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Murder of POW by Japanese guards Private Everett L. Tyler at Tanagawa |
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Extract from Colonel William C. Braly's "The Hard Way Home", Washington Infantry Journal Press, 1942, page 229. "One of their number was a Private Tyler of Battery B, 60th Coast Artillery. In April, 1943, he had become unbalanced as a result of severe mistreatment, prolonged starvation, and exposure. Repeatedly he was beaten for offenses no sane man would commit. The American senior officer reported to the Nips that this man was a hospital case and should not be sent out to work, to which the authorities paid no attention whatever. "One day Private Tyler disappeared from camp. Being hungry, he stopped at the first house and probably asked for food. The natives there sent word to the camp than an American was in the house. Soon guards arrived and took him back to camp where he was thrown into the guardhouse and sentries on duty beat him terribly. "A couple of hours later two men, armed with long heavy sticks, arrived at the guardhouse. The guards admitted them to Private Tyler's cell where they proceeded to beat him to death in cold blooded murder. His agonized screams could be plainly heard. POW officers protested vigorously to the camp Commander but to no avail. "Who are these men? Why do you permit this?" they demanded. "Shut up and get out, or I'll put you in the guardhouse," he snapped. "When the American was dead other prisoners were called in to clean up the cell. Bloody vomit everywhere indicated internal hemorrhages. The two strangers were never identified
as war criminals. |