http://homepage3.nifty.com/pow-j/e/list/index.html Names, ID numbers, even causes of death & Nationality
What a tale of wretched misery those death lists tell. Eric Lomax's book 'The Railwayman' gives a very moving account of his time as a POW of the Japanese. I see from the list of camps that POWs were kept near Nagasaki and Hiroshima does anyone know if they became casualties of the Bombs? Marina
Memorial For U.S. POWs (Former Chugoku Military Police HQ) Installed in 1999, by the efforts and personal funds of Hiroshima resident, and A-bomb survivor, Shigeaki Mori. At least 11 American POWs were killed in the atomic bomb blast, while being held at the Kempei-Tai HQ, near the hypocenter. These POWs were from the crews of four American aircraft that went down in the area. Today, the former HQ, today an office building. Cartwright, the pilot of one of B-24 "Lonesome Lady" who was shot down near Hiroshima wrote the words of the memorial. He describes himself as one of the few Americans who lost personal friends (his crew) in in the atomic blase: "The Atomic bomb devistated the city and its people with a force beyond any known before. US Air Force and US Navy airmen interned as POWs at the Chugoku Military Police Headquarters, which was located at this site, near the epicenter, were among the victims of this holocaust. This plaque is placed in the memory of these brave and honorable men. May this humble memorial be a perpetual reminder of the savagery of war." Lester Tenney, a World War II veteran who lives in La Jolla (San Diego County), couldn't agree more. He was a prisoner of war in Fukuoka, about 100 miles from Hiroshima, when the atomic bomb was dropped. He's convinced the Allied decision to drop the bomb on Hiroshima and on Nagasaki three days later saved his life. "The atomic bombs saved my life and the lives of at least 140,000 POWs who were in Japan at the time," said Tenney. At the time of its bombing, Hiroshima was a city of considerable industrial and military significance. Even some military camps were located nearby, such as the headquarters of the Fifth Division and Field Marshal Shunroku Hata's 2nd General Army Headquarters, which commanded the defense of all of southern Japan. Hiroshima was a minor supply and logistics base for the Japanese military. The city was a communications center, a storage point, and an assembly area for troops. It was one of several Japanese cities left deliberately untouched by American bombing, allowing an ideal environment to measure the damage caused by the atomic bomb. Another account stresses that after General Spaatz reported that Hiroshima was the only targeted city without POW-camps, Washington decided to assign it highest priority. (debatable)
Thanks. Spidge. I just wondered. I think Tenney's statement that the dropping of the bombe must have saved a great many Allied lives is right. Marina
Does any one besides me believe there are still POW's from WWII? I buried my brother in Dec. and am having a hard time dealing with it.
There were many from the Burma Star Association on parade a little while back, Mary. My own father is a veteran, although not a POW. He's 81, not such a great age these days. There must be many more. Srry to hear about your brother. Marina
For the japs to surender was really bad and dishonered (if that was the right word ) thats why the was so bad with the prisoners.
Hi all Ime a new memeber. My father was a POW in Rangoon Burma for about 3yrs and never spoke of his experience.Sadley he died in 2001and I am trying to piece together that part of his life he never spoke about. Have any of you out there got any tales to tell :icon_sadangel: Jean
does any one have any info on the rangoon POW camp in Burma my father was a pow there and never spoke of it although he did have terrible nightmares sadley he died in 2001 and i am trying to piece together a part of his life he never spoke about
Google comes up with this.......... http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&rls=GWYE%2CGWYE%3A2006-38%2CGWYE%3Aen&q=+Rangoon+POW+Camp%2C+Burma+&btnG=Search
Another database of POW camps on the Japanese mainland. This one has satellite images: Fukuoka POW Camp #1 - Page 1 Camp list with sat images (great for looking at the geography of the camp locations - almost no remains of the camps themselves) JAPAN POW CAMP GROUP HISTORY