| Sapporo |
Main Camp List Sapporo Roster
| Location: Approximately 2-3 miles south-east of the city of Sapporo within confines of area known as the "Northern Army Headquarters." 
Twelve aviators were confined to a single room, approximately 15 ft x 20 ft.- 3 guards on duty around the clock. 28 June 1945: This group of POWs shipped from Kiangwan to Peking then Mukden and down Korea by train. Shipped by boat to Japan thence by train up Honshu to Sapporo 15 Aug 1945: informed of surrender- told to remain in camp11 Sept 1945: Moved by bus to local airstrip- flown to Okinawa and on to Manila. Men are listed on the rescue rosters for Hak-04B-Ashibetsu. Photographs: Pictures of all POWS  The Zack Crew - B-25 mission, crash and capture - rare color photos. Includes picture of crashed plane taken by the Japanes interpreter.  Picture #2 - Detail of holding barracks for the twelve flyers Japanese Camp Officials: Major Miki - Camp CO Lt Col Emoto - all camps in Hokkaido Capt Furutatsu - immediate supervisor Northern Army Hq - Capt Matsumoto and Capt Sumiyama |
History: Technically, not a POW camp but was considered as such by the Japanese in the 15 Aug 1945 report to MacArthur. The facility was both the Military Police Jail and the Sapporo "holding" camp (see this special report on the Tsukisamu Branch Camp by Taeko Sasamoto). First known to be occupied by American flyers captured in China. Twelve Americans arrived 7 July 1945, a.k.a. the "diddled dozen." They came over with the China Marines and were kept separate at all times. After the surrender, 15 August 1945, some ten more men were brought into the camp from the local Kempeitai jails including two Wake Island sailors, convicted for escaping and, apparently, some ten more, including two more flyers, Wood and Rouse, who were added to the roster. We are indebted to former POW, Milt Zack, for these names. Source: RG 389 Box 2126 POW Roster: [Americans and British - Roster per Sasamoto report] - Only one list found but we know there was a final total of 25 men, including three Brits, held at time of rescue. Extra names courtesy of Milton Zack. Special Link: Experience of Milton Zack, 77th Bomb Squadron (M), 11th Air Force, captured 15 May 1945 in the Kurile Island raid from Attu, details his experience in this camp; he is NOT shown on the rescue roster for some reason. Affidavits: Asst. affidavits (RG 331 Box 930) - Zack, Mehilich, McMillan, Ferris; also included stray page re Hakodate Camp #3 2nd Lt Samuel McMillan Jr, West Hartford CT. Details his capture and sequence of POW camps. Lt Col Donald L. Quigley, 4020th AAFBU: "Sapporo was not an established camp but a make shift or rather temporary holding place for twelve American pilots captured in the last year of the war. We had been in the Shanghai camp and always segregated from the 1000 other prisoners there - not being allowed to talk or associate with them. This was enforced by a special guard with us day and night. The Shanghai camp moved to Peking for a month and then to Japan. We were separated entirely from the others and quartered in a vacant building at Northern Army Headquarters, just at the edge of Sapporo. That is why I think of it not as a camp but merely a place of confinement." |
