| Fukuoka POW Camp #2 Nagasaki (Kawanami) |
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Fukuoka
#2-B Nagasaki (Kawanami) Prisoner of War Information Bureau states the camp was on the island of Koyagi Shima, five miles out in Nagasaki Bay [Nagasaki Ken, Nishisonoki Gun, Koyagi Mura]. The results of the atom bomb were clearly visible to all. Location: Fukuoka #2-B Nagasaki (Kawanami) (KAWANAMI ZOSEN) [Kawanami Shipbuilding] NAGASAKI-ken, NISHISONOKI-gun, KOYAGI-mura Satellite map - Memorial location Aerial (May 1947; courtesy of Japan Map Archives) Area map Location Map: Map shows Koyagi camp area in the port of Nagasaki. Island has since been connected to mainland with landfill. A second camp was also originally called Fukuoka #2 but was later redesignated as Hiroshima #2D at UBE, due to the initial Japanese Fukuoka Group designation. Former site of the Kawanami Koyagi Shipbuilding Co. was purchased by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in 1967. Timeline: 25 Oct 1942: Established as YAHATA Provisional POW CAMP NAGASAKI Branch Camp 1 Jan 1943: Renamed FUKUOKA POW CAMP NAGASAKI Branch Camp 1 Mar 1943: Renamed Fukuoka #2-B 4 Dec 1944: American civilians arrive ex Sasebo ex Wake Island 10 May 1945: Numerous men (at least 200) moved to Fuk-26-Keisen and Fuk-06-Mizumaki 21 June 1945: Approximately 100 Dutch & British POWS move to Fukuoka #21 (per 31 Oct 2009 email of Henk Postma, son of POW). Sep 1945: Rescue effected Camp Layout: Map from Gibbs Report Books Describing Life at Fukuoka #2: Nagasaki: The Forgotten Prisoners by John Willis - A must-read! Foo: A Japanese-American Prisoner of the Rising Sun -The Secret Prison Diary of Frank "Foo" Fujita The Jack Ford Story: Newfoundland's POW in Nagasaki Photographs: See below images from the National Archives Links to pictures- amazing photos Picture of Japanese Camp Interpreter: Sumioka Harutara alias "Beethoven" Image from B-29 Pictures of Camp ruins ?? Australian War Museum: 1. ID Number: P00255.008
- Color photo of the front
gate taken by Lt
Geoffrey Blane, HMS Exeter. See also links on side column of that
webpage.
2. Aerial view: Shows entire island complex. Area of POW barracks not specifically noted. See also links on side column of that webpage.  Click
for larger viewNote the POWS waving from the beach area Former POW Demonstration December 7, 2002 Amazing color video footage of rescue of Allied POW's (Sept. 12, 1945) Facebook page on Fukuoka #2 POW
Memorial
 From Andre Schram, son of Dutch ex-POW: At the old Fukuoka #2 campsite -
today the site of Koyagi Junior High School - a memorial has been
established remembering all victims, the ones who lost their lives and
the ones who survived. The memorial has been the initiative of Nagasaki
citizens and carries a text which tells the story in a few words.
Next to this memorial, a second memorial has been established remembering the crew that, shortly after August 9, lost their lives when their plane crashed at Koyagi near Fukuoka #2 while dropping food and medication. There was only one survivor. Photos of POW memorial and B-29 crash memorial (courtesy of Taeko Sasamoto) |
Hell
Ships: First group of British, Dutch & 100 Yanks from Makassar (Celebes) on the Asama Maru departing 10 Oct 1942 Others from the Asama Maru were sent to Fukuoka #26, Yoshikuma (the Aso Mines for slave labor in its coal mines). Small group of Americans arrived on the Tofuku Maru (ex Celebes) and Kamakura Maru ex Changi ex Java (see Straughan affidavit below). 198 Aussies arrived 9 Sept 1944 on the Rashin Maru. Primary Labor Use: Slaves for the Kawanami Shipyard [Kawanami Zosen, Seibu-gun, Keiri-fu] Gibbs Report: Fukuoka #2 Map included in Gibbs Report: Map Orders to POWs from the Camp Commandant Article about John Ford The Road to Nagasaki: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 Dutch Translation: De weg naar Nagasaki (in Dutch) Gast in Nippon (Guest in Nippon) - memoirs written by Dutch POW Hendrik Anton van Goor (in Dutch only; file courtesy of daughter, Karin van Goor) Japanese Camp Staff: As of liberation- See Gibbs Report. Camp Rosters at Liberation: Total = 497 POWs (324 Dutch, 160 British, 5 American, 8 other nationalities; 72 deaths) Original rosters FUK-02 Rosters 1946-02-16 FUK-02 Dutch, American, British, Australian rosters (RG 407 Box 104 Folder 7) - including deceased Excel Spreadsheet- contains updated and additional data on each man; includes details on deceased Americans: Bridgman, Harold Leroy,Civ.,CPNAB Wake Farley, John Willis,Capt.,200th Med King, Fred M.,Civ.,BYD Wake Wuest, Raymond A.,Cpl.,131st FA E British: Benjamin I. L. da Cunha - Aircraftsman 1st class with British Air Force at RAF Seletar in Singapore (article - postcard) Dutch: Completely revised roster (Roster A) transcribed by Gerrit Breet, nephew of POW Breet; rescue roster located in RG 407 Box 102 at NARA. This augments the list (Roster B) supplied by POW John Franken. Many names missing from the rescue roster. Dutch medics, Dr Huisman and nurses Charles Alexander Denkelaar and Schenkhuizen were earlier (15 May 1943) transferred to Fukuoka #14. [per grand daughter of Denkelaar] Australians: Flynn, Raymond Joseph (Cpl.) Price, Theo Henry (Gunner-2/10th Field Regt) Watkins, Robert Victor (Pvt-2/10th Inf Bn) Deaths: Source RG 407, Box 187; transcribed and edited by Roger Mansell, Director, Center For Research FUK-02 Deceased US POWs - original handwritten notes External Link: List of deceased at Fukuoka #2 Interviews and Reports: John H. Franken- Dutch Prisoner now residing in Canada- excellent site giving an authentic Dutch experience. Stoker John Daziel Black of the HMS Exeter Fred Stanley (British) report of conditions- very interesting post Atom bomb descriptions. Part: 2 3 4 5 Affidavits - VERSLAG (in Dutch): Millet A. Straughan- (Verslag) (Affidavit)1st Lt from 131st FA- sent to Mukden Kersten, Jozef Bernard - Bootsman bij de Koninklijke Marine (not on rescue roster) Kloe, Adriaan - Police Inspector Das, Gerardus - Matroos Rinamen (Vesslag) Transferred to Fuk-21 Shook (Verslag) (Affidavit- 14 pages) Syred (Verslag) Tracy, John D. (Verslag) Williams, O.B. (Verslag) (Affidavit) Letter to Japanese CO - Cover; Text B-29 supply drop ends tragically... 4 September 1945: According to the 873rd unit history, Lt. George W. Alexander and his nine-man crew and five military passengers were lost on September 4, 1945, flying a POW supply mission to Fukuoka #2 camp. Aircraft: 44-61666 Crew: A/C: George Alexander
Pilot: Fred Riddle Navigator: Bertram Turk Bombardier: Elliot Whitfield Flight Engineer: Aloysius Geis Radio Operator: Billy Smith Left Gunner: Johnnie Loafman Right Gunner: Marlin Austen Radar Operator: Glen Holm (only survivor) Passenger: Melvin Blurton Passenger: Russell Estrate Passenger: Lawrence Moydell Passenger: William Coursey Passenger: Penny Alderson See Missing Air Crew Report for this aircraft. Page 6 has been made more legible, giving info re POWs helping with cremation and ashes kept at Oura Catholic Church (Tenshudo) in Nagasaki. |
| Archival
Documents: FUK-02 Present Conditions, Investigative Report, Regulations.pdf FUK-02 Affidavits.pdf - Williams, Tracy, Syred, Stouse, Straughan, Shook FUK-02 HORRIGAN affidavit re guards.pdf - Horrigan was senior officer at Fukuoka #2; J-personnel mentioned: Kitano, Nasaki, Matsumura, Nishimura, Hirose, Akiyama, Sumioka, Iwata, Yamakawa, Tajima, Murai, "Donald Duck," Ikari, Shibiyama, Imamoto, Nakashima, Orita, Yasutake, Fujiwara; civilians: Kawaminami (President of the dockyard, "we hold him to be responsible for many deaths"), Mori, Horiguchi, Otsubo, Jinno, Soji, Mori, Nadji, Hirano, Okayama, Kato, Kinoshita. Those who were especially good to the POW's: Shirabe (excerpt below), Inouye, Matsuo, Yamada, Isobe, Watanabe, Taura. FUK-02 Medical staff request.pdf FUK-02 Dutch document re Dr Waisfisz.pdf 58581-nagasaki camp.jpg FUK-02 good recommendation of SHIRABE.jpg - excerpt from above Horrigan affidavit fuk-02-nagasaki 01.jpg fuk-02-nagasaki 02.jpg fuku 2 bath tubs.jpg fuku 2 inside room.jpg fuku 2 kitchen.jpg fukuoka 2 map 1.jpg fukuoka 2 map 2.jpg fukuoka 2 nagasaki aerial.jpg |
