Source: NARA RG 331 Box 942, Mansell NARA 8
Lowren Augustus Arnett Affidavit to War Crimes Office
Notations for clarity or fact by Center For Research in [red].

For the WAR CRIMES OFFICE Judge Advocate General's Department - War Department United States of America

In the matter of the failure to supply American prisoners of war with sulfa drugs although Red Cross sulfa supplies were available at Camp No. 10, Nagoya, Japan, during 20 June to 15 August 1945.

Perpetuation of Testimony of Lowren Augustus Arnett, Coxswain, United States Navy, Service Number 2916382

Taken at: Freelandville, Indiana
Date: 4 January 1946
In the Presence of: George W. Cooks, Jr., Spl Agt SIC, 5SC
Reporter: George W. Cooks, Jr., Spl Agt SIC, 5SC
Questions by: George W. Cooks, Jr., Spl Agt SIC, 5SC

Q. State your name, rank, serial number, and permanent home address.
A. Lowren Augustus Arnett, Coxswain, 2916382, Carlisle, Indiana.

Q. What was your civilian occupation?
A. I had no civilian occupation prior to entering the Navy.

Q. What educational institution did you attend?
A. I graduated from the Carlisle, Indiana High School in 1940.

Q. When were you returned to the United States from overseas?
A. 13 September 1945 at Oakland, California.

Q. Were you a prisoner of war?
A. Yes.

Q. Will you give the places and approximate dates where you were held?
A. I was captured at Agana, Guam, on 10 December 1941, and was kept in a church at Agana until 10 January 1942. Then I was moved by boat [Argentina Maru] to a camp called Zentsuji on the island of Shikoku, where I arrived 15 January 1942.
I remained at Zentsuji, Shikoku, from 15 January 1942 to 8 June 1942. Then we [about one-third of the Guam enlisted captives] were moved by boat to Osaka, Japan, arriving 9 June 1942. There we were placed in a stadium called Hahioka [Ichioka] and lived under the bleachers in that stadium until 19 October 1942. I was then placed in P.O.W. Camp No I at Osaka [Chikko] and remained there until 1 June 1945.
We were bombed out of that camp and I was transferred to the Sumori [Tsumori] camp at Osaka, arriving 2 June 1945. We stayed there until 20 June 1945, when we we transported by train to Nagoya, Japan, arriving 21 June 1045. I remained there until we took over the camp on 15 August 1945 and we joined American forces on 7 September 1945.

Q. While you were a prisoner of war, did you witness, or have you been told of, the failure to provide prisoners of war with proper medical care?
A. While I was a prisoner of war at Nagoya, Japan, from 21 June 1945 to 15 August 1945, I was in camp number 10 there, and five men in that camp died of dysentery during that time. I was told by Second Class Pharmacist Mate A.C. Atwood, who was there at the time, that if they had had sulfa drugs these men might have been saved. After we were liberated, we found that the Red Cross had sent sulfa drugs and they were being kept in Camp No. 16, which was just a half mile away from Camp No. 10. I was told that no one died of dysentery there during the same period and that sulfa drugs were used there. The Japanese pharmacist mate, who had charge of the Red Cross drugs, worked in both camps, but used them only in the one and did not let any one in Camp No. 10 know that they were being used in Camp No. 16. These facts were related to me by Second Class Pharmacist Mate A.C. Atwood.

Q. Can you name any other persons who would have knowledge of this matter?
A. Only Second Class Pharmacist Mate A.C. Atwood. I believe he is from the state of Washington.

Q. Can you name, describe, or identify in any way the person responsible for this matter.
A. I cannot name him, but the person responsible was the Japanese pharmacist mate for camps 10 and 16 at Nagoya, Japan, during the period from 21 June 1945 to 15 August 1945. He was a chief soldier, was about 30 years of age, 5 feet 7 inches in height, and weighed about 150 pounds.

/S/ Lowren Augustus Arnett
Lowren Augustus Arnett, Coxswain, USN.