| Osaka POW Camp #10-B Maibara |
| Location: 10-B MAIBARA SHIGA-ken, SAKATA-gun, MAIBARA-machi, UMEGAHARA Satellite map Area map Time Line: 18 May 1945: Established as Osaka 25-B Aug 1945: Renamed Osaka 10-B Sept 1945: Rescue effected (10 Sept 1945 per Abel Ortega) Not a known camp until list submitted to MacArthur upon surrender. Opened 15 May 1945. Men arrived mostly from burned out camps in Osaka (Wakinohoma) and Kobe. From noted historian Michael Hurst (MBE) we learn that the majority of the men who were in Maibara Camp 10B at the end of the war (Americans) were men who had been sent to Japan from Taiwan in January 1945 after their previous journey on the Hokusen (Haro/Benjo) Maru in the fall of 1944. Photographs: Aerial picture of camp and detail of flags at the gate More pictures Rescued Aussies with names Two Aussies secure a food drop |
Primary Labor Use: Building of canals and draining of a lake for growing of food; some used as stevedores at local railyard. Hell Ship: From analysis by noted researcher, Jim Erickson (Texas A&M), many of the men in this camp were on the Hokusen Maru (to Taiwan) then transferred via the Melborne Maru or Enoshima Maru Camp Rosters at Liberation: Americans Civilians, Dutch, British and Aussie List of deceased at Maibara: None recorded. OSA-10 Roster (WO 361-1963) - American, British, Australian, Dutch Books Describing Life at Maibara: Courage on Bataan and Beyond- a well done description of the experience of Abel F. Ortega, 192nd Tank Bn. Excellent selection of photos and the experience of the Death March, O'Donnell, Camp Murphy and hell ships to Japan and final days at Maibara. Japanese Camp Staff: A complete list of Japanese staff including rank, dates of arrival and departure. |