Fukuoka POW Camp #21 Nakama
(Nakazuru)

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Fukuoka #21-B Nakama
Taisho Mining Company
(TAISHO KOGYO NAKAZURU TANKO)
NAKAZURU Works
FUKUOKA-ken, ONGA-gun,
NAKAMA-machi

Satellite map
Aerial (Jan. 1948; courtesy of Japan Map Archives)
Area map


Timeline:
15 Jun 1944:
Established as Fukuoka Branch #21 at Nakama with arrival of Dutch and Australians.
21 Jun 1945: Approximately 300 British and Dutch arrive from Fukuoka #2.
Sep 1945: Rescue effected


Photographs:
History of Nakazuru Mining (in Japanese; no mention of POW camp)
Japanese historical site

Aerial view:
Hell Ships:
The Dutch and Australians are known to have arrived on the Teia Maru ex Singapore ex Death Railway.



Labor:

Coal mining and related slave labor for the Taisho Mining Company. The mine had been abandoned and flooded when the POWs arrived.


Rosters:
Total = 588 POWs (311 Dutch, 175 Australian, 99 British, 3 American; 5 deaths)
Original American roster
Rinaman, James C., Major, O&317293 (Ex Fuk-02) (Verklaring) - Dutch translation of affidavit
Shaw, Jerry E., Pvt, 19023434, Ft Mills Hosp
Upton, Joseph B., Pvt, 17030961,Ft Mills Hosp
Australians
Original Australian roster
British
Original British roster
Dutch - XLS spreadsheet (courtesy of Henk Beekhuis)
Original Dutch roster

FUK-21_Rosters_1946-02-16


Deaths:
Deceased
From the book "Angel of the East Indies" p 164
19 Aug 1945: Sgt. Johannes Jacob Fredik Modder (Dutch) dies as a result of severe malnutrition- last man to die in the camp.
17 Jul 1945: Cedric William James (Australian) mine accident- cerebral hemorage and urethra injury.
23 Mar 1945: Pte Kenneth William Lally (Australian) dies from pneumonia
19 Aug 1944: Leonard Drossaers (Dutch) of fractured skull in mine accident.
10 Aug 1944: Karel Van Bourgonje (Dutch) of fractured skull in mine accident.
19 Jul 1944: Willem Daalman (Dutch) of broken back in mine accident.


Memoir of Dutch POW, Jouwert Postma (in Dutch)


Books
"Angel of the East Indies" by Dino Fanara
- narrative of survival of Dutch soldier Adolph Van Dooremole. Accurate portralal of hellship and working conditions at the camp. Includes accurate narrative of his wife and four children's survival under Japanese imprisonment in Java. Highly recommended.