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Narrative regarding Hir-06B (Sanyo) |
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Source: E-mail of Mr Stephen Hagen; historian of the 48th LAA (November 19, 2006) My own interest in this camp is due to my research into the 48th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, which surrendered in Java in March 1942. One contingent of this regiment under the command of Major's Charles P. Graham and Walter Robert Busby left Java within a larger group as prisoners of war on the Yoshida Maru in October 1942. This group sailed to Singapore where they transferred to the Dia Nichi Maru and, with the Singapore Maru, continued their voyage to Moji in Japan. On arrival the sick and dying transferred to Fukuoka 4B Moji YMCA, whilst the remaining men of the regiment under the command of Majors Graham and Busby went on to Omine Machi on the island of Honshu. Early 1943 a party of officers under Major Charles Plenderleath Graham were transferred to Zentsuji. This left Busby in command, who incidentally was awarded a Military Cross for gallantry in Java and a MBE for his work as senior POW at Omine Machi where he command the original 180 British POWs who had arrived in 1942 and the 280 American POWs who arrived later in 1944. |