| Fukuoka
#7B Futase |
Main Camp List Main Index
| Location: (NIPPON SEITETSU KOGYO FUTASE KOGYO-SHO) Also known as "Shin-Iizuka" FUKUOKA-ken, KAHO-gun, FUTASE-machi, Worker's Club Satellite map Aerial (Mar. 1947; courtesy of Japan Map Archives) Area map TIME LINE: May 1943: Established as Fukuoka #16 Branch Camp 1 Dec 1943: Renamed #10 Dispatch Camp Aug 1945: Renamed Fukuoka #7 Branch Camp 16 September 1945: Rescue effected This slave labor camp was first occupied by at least 400 Dutch and 2 British prisoners in May of 1943. [Dutch Capt. Andrau's daughter also states her father traveled with "400 men" rather than 350 mentioned by numerous affidavits]. Just over 50 Dutch men died in this camp. The camp total of 552 was reached after the arrival of the American contingent and remained about the same until the camp was liberated. Reports: NARA Reports- RG389: partial list of significant affidavits and reports regarding this camp. Gives a good overview of available documents at NARA. Gibbs Report: A compilation of camp history based upon affidavits submitted by POWS Affidavits: Dutch Air Force Officer, J.F.Wilkens. He describes in detail the operational status of the camp: clothing & other issues, food & recreation. Special thanks to Faye Powell, daughter of Australian POW Robert Bede "Bob" Moore, captured at Hong Kong. Japanese Staff Books about Futase: Doctor's War by MacCarthy (2006) A Doctor's Sword - documentary and book See link to American VERSAW on American camp roster. Outstanding story of the conditions aboard the hell ship, Nissyo Maru. From the Tokyo Weekender magazine:
"Two guards—indicated only by nicknames as 'Gorilla' and 'Blackjack,'
along with the medical assistant—were extremely cruel in their beatings
of the prisoners, and, in most cases, the prisoners themselves did not
know the reasons. The beatings of the prisoners, frequently into
insensibility, were administered for the slightest cause, generally
unknown to the offender, and were so cruel and damaging as to require
hospitalization."
This testimony comes from Fukuoka Camp No.10 at Futase on Kyushu.
Malnutrition was the cause of many deaths of POWs. See this
page for full story (about 3/4 down the page).
Interviews About Futase: George Thornton interview (Univ. of So. Mississippi) Memoir by Harold L. Page describing the camp Following courtesy of Felix Meihuizen via Museum Bronbeek Holland: Gedult von Jungenfeld - Dutch POW (Index Card)
Constant Wermeserken - Dutch POW (pre-war photo, holding pack of money) Pieter Braber - Dutch medical POW (contains Index Card; camp report in Dutch) |
Primary Labor:
Slave labor in coal mining under control of Nippon Steel's Futase Mining Co.; coal used at Yahata Steel Works. Shifts were run around the clock. Failure to meet quotas resulted in beatings, removal of food and extended work hours. Hell Ship: Nissyo Maru, August 1944 for the Americans. Large number of British known to have arrived 23 May 1943 from the Wales Maru. Rosters: Total = 548 (360 Dutch, 186 American, 2 British; 54 deaths) American (includes American deceased) Dutch - compiled and transcribed by Armand Leeuwendal British & Others (not imaged yet) Lt Joseph Aidan McCarthy (RAAF MD) was camp doctor. After surrender, he worked on cremating the dead from the atom bomb and was rescued at Fuk-26. FUK-07_Rosters_1946-02-16 Deceased: Dutch Photographs & Maps  Birdseye view near
end of camp center of picture wooden fence around the camp 18 Sept
1945. Only photostat copies exist at NARA, RG 407. Today, it is the
site of a golf driving range.Layout 1 - Layout 2 - Layout annotated Kyushu_Chikuho_mines _Japanese_map - shows all the mines in the Chikuho district around Futase in Iizuka Futase_Honko - main mine building Futase_Honko_aerial
More pictures of Futase Photograph of Medical Staff - from the Corrigan collection, courtesy of noted military memoribilia collector, Kurt Stauffer (Lynnwood, WA)  Corrigan in front row, third from left (Click on image for separate webpage) Tech Sgt Arthur Menzies - later became a renowned horticulturist; grandson, Gavin Newsom, became governor of California. |
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Archival Documents: FUK-07_Roster_Burn_diary - Futase roster and partial Burn diary (RG 407 Box 53) FUK-07_Wilmoth_Wilkens_Reports_Wakizaka - Claude Wilmoth deposition, Wilkens Report, Camp Investigation Report, Wakizaki statement fuk-07-2 - Garden area fuk-07-3 - Main entrance, guard house, bulletin board; Sick bay fuk-07-4 - "Benjo" toilet duty, used as fertilizer fuk-07-5-aerial view fuk-07-5-calorie-food-chart - Monthly average daily rations per man FUK-07_Contents_Dut-Wilkens_J-staff - Folder contents, Wilkens statement (Dutch), Japanese personnel |
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