to be very tired and depressed.

Q. What was the food condition when the Asaka Maru went aground?
A. All the ship's equipment, cooking utensils, were washed away and we could not have food for two days. But we collected all the foodstuffs available on board the ship and managed to have some food.

Q. What do you mean by everyone on board?
A. When I say everyone on board that means, the ship's crew, prisoners of war and the Japanese.

Q. But was it not a fact that on that occasion the ship's crew and the prisoners of war cooked separately?
A. The prisoners of war lost every cooking utensil and that was why we could not cook separately, fortunately the ship's crew could maintain some of their cooking utensils and those cooking utensils were used for all.

Q. Then did everyone on board have the same food?
A. Yes.

Q. What happened after the Asaka Maru went aground?
A. After that we were rescured by two Coast defence ships and we were taken to Keeloon, one of the ports in Formosa.

Defence: I have finished about half, may I ask for about five minutes adjournment.

Court adjourns for five minutes; Time - 1100 hours.

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Page 68 . . .Kwek

Court re-assembles at 1110 hours.

Ino Takeo - Examination in Chief: Contd.

Q. What kind of a ship was the Hakusan Maru?
A. The Hakusan Maru was a passenger boat.

Q. Did the Hakusan Maru sail by herself or did she sail in a convoy?
A. She sailed in a convoy.

Q. Any Navy escort?
A. Yes there were Navy escorts.

Q. What part of the ship did the prisoners of war occupy on board the Hakusan Maru?
A. All of then were accommodated in the passengers cabins.

Q. What was the sanitary arrangement?
A. It was a passenger boat, therefore it had a perfect sanitary system. It had individual lavatories.

Q. Any special compartment given to the sick?
A. Yes we had special sick rooms for the sick.

Q. Were they allowed to make use of the decks of the ship?
A. Soon after we boarded the ship we were not allowed to make use of the decks. Then I approached the Ship's master and the Ship's master eventually allowed them to make use of the decks about 30 minutes a day in the morning and in the afternoon to have their bath and exercise. But I thought that was not sufficient for the sick and I approached the Ship's master again but I was rejected first. Then I approached the Japanese Medical Officer who came on board at Keeloon and made him to approach the Ship's master again. After the Medical Officer had seen the Shhp's master we finally could allow the prisoners of war sick to make use of the decks from 8 a.m. in the morning until 1600 hours in the evening.

Q. How was that they were not allowed to use the decks soon after they went on board?
A. The reason was that when too many people crowded on decks there was every possibility of an attack by submarines.

Q. Any special measures taken during the night?
A. There was a black out between 1730 hours and 6 a.m. in the morning and all the portholes were closed by the Ship's crew and covered with black curtains.

Q. Who prohibited the use of the decks and who gave orders as to all the portholes to be closed?
A. The Order came from the Navy escort commander.

Q. Did the convoy including the Hakusan Maru reach Moji safely?
A. The convoy was attacked by submarines soon after leaving Keeloon, one of the ships in front of Hakusan Maru was sunk.

Q. Did you hear anything from the Ship's master after that?
A. Then the Ship'e master instructed me to be very strict about black outs and limitation of the usage of the decks. He told me that we were in the most dangerous waters and we had to be prepared for any possible attack all the time and to abandon ship at any time.

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Page 69 . . . Kwek

Ino Takeo - Examination in Chief: Conta.

Q. Did you have any sick cases during the voyage fron Singapore to Moji?
A. We had sick cases amongst the Japanese as well as the prisoners of war.

Q. What kind of sickness did you have?
A. According to the prisoners of war Medical Officer there were recurrence of malaria, beri beri and diarrhoea cases.

Q. Did you not have any dysentery case?
A. No we did not have any dysentery case.

Q. Any dead?
A. Yes we had.

Q. How many died?
A. I remember there were 13 death cases.

Q. What was the reason?
A. According to the prisoners of war Medical Officer the reasons were malaria, berl berl and diarrhoea.

Q. Any other reason apart from these?
A. There was no other sickness according to the prisoners of war medical officer's death certificates.

Q. Did you have on any occasion several deaths in a night?
A. We had three deaths in a night, that was the maximum.

Q. Was that on board the Asaka Maru or the Hakusan Maru?
A. That was on board the Hakusan Maru.

Q. Do you know from what sickness they were suffering and why they died?
A. I am not quite certain but I think they died on account of malaria, diarrhoea or beri beri.

Q. As Ship's Commandant or draft commanding officer what facilities did you accord to the prisoners of war?
A. All the prisoners of war sick were put under the care of the POWs medical officer. Both on the Asaka Maru and the Hakusan Maru I tried to approach the Ship's master and succeeded in getting a special compartment for the sick. On board the Asaka Maru on 3 occasions I succeeded in getting 33 sick people admitted into hospitals ashore. On board the Hakusan Maru I had made several requests to the Ship's master through the Japanese medical officer belonging to other units and succeeded in getting the ship's decks for the POWs sick to have their exercise and sun bath. On both the ships I managed to get rice gruel for the sick. I also tried to get more fresh water for the sick and succeeded in getting them.

Q. Did all the POWs reach Moji safely?
A. Yes all of them reached Moji safely with the exception of those who died and those who were admitted into hospitals.

Q. What do you mean by sending prisoners of war to hospitals ashore?
A. That is when I sent 29 sick to the hospitals ashore at Manila and 4 to the hospital on shore at Singapore.

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Page 70. . . Kwek

Ino Takeo - Examination in Chief? Contd.

Q. When you reached Manila how many sick cases in all did you have?
A. I remember there were about 60.

Q. Was it not necessary to get all these 60 admitted into hospital?
A. I am not a medical man and I do not know about that, so I entrusted everything into the hands of the POW medical officer and I had sent every sick man to the shore whom the POW medical officer asked.

Q. What did you relating to the admittance of the prisoners of war sick to the hospital?
A. I cannot quite understand your question.

Q. I am asking you what endeavour did you make to get all these prisoners of war sick admitted into hospital. Did you take any trouble or did you leave everything into the hands of the POW medical officer?
A. On that occasion I approached and asked the Ship's master to get all these sick admitted into hospital and the Ship's master approached the Anchorage Command and the Anchorage Command made arrangements with the hospital and they were finally admitted into the hospital.

Q. All through the voyage did you have any difference with regard to food and medicines between the Japanese prisoners and prisoners of war?
A. No difference at all.

Q. Did you have any life saving equipment on board the Asaka Maru and the Hakusan Maru?
A. We had enough life saving equipment.

Q. What measures did you take with regard to accommodation and sanitary arrangements for the prisoners of war all through the voyage?
A. On board the Asaka Maru and soon after the embarkation they had only one hold, the No. 3 hold. Then I approached the Ship's master and got permission for the prisoners of war to use the decks and also I acquired one special compartment for the sick at the stern of the ship and I also got a saloon for the use of the officers. I also had two tents which the ship's crew were making use of. On board the Hakusan Maru I had a special compartment for the sick as on board the other ship. I had a canvas ventilator fixed for ventilation and I acquired a special permission to make use of the decks. Of course the healthy people were only allowed for a short period to make use of the decks but for the sick I got a special permission to use the decks for a longer period. The lavatories on board the Hakusan Maru were quite sufficient, therefore I did not say anything but on board the Asaka Maru I approached the Ship's master with
regard to the lavatories and the Ship's master approached the Anchorage Command but he was rejected on accout of the shortage of materials and therefore we could not do much about it, but the Ship's master was rather sympathetic towards the prisoners of war and he managed to let the lavatories for the ship's crew to be used by the prisoners of war.
At Manila we were made to stay in the Asaka Maru for quite a long period and the conditions were quite bad inside the ship. So I approached the authorities for the transfer of the prisoners of war into another ship but the

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Page 71 . . . Kwek

Ino Takeo - Examination in Chief: Contd.

A. Authorities told me that they did not have enough ships. Most of the ships were sunk so they did not have enough ships for all the prisoners of war to be transferred. So they asked us to stay in the ship, the same ship. I told them that the prisoners of war were made to stick into the ship for quite along period and they did not have any proper exercise, so they should be allowed to have a little exercise on the shore. But that was rejected on account of possible espionage. I believe that I had done my best with regard to the accommodation of the medical arrangements for the prisoners of war.

Q. On board the Hakusan Maru did you not have any complaints from the prisoners of war relating to the closing of the portholes at night and the usage of the decks?
A. Not complaints; well, they approached me and asked me whether I could do anything for them.

Q. What measures did you take on that occasion?
A. So I explained to the prisoners of war the reasons why they were not allowed to open the portholes and the use of the upper decks. I told them that they were not allowed to open the portholes on account of black out and there was every danger of being detected by submarines if we allowed too many people on the upper decks. The prisoners of war understood me.

Q. Were the ship's crew friendly with the prisoners of war?
A. I explained to the ship's crew the real motive for transporting the prisoners of war to Japan. I told them that we
lacked in working hands. We did not have enough labourers in Japan, that we should try our best to transport as many
prisoners of war in the most healthy conditions so that we would be benefited by it. So the crew were taking that
into consideration and the crew were kind to the prisoners of war. As a result of that, I'd like to give one or two
instances. When the prisoners of war officers became very friendly with the senior crew of the ship, eventually the ship's officers allowed them to make use of the saloons and their own accommodation and their own cabins were given to the prisoners of war officers. Also the prisoners of war medical officer treated the sick crew very kindly. On several occasions I had seen prisoners of war officers going into the crew's cabins and talking with them in English.

Q. What was the relation between the prisoners of war and the guards.
A. There was no incident between them.

Q. You must have heard evidence given by Mr. Simon. He said guards used to beat prisoners of war, don't you know about these things.
A. I had neither seen nor heard about it..


Defence: That closes my examination Sir.

Court: The Court will adjourn until 1000 hours on Tuesday next the 9th of September.

— —

 

9th September, 1947, morning session.


Page 72. . . G.Chan

ON THE 9TH OF SEPTEMBER, 1947, AT 1000 HOURS THE
COURT RE-ASSEMBLES PURSUANT TO ADJOURNMENT.
PRESENT THE SAME MEMBERS AS ON THE
6TH OF SEPTEMBER, 1947.

— —

LT. INO, 2ND ACCUSED, IS CROSS-EXAMINED
BY THE PROSECUTOR:

Q. Were there any other Japanese officers on board the Asaka Maru or Hakusan Maru apart from yourself?
A. There was no officer on board the Asaka Maru but on board the Hakusan Maru there were others.

Q. Were these others anything to do with the draft of prisoners of war?
A. The other officer was in charge of keeping the ship's guards who were under his command. He was in charge of the guards of the ship and also he was adjutant to me.

Q. You therefore carried out the duties of both ships of transport commanders, is that correct?
A. That is right.

Q. What was the object in taking these prisoners of war to Japan?
A. There was a shortage of labourers in Japan and prisoners of war were taken there to help them in labour matters.

Q. Is there any truth in the statement that these prisoners of war were picked because they were among those of the fittest that they were in the Thailand Camp?
A. That is right.

Q. Were you present at the time of embarkation on board the Asaka Maru of these PoWs?
A. I was.

Q. Did you inspect the accommodation before the PoWs went on board?
A. Yes, I did.

Q. Is there any truth in the statement made by one of the witnesses that the foot of the hold was covered in a mass of insects, rats and cockroaches?
A. Nothing of that sort.

Q. One of the witnesses says that 2 Korean guards were busy packing the prisoners of war into the hold, is this correct?
A. They didn't pack them in.

Q. Were these Korean guards inside the hold or at the outside of the hold?
A. They were at the entrance of the hold.

Q. Where were you standing at this time?
A. I was standing also at the entrance.

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Page 73. . . Chan

Q. Did you see any man faint down the hold?
A. I did.

Q. And what was your reaction to the men fainting? What did you do?
A. I called the medical officer who gave him treatment.

Q. After these people fainted, were more people packed into the hold?
A. I did not see the men faint in the beginning, I saw him fainted after everybody went into the hold.

Q. Approximately how many men does he mean by that statement that practically 750 men were inside the hold?
A. Yes, I could say that after about 600 went in.

Q. Where did you see any members of your command at the time of your embarkation?
A. Yes, there was.

Q. Do you think this accommodation which has been set aside by your members to be sufficient in the hold of your 750 men?
A. I don't think so.

Q. What steps did you take to try and alter this?
A . I don't think that the space was sufficient, therefore I approached the ship's master and got permission from him to use the decks for accommodation.

Q. Did the officers in charge of the PoW Groups come and protest to you that there was not enough space?
A. Before embarkation they said the space was a little too small and asked me to get another space.

Q. You said that you travelled from Thai, of these prisoners of war what state of health were they in?
A. What do you mean by 'in the end' ?

Q. I didn't mention 'in the end'. What I said was when you travelled from Thai, about the prisoners of war, what state of health were they in?
A. When they came from Thai they were more or less in a proper state of health but since they were working about more than one year on the Thai Railway Road they were looking tired.

Q. What were the five prisoners of war that you sent ashore prior to sailing sufferred from?
A. Not five, I think it is 4.

Q. And what were they suffering from?
A. According to the medical officer's statement it was recurrences of malaria.

Q. Do you remember any of the British prisoners of war doctors had any medicine when they embarked on the ship?
A. Yes, they did have medicine.

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Page 74. . . Chan

Q. You know whether these medicines were sufficient for the needs of 750 men who were going on a voyage which might last to anything up to a month or more?
A. I was not a medical man, so I couldn't say whether the quantity was sufficient or not but anyhow the quantity was fixed by the prisoners of war Camp Doctor. So it might have been sufficient.

Q. When you mean the prisoners of war Camp Doctor, you mean British doctor or Japanese doctor?
A. Japanese doctor.

Q. Did the British prisoners of war doctors ever complain to you prior to embarkation that the medicines would not be enough or would not be sufficient?
A. There was no such complaint.

Q. The other accused Odake Bunji has stated that he showed you the medicine box on board the ship. Is this true and did you see the medicine chest on board the ship?
A. Yes, I did see the medicine chest.

Q. Were there any Japanese doctors on board the ship?
A. Not on board the Asaka Maru but there were on board the Hakusan Maru.

Q. How soon after you had left the quayside did the prisoners of war doctors complain to you about the lack of medicines?
A. About 20 days after embarkation, medicine for beri-beri was demanded.

Q. Was this the first occasion that requests had been made for more medicine?
A. Yes, that was the first occasion.

Q. When the convoy of the Asaka Maru stopped at the various ports did you try and obtain some medicines from these ports?
A. While we were at Manila I received medicines from the Prisoners of war Camp at Manila.

Q. Were these extra medicines sufficient?
A. At that time I thought they were sufficient.

Q. Were there any other people on board the ship, Japanese personnel on board the ship apart from the prisoners of war, the guards and the crew?
A. Yes, there were.

Q. How many?
A. 40 on board the Asaka Maru and about 120 on board the Hakusan Maru.

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Page 75. . . Chan

Q. While on board the Hakusan Maru did they have separate medical supplies or did they have to share the prisoners
of war medical supply?
A. Those 40 had their own medicines from their unit.

Q. Were any of them ill or sick?
A. Yes, there were.

Q. What were the most frequent diseases; do you know what the most frequent diseases were?
A. Malaria and recurrences of malaria.

Q. Were the prisoners of war ever allowed to use the other medicine chest - this one belonged to the 40 Japanese?
A. When I thought that the prisoners of war were short of medicine, I approached the unit commander of these 40 people but they had very little medicine and I couldn't get any from them.

Q. Did you realise how badly the prisoners of war needed medical supplies when you transhipped them to the two destroyers?
A. I thought the more the medicine they had the better.

Q. Did you make any attempt while on board these two ships to obtain any extra medical supplies?
A. I didn't know what happened. I was on board one of the ships and I didn't know what happened on the other ship but on board the ship where I was, I had approached the Captain of that ship but they didn't have much medicine on board that ship. He said that there was not much medicine.

Q. How many ships were in the convoy?
A. I remember the convoy of Asaka Maru was about 15 ships and the convoy of Hakusan Maru comprised about 12 ships.

Q. Was any effort ever made by yourself or by the ship's master Odake Banji to obtain any extra medical supplies from these ships?
A. We didn't.

Q. One of the witnesses stated that one of the PoWs eventually as a result of illness turned blind, did you see him or was this reported to you?
A. I didn't receive any such reports.

Q. Did those on board the Asaka Maru i.e. did those 40 Japanese personnel you have mentioned or any Korean guards eat the same food as the PoWs?
A. They did.

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Page 76. . . Chan

Q. How did you account for the fact then that there were far more prisoners of war sick than were the Japanese?
A. I do not know that reason. There were many sick cases not only among the PoWs but also among the Japanese.

Q. Do you know of any cases of beri-beri or dysentry amongst the Japanese?
A. There was no case of dysentry neither among the prisoners of war nor the Japanese, there were beri-beri cases among the PoWs as well as among the Japanese.

Q. Did the 2 Korean guards eat with the Japanese personnel or they eat with the prisoners of war or they eat separately?
A. The Korean guards took their food in their own compartment with the Japanese.

Q. Turning now to sanitation, did you inspect the latrines prior to embarkation?
A. I did.

Q. Did you think they were sufficient for the needs of all your draft?
A. I didn't think they were sufficient, thererore I had approached the ship's master many times and I had myself gone to the Anchorage Command and asked him to build some more latrines but on account of shortage of materials, my request was not granted but eventually the ship's master allowed us to make use of the ship's crew's latrines and lavatories.

Q. Do you know the meaning of the word "improvisation"?
A. Yes, I do know the meaning.

Q. Would it not have been possible to get either some Japanese personnel or prisoner of war to improvise some latrines? What I mean - some extra latrines?
A. We could have done that if we had materials with us but we didn't have any materials that was why we could not do anything.

Q. Did you ever give the prisoners of war a chance to make any of these with materials which they could themselves find or pick up if possible?
A. If we had materials we could have asked the ship's crews to make them but we didn't have any materials at all therefore that was not possible.

Q. Did you ever see the captain of the ship come round and inspect either the sanitation arrangements or the inside of the hold?
A. I have seen him go towards the prisoners of war place where the prisoners of war were accommodated. I haven't seen him actually inspect the sanitation arrangements nor the hold.

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Page 77. . . Chan

Q. Whose responsibility was it, the captain's or yourself?
A. I was responsible for that.

Q. Did you ever go round and inspect or go down and inspect the interior of the hold?
A. I did.

Q. Approximately how many times?
A. Once in two days, sometimes I did it everyday.

Q. Did you ever make any arrangements for the sick or kept separate from the remainder of the prisoners?
A. I did.

Q. Was this done only at the request from the prisoners of war medical doctor?
A. Not as a result of the request of the prisoners of war medical officer.

Q. Did the prisoners of war get the same scale, same amount of rations as Japanese and the Korean guards?
A. They were receiving the same amount.

Q. Did you ever inspect the rations?
A. I did.

Q. Do you think it likely that any of the rations were withheld from the prisoners of war that they were entitled to receive?
A. There was no such case.

Q. One of the witnesses has stated that his tea tasted saltish as if it were made from condensed steam. Was this so with your tea or was your tea made from freah water?
A. Tea was made out of fresh water. When I was on board the ship, I never heard any complaints saying that the tea was saltish.

Q. Were any facilities given for; were any soap or towels ever given to the prisoners of war or did they wash themselves?
A. On board the ship no such thing was supplied.

Q. Do you think the cleanliness on board the ship was important?
A. It is important.

Q. Do you think that the cleanliness of the body important?
A. I thought that was very important, therefore I had encouraged to keep their bodies clean.

Q. Did you make any effort to provide in getting any soap for them?
A. I had appraoched the man in charge in the ship but he told me that it was not according to regulations that the ship should supply those things.

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Page 78. . . Chan

Q. When you came down with them as a draft from the Thailand Prisoners of War Camp did you not try and assure that each prisoner had sufficient soap to last them up the journey?
A. I did acquire for them.

Q. In other words, some of them had soap then.
A. They had soap.

Q. I know you might not be able to answer this question but do you know what was the fresh water situation like on board the ship?
A. Does that include tea or you are asking only about the fresh water?

Q. I am just talking about fresh water.
A, I had allowed them to get fresh drinking water.

Q. How often?
A. A healthy person was allowed to have one water bottle full of water and apart from them the sick were allowed to have as much water as they required.

Q. Was this pure fresh water or was this condensed steam?
A. That was fresh water.

Q. Where was the ship's galley on board the ship supposed to be the PoW's cooking house?
A. It was somewhere near the boiler in the middle of the ship.

Q. Was the prisoners of war food kept on deck? Where were all the prisoners of war food kept or was the food kept below the deck?
A. The prisoners of war food was kept by the side of the kitchen, near the kitchen and fresh vegetables were kept in a storeroom at the stern of the ship.

Q. What were the rations for the crew, were they kept there as well or were they kept below?
A. The food for the crew was also kept at the same place where the PoW's food was kept.

Q. Do you not think that keeping on deck would not enable the weather to affect the food?
A. No food was preserved on the deck,

Q. Therefore you never took the trouble to think whether the weather might affect the food or not? 1 like to clear up as 1 am not quite clear about it - was there any food on the deck?
A. No food.

Q. The food then that you have just mentioned being at the side of the ship's galley was that beneath the deck?
A. That is right.

Q. Then how can you account for the fact when the typhoon came along and the food was washed overboard?
A. The water rushed into the galley too. Therefore the food was washed away.

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Page 79. . . Chan

Q. What happened then when the water came into the cabin and washed the food over the cabin?
A. That is right.

Q. How do you account for the fact that several witnesses or several affidavits state that there was definitely food on board the deck?
A. There was no such thing.

Q. When the typhoon came did the crew lose all their food too?
A. At that time there was no distinction made between the food for the crew and for prisoners of war. Part of the food was saved but I don't know whether the food belonged to the crew or to the PoWs.

Q. Then on board the ship everybody had the same food, Japanese crews, Korean guards and prisoners of war, is that correct?
A. That is correct.

Q. Did you ever have the rice scrapings from the boilers?
A. We used rice scrapings from the boilers when the ship went aground.

Q. When you stopped at Manila were any of the prisoners allowed off the shore?
A. At Manila a few prisoners were allowed to go on shore to transport vegetables into the ship. They were only allowed to remain on the wharves.

Q. Did any prisoners ask to go ashore to buy fresh fruit etc. for the sick?
A. No one was allowed.

Q. Did anyone ask if they could go ashore?
A. No one asked to be allowed to on shore to buy those things but they had asked the Japanese soldiers to buy fruits for them.

Q. Do you think it would be a good idea to get these prisoners ashore in order that they could get some exercise, some fresh air?
A. The Anchorase Command never allowed any PoW to be taken around in the town.

Q. Did you issue any orders as to what would happened to the prisoners of war, what they should do if the ship should suddenly be attacked by air or by submarines or if they had to abandon the ship?
A. I did.

Q. Who did you pass these orders on to?
A. I could not understand English therefore I did it through the interpreter to the prisoners of war.

Q. Can you give us some idea of the life-saving equipment on board?
A. We had 4 lifesaving boats, about 80 rafts and everyone had his own lifesaving belt.

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Page 80. . . Chan

Q. How do you know that they had sufficient lifebelts to go round?
A. I know that because I had inspected it myself.

Q. You never saw a prisoner of war without a lifebelt, is that correct?
A. That is correct.

Q. On board the Asaka Maru, how many deaths were there altogether?
A Three.

(Prosecutor) I have finished my questions, for first half of my cross-exam. May I have a few minutes adjournment please?

( The Court is adjourned for a few minutes )

—

( Court Re-Assembles )

CROSS-EXAMINATION (Contd.)

Q. One more question about this Asaka Maru before turning to the Hakusan Maru, it is about food. I shall give a statement made by Hayashi Nichiro who was present on board the Asaka Maru. He tells us in his statement that the prisoners of war rice ration was 260 - 300 grammes per day per man while that of the Japanese was 500 - 600 grammes per day per man! What do you say to that statement?
A. Hayashi was not the chief steward on board the ship.

Q. Which is correct, the statement made by you in which you state that there was no difference between the food the prisoners of war and the Japanese or the one made by Hayashi Nichiro?
A. What I have mentioned is correct.

Q. You stated earlier on, that on board the Hakusan Maru was a Japanese medical man, was he a doctor?
A. He was a medical officer of another unit who came on board at Formosa on the way to Japan.

Q. Did he ever assist the two British doctors in helping the sick?
A. Yes, he did.

Q. Did he have a medicine chest?
A. He did have.

Q. Were the prisoners of war allowed to use the contents of this box?
A. They were actually not allowed to use but when they were short of medicines, some medicine were acquired from the medicine chest. The shortage of medicine was made good.

Q. Was there also a medicine chest or was there medical supply for the ship's crew in the form of the ship's medicine box?
A. Yes, there was medicine equipped to the ship.

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Page 81. . . Chan

Q. Did the sick prisoners of war ever receive any supplies from the ship's box?
A. The prisoners of war were supplied from the Japanese Army.

Q. Do I understand that they received supplies from the ship's medicine chest or from this other medicine chest?
A. Not from the ship's medicine chest, they were receiving medicines from the medicine chest which belonged to the Japanese medical officer.

Q. Were these supplies sufficient for the needs of the prisoners of war?
A. They were not sufficient.

Q. And why did you not ask permission from the captain of the Hakusan Maru to use the ship's medicine chest?
A. I did ask him.

Q. Did he refuse?
A. He didn't.

Q. He didn't refuse? Therefore if he didn't refuse which means that you were allowed to use the ship's medicine chest.
A. It was arranged that we should approach the chief purser and receive medicines from him.

Q. And you did receive medical supplies from this medicine chest?
A. We didn't receive.

Q. The sentence before you stated that you went to the purser and you received medical supplies from him, which is correct or the one made after that?
A. Yes, it was so arranged.

Q. Were any special arrangements made for the sick on board?
A. Is that on board the Hakusan Maru or on board both the ships?

Q. We are talking about on board the Hakusan Maru.
A. On board the Hakusan Maru I have asked the captain and acquired a special compartment for the sick, and also I have approached the ship's master and asked him to allow the upper decks to be used by the prisoners of war; but in the beginning I was rejected. Later, I made a request again through the medical officer whom I have mentioned just now and finally got permission from him to use the deck for the sick for a long period for some bathing and fresh air.

Q. What do you mean by long period?
A. The non-sick were allowed 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon to make use of the deck but the sick were allowed to make use of the decks from 8 o'clock in the morning until 1600 hrs. in the evening.

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Page 82. . . Chan

Q. How many sick were there approximately?
A. About 150.

Q. Did the sick receive any special food?
A. They were getting rice gruel and soup.

Q. Is this different from food that received by the prisoners of war who were well?
A. We made these things different from the ration to be given to the healthy prisoners of war.

Q. Healthy prisoners of war? Did the sick prisoners of war receive any special food?
A. They were not receiving any special supply.

Q. Why did you not give some special food to the sick?
A. In the Japanese Army there is no special food or ration for the sick. Therefore we didn't give them any special ration.

Q. Don't you think it might have helped to get some prisoners of war well if they had cooked the rations and prepared in an easier way, a more fluid way, so that the ill may as well eat more easily and digest it more easily?
A. The prisoners of war were cooking their own food and they were cooking in such a way to suit theor own taste. We could not do anything else.

Q. Did the sick receive any extra water?
A. The sick were receiving as much as they wanted.

Q. How do you account for the fact that Mr. Yardley states that in his evidence that he was sick the whole journey on board the Hakusan Maru that he received no extra water or any extra food other than the normal ration the prisoners of war who were well received?
A. What do you mean by special food apart from the water?

Q. Well, any as I have said before any soft gruel or any rice, any of the food cooked in a way that would be suitable for the sick to eat.
A. If Mr. Yardley was not receiving such things I think that was the responsibility of the prisoners of war themselves.
The prisoners were responsible for making special food for the sick. I never ordered them not to give any such special food to Mr. Yardley.

Q. Did you ever make, if possible, for the prisoners of war who were cooking the food to make arrangement for the sick?
A. Yes they had.

Q. How frequent were you in inspection on that ship?
A. Once or twice per day.

Q. Could you see that the prisoners were getting worse in their state of health instead of better?
A. I thought the condition was becoming worse.

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Page 83. . . Chan

Q. And there was still nothing that you could do and try to make the prisoners getting better?
A. I had consulted with the ship's master but we could not make the condition any better.

Q. At night time was it not possible for prisoners to go to sleep on deck?
A. That was rejected by the ship's master.

Q. Do you know why?
A. On that occasion the ship's master said if they sleep on deck that will give obstruction to the ship's crew, to the work of the ship's crew, and at the same time it would be quite dangerous for them to go to the lavatories when somebody was sleeping on deck.

Q. Were the lavatories above deck or below deck?
A. They were below the deck in the cabin.

Q. Did they approach you with complaints?
A. No.

Q. One of the witnesses had said that some of the officers wished to make complaints were stopped in making complaints by the Korean guards, do you think that at all likely?
A. No, that is not correct at all.

Q. In other words, at least officers had an opportunity of making complaints or suggestions to you if they wish.
A. No. There was no such obstruction whenever the officers wanted to make complaints and see me. He sent a word through the interpreter and I met him readily on any occasion.

Q. You said that you inspected the ship once or twice a day. Do you think then that you were a very familiar figure among the prisoners of war?
A. I think I was.

Q. Mr. Simon says in his evidence that he only saw you once throughout the whole voyage. What do you say about that?
A. I didn't know that Mr. Simon said that, but I think that was because I did not wear my military tunic. Whenever I walked around the ship, I used to go around the ship with short sleeves with a shirt and shorts on.

Q. How many deaths were there on this Hakusan Maru?
A. As far as I remember there were 10.

A. What do you attribute the deaths to?
A. I don't know what actually attributed to that but according to the reports made by the medical officer it was stated that the reasons were malaria, beri-beri or diarrhoea.

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Q. What would you say, though not a medical man yourself, your own opinion for these diseases prevalent in the ship?
A. I think the main reasons were because the period of voyage was too long and consequently they encountered
typhoon during the voyage.

Q. How long was the voyage from the time they embarked to the time they disembarked, the approximate number of days?
A. About 70 days.

Q. Did you consider it your duty as draft commander of this draft of approximately 750 prisoners of war to get them all to Japan in as healthy a condition as possible?
A. That was my duty.

Q. Do you think that you had done everything in your part to keep these prisoners of war as healthy as possible?
A. I am contident that I did everything I could.

Q. Looking back on it do you think you could have done anything more?
A. There is nothing.

Q. One last question, did these prisoners of war arrive in Japan healthy?
A. There were some of them healthy and some of them sick.

Q. Can you give an approximate percentage?
A. Out of 700 approximately who reached Japan, 550 were healthy and about 150 were not healthy.

( No Re-Examination)


QUESTIONED BY THE COURT:

Q. Have you made other journeys on Japanese troopships other than the trip in the Asaka Maru and the Hakusan Maru?
A. I have, Sir.

Q. What is your opinion of the journey in the Asaka Maru by comparison with other ships you have travelled on?
A. Of all the ships which I have travelled, Sir, I think the condition on board the Asaka Maru was the worst.

Q. Did you have to take any disciplinary action against prisoners of war during the entire voyage?
A. Not even once, Sir.

Q. On arrival in Japan, did you have to explain the deaths of prisoners of war either by report or by a court of enquiry or to a court of enquiry?
A. I did make a report after I reached Japan, Sir.

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Page 85. . . Chan

Q. Did you as draft commander make a record of the number, rank, name of all the deceased prisoners of war? Those who died under your charge on this voyage.
A. They were written on the death certificates, Sir.

Q. Did you not personally keep a roll?
A. I have taken it down in my official diary, Sir of the trip.

Q. Where was your cabin or office in relation to the galley?
A. My cabin was on the bridge in front of the boiler and the galley was at the back of the boiler, Sir.

Q. Now how far was your office or room from the galley?
A. You mean the distance, Sir?

Q. Yes.
A. I think it was about 20 meters, Sir.

Q. Were they on the same deck?
A. My place was on the bridge.

Q. Could you look down on that galley from your quarter?
A. The galley could not be seen from my place.

Q. How often did you visit the galley to inspect the food if you did it at all?
A. I didn't inspect it regularly but once or twice a day on my way to the lavatory I had to go there through the galley. Therefore about 5 or 6 times a day I used to pass that way.

Q. You heard Mr. Simon describe a beating. One would believe that there would be a certain amount of commotion as a result of this beating. Do you say you didn't hear this or hear anything about it?
A. I have heard nothing relating to any such incident, Sir, and I believe that no such thing could ever have happened.

Q. Now, who is responsible for disembarkation at Moji?
A. The officer-in-charge of the Prisoners of War Camp in Japan ordered the disembarkation.

Q. Yes, but who personally supervised? Was it not your duty to supervise the embarkation - by that I mean actually get the men off the ship?
A. The officer in Japan actually took charge of this embarkation and I was only doing the handing-over of the prisoners of war and other clerical work.

Q. Well, will you tell the Court how these prisoners left the ship. I mean what happened to the sick men, were they taken off first or were they taken off last or the sick men and the well men were taken off altogether?
A. What I have already mentioned just now, Sir, I was engaged in handing-over the office work, for instance, cash and what not, Sir.

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Page 86. . . Chan

Q. But surely you have some plan as to how to get these men off the ship.
A. Of course we had a plan, sir.

Q. Now, what was the plan?
A. The plan was to disembark the sick first and the healthy people last.

Q. Now Private G. Hammond one of the witnesses says that there was no priority given to the sick whatsoever, is that true or is that a mistake?
A. I think such thing could not happened, Sir.

( AT 1230 HOURS THE COURT ADJOURNS UNTIL 1400 HRS )

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