| Hiroshima
POW Camp #2-B Niihama, Ehime (Shikoku) |
| Hiroshima #2-B Niihama (formerly Zentsuji #3-B and Fukuoka #13-B) (SUMITOMO KOGYO) EHIME-ken, NII-gun, SUMINO-machi, YAMANE Per IRRC: Niihama-shi, Ehime-ken Satellite View Area Map Timeline: 22 Apr 1943: Established as Fukuoka 13-B BESSHI EHIME-ken, NIIHAMA-machi 25 Apr 1943: First Dutch arrive ex Hawaii Maru 14 Jul 1943: Jurisdictional control transferred to ZENTSUJI POW CAMP 3-B 20 Jul 1943: Established at NIIHAMA-shi 8 Sep 1943: Red Cross officials supposedly "visit" camp; seen from distance only. No contact with POWs. (Note from Center for Research: IRCC took the word of Japanese officials as no actual visit was made.) 14 Nov 1943: Moved to NIIHAMA-shi, ISOURA 10 Sep 1944: 300 men arrive ex Aki Maru per Vermin affidavit 13 Apr 1945: established as HIROSHIMA 2-B (SUMITOMO KAGAKU KOGYO) EHIME-ken, NIIHAMA-shi, ISOURA 28 Aug 1945: First food drops 10 Sep 1945: Rescue Effected Men sent by train through Zentsuji (picked up Yanks therein) then to port of Takamatsu thence ferry to Uno. Next train took men through Osaka to Wakayama. Photos: Collection at Australian War Memorial - asst. photos, audio, video Assorted photos (PDF) Reports: On the treatment of POWS in the Niihama Camp - includes medical report Report of Dutch Yamane party Links: Capt (Dr) David Hinder (Australian) - reflects on his experience at Niihama after the atom bomb was dropped Journals of Victor Johannes Maria Vermin; External Link Japanese Staff: Capt Murakami (Camp Commander) - "Lopper" Unknown guard: "Mickey Mouse" Oka San - "Happy" Photos from Tokyo War Crimes Trials: Colonel Shuzo Saito, sentenced to death Colonel Suzuki, 15 years imprisonment Murakami, sentenced to death Nishiyama, 40 years imprisonment Tanimoto, 35 years imprisonment Okada, 20 years imprisonment Yamamoto, 15 years imprisonment Shirasaya, 6 years imprisonment Ika, 5 years imprisonment Kawabata, 5 years imprisonment Beppu, 5 years imprisonment Hirai, 1 year imprisonment (additional photo) |
Labor: Employed by Sumitomo Chemical Industries: Yamane: Copper mine and smelter (now Sumitomo Metal Mining, Besshi Mining) Niihama: Casting foundry for machine parts and a land reclamation project (now Sumitomo Metal Mining, Niihama Nickel Refinery) Hell Ships: Hawaii Maru ex Singapore via Formosa; departed Changi 3 Apr 1943 and arrived Moji 24 April 1943. 300 men to Niihama included 250 Dutch per V.J.M Vermin (NEIA). Aki Maru ex Singapore, 4 weeks in Manila Harbor, Formosa and Moji. Departed Singapore 1 July 1944- arrived Moji 8 Sep 1944; 1250 POWs. Australians placed into Niihama Camp Book: Kurrah! An Australian POW in Changi, Thailand & Japan, 1942-1945 by F.W.G. "Bill" Power, Australia 2nd of the15th NOTE: "Kurrah" is actually "kora" in Japanese, meaning "Hey!" or "Hey you!" Camp consisted of 245 Australian men of whom 3 died; an unknown number of Dutch but almost all Australians ex Thailand ex Changi. Rosters: Australians: 245 include 3 deceased men; ranking man was Lt. Peter Selwyn Withycombe Dutch Roster: 364 men (Sept. 1945) Original Australian and American roster Roster Aug. 15, 1945 (RG 389 Box 2070) Rosters for all Hiroshima camps Payrolls for asst. Hiroshima camps Deceased: External link (click on link for Hiroshima 2B) Original death roster In early September, the POWS discovered a civilian camp nearby (see Vermin Journal) that had not received supplies and the POWS carried food to them. This was Aiko Health Facility, 1741-1 Miyoshi-cho, Futami-gun. It contained nurses and medical officers from captured Dutch vessel, Op ten Noort. Total: 44. Francis Joseph Baker interview Karl F. Fender (Dutch) photo collection - formerly at Zentsuji and Surabaya (Java) camps Additional Research by Netherlands researcher, John Slootmaekers regarding Red Cross records:
Intl Red Cross Committee:
Zentsuji POW Camp No. 3 (questionnaire 21 April 1944) Address: Niihama-shi, Ehime-ken, Nippon Opened 22 April 1943 329 POW's at date - Dutch, 4 officers and 325 Dutch enlisted from Java Visit [by IRCC] to camp: none to date 3 Red Cross relief goods per person issued, no mail and other parcels to date. |