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The Ambrit
(undoubtedly meaning American and British) was established in
Yokohama 18-D on 15 Jul 44. It was carried over to Niigata when
the camp was moved there Jun 45. Each issue is one page, hand
written, about 11 by 13 inches. Number 27 is dated 21 Jul 45.
Source: John Powers
Tokyo Group POW camps
18-D Yokohama Taika Renga
Est 1 May 44
Information below from The Ambrit, a one page hand
written bulletin published in the camp.
POWs from Yokohama Stadium had been sent to work at the Taika
Renga brickyard since 15 Oct 42. On 1 May 44 about 70 POWs,
including three officers, were sent to a new camp, 18-D, to work
at the brickyard. The camp consisted of two story wooden building
with plaster walls on the inside. The ground floor housed the
American prisoners and the upper floor the British prisoners.
About sixty POWs worked in the brickyard producing about 6,000
bricks daily. Three air raid shelters were built inside the camp.
POWs were sent on a regular basis from here to the hospital at
Shinagawa.
Lt Hayhasi, who was ill, was relieved as camp commander by Lt
Takeichi Chizuwa on 8 Dec 44. The senior enlisted POW was British
Sgt W. Lewis of the Royal Engineers. A few civilians were included
in the POW population.
17 Nov 44
all men who had worked for one month w/o being sick or on light
duty were given 1 quarter pound packet of tea and a 2 ounce packet
of white pepper. This was a normal camp procedure.
By Nov 44 air raids were frequent and the shelters used often,
sometimes several times throughout a 24 hour period.
On 31 Dec 44 a new Japanese Sgt Major was brought in to relieve
the current senior Japanese enlisted man. The new Sgt Major demanded
all office staff be saluted and started slapping POWs for rule
breaking. He ordered all prisoners to clean their boots every
night and started 5 minutes of physical training every morning.
Beds could not be used until after evening roll call. Shortly
after his arrival he was asked if fires could be built in the
barracks but said it was not cold enough. Later that day it snowed.
The SgtMaj would not give out Red Cross parcels except to those
he deemed to be working hard enough. On 7 Feb 45 a full Red Cross
parcel was issued to each prisoner considered to be working hard
enough, others received ½ a parcel. This may have been
done to hide the pilfering done by the Japanese prior to issuing
the parcels.
As of Apr 45 the British in the group had received 5 Red Cross
parcels over three years. On 27 Feb 45 the SgtMaj at 18-D kept
5 parcels for himself of 76 Red Cross parcels which had arrived
in camp earlier . This SgtMaj was relieved 11 May 45.
Every paper complained about food quantity and quality. The Japanese
quartermaster was not trusted by the POWs. When he was relieved
of his post in early May 45 the food improved.
When inspections were to be held by Tokyo the prisoners were
told not to speak to the inspecting officer about food. If they
did they were punished. On inspection day the Japanese saw that
good meals were served all day so full rations would be on display
when the inspector showed up.
Menus listed:
16 Mar 45
bkfst potato soup, koaling, tea
lunch potato soup, fish cakes, koaling, tea
supper turnip soup, corned beef and rice beans, tea
5 May 45
bkfst vegetable soup, bowl of koaling, tea
lunch dried potato soup, half bowl koaling, tea
supper dried potato and noodle soup, bowl of barley and beans,
tea
16 May 45
bkfst koaling, vegetable soup, tea
lunch koaling, vegetable soup
supper vegetable soup, barley and beans
On Saturday 12 Aug 44 meals were described as:
Rations of two or three weeks ago had the morning meal as a bowl
of rice, koaling, mixed with a soup made from turnips, tops,
and mesu paste. The mid day meal consisted of roughly six potatoes
per man with a turnip or carrot mixed sometimes with a little
cabbage plus a soup from the company. The night meal was a bowl
of rice, koaling and beans mixed plus a good soup. This is the
best meal of the day. The best meal of the week is fried fish
which we get every five days. Present day we get the same bowl
of rice with either a tomato soup or pumpkin. At mid day we now
have half ration of rice in place of potatoes, soup of cucumber
with soya sauce. From the company we get a soup, sometimes boiled
fish. Then at three o'clock we have a decent soup from the company.
Then at night we have the usual bean ration and a very good soup
– pumpkin or tomato. But the one meal what all the men look
forward to is fried fish cucumber, soya sauce, beans.
On Friday night the camp being out of vegetables, they've replaced
vegetable with noodles.
The following article is quoted from the Saturday
19 May 45 bulletin.
Ever since that ill fated day when we became Prisoners of War
out stable diet has been a combination of three grains-rice,
koaling, and barley. When first put on rice and soup in Hong-Kong,
our doctors told us that we could only live on rice for six months,
but here we are three and a half years hence still alive and
looking forward to that glorious day to come.
When we came to Japan we went on the above diet, only now and
then did we get white rice. Then they added beans to the diet
during the summer months. In place of koaling they gave us potatoes.
Our soup consists of mesu paste or soya sauce with turnips, carrots,
leeks, tops included. The following we had when in season, tomatoes,
egg plant, cucumber, cabbage, these we saw now and again. A dish
that we looked forward to was fried fish koaling, this was indeed
a treat had but twice a week, but now these people can not get
the oil, so for the past seven months we have not seen anything
fried, the next fried fish we will see is when we get out of
this mess.
Meals that we used to consider best of the week have long disappeared
such as curried pork, pork stew, noodles, fired fish.
Right now we are undergoing a lean time as far as food (its scarce).
W have a bowl of koaling and vegetable soup for breakfast, half
a bowl koaling and soya soup for mid-day. Then for the night
meal we have a bowl of barley and beans with little vegetable,
and tops. Of late we have had noodles instead of vegetables,
but we must have our greens to prevent scurvy. These have to
be obtained from black markets when they have them.
On 29 May 45 POWs helped put out several fires in and
near the camp which were the result of bombing raids. The POWs
working as stevedores in another camp near by were brought in
to 18-D as their camp had been burned out. The next day the "peanut-iol
lads" came into camp for the same reason. These POWs told
the men in camp Yokohama had been burned to the ground for as
far as they could see.
On 2 Jun 45 the POWs were told to prepare to move on the
4th due to damage from air raids in the Tokyo Yokohama area.
The POWs from 18-D and the stevedore POWs were sent to Niigata
5-B.
Americans listed:
USA (Army)
Boback, Paul,Pvt
Boyd, Ralph E.,SSgt
Christensen, Robert M.,RM2c
Crocker, John C.,Pvt
Delgado, Magdaleno,PFC
Emshoff, Stanton D.,CPL
Gallegos, Moises R.,Pvt
Gassaway, Peter C.,Pvt
Gibbons, Fred S.,Civ
Hall, James R.,Pvt
Hancock, Jack H.,Pvt
Hawkins, William F.,CPL
Ivey, Marvin T.,PFC
Kellam, Ray Allan,PFC
King, George F.,Cpl
Kinser, Clarence L.,PFC
Lash, James E.,CPL
Lee - (multiple names of "Lee")
Panno, Andrew J.,SGT
Peterson (2 possible men)
Porter, Richard S.,CPL
Potter, Dayton L.,Sgt
Sacson, Gunner E.,Cpl
Slay, Lee Roy,PFC
Stahl, Eugene H.,PFC
Strain (Stine?)
Tecumseh, Julius H.,S SG
Williams, Earl B.,CPL
Zumwalt, James L.,PFC
USMC
Boyle, Donald W.,Maj
Smith, Jack M.,PFC
Army Air Corps
Arhutick, Leo,Cpl
Reed, Sanger E.,Cpl
USN
Coulter, John Lawrence,Ens
Rhodes, Raleigh E.,Ens
Williams, Robert L,S1c
Wright, Damon Haley,MM3C
Incomplete Names
A G Gah--- (?) Batt D 200th,
possibly Galindo, Anthony Q. (?)
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