Hanawa POW Camp SENDAI #6

Sendai Camp #6-B
A.K.A. HANAWA

Hanawa POW Camp
Sendai Command, also known as Sendai #6 Divisional Camp. Formerly Tokyo #8
Slave Labor Camp for the Mitsubishi Company's Osarizawa Copper Mine

Definitions: Japanese location terminology
Location:
AKITA-ken, KATSUNO-gun, OSARUSAWA-mura. [Osarizawa-mura]
Satellite View- Requires Google Maps
Relief Map- show location in relation to other camps

Camp Timeline: Per Wes Injerd's chart of camps
8 Sep 1944: Established as Tokyo Branch Camp 8 (OSARUSAWA KOZAN)- ex hell ship Noto Maru
14 Apr 1945: Jurisdictional control transferred from Tokyo POW Camp 8-B to Sendai POW Camp. Established as Sendai Branch Camp No. 6-B, (MITSUBISHI KOGYO OSARUSAWA [ aka HANAWA] KOZAN)

For data records, The Center for Research, Allied POWS Under The Japanese, designates this camp as Sen-06B-Hanawa

20 August 1945: POWs informed of surrender
September 1945: Rescue Effected

Timeline: Camp logbook - Source: Adrian Martin

Camp Photograph taken at rescue
Click on picture for larger image. Scan courtesy of James Murphy.

Special Group Photograph
Some men still unidentified

Source: Jane (nee Millikin) Hoekstra

Japanese Camp Staff:
Roster not located yet; George Cobb - stated that a Japanese guard nick-named "Happy" (ore crushing detail) covered for men who were unable to work and smuggled in food. POWs gave him a letter asking that he be given assistance by the liberators.

Camp Layout: see Whittinghill memoir

Aerial Photograph and Location Map
Liberation Photos

Primary Labor Use:
Copper Mining
Hell Ship:
500 men arrived on board the Noto Maru that departed Manila 14 Aug 1944 and went direct to Moji. The POWs arrived at this camp on 9 Sep 1944.
Commonwealth- Hellship not known

Camp Rosters at Liberation: Roster at liberation, Sep 1945 - includes deceased
American Roster (9 second download) Army, Navy, USMC
British (includes Austrailians) Roster

List of deceased at Hanawa:
(includes dates, cause & Next of Kin)

James Murphy 1941

Complete rosters - Compiled, editied and verified by former POW James T. Murphy and his wife, Nancy, from records obtained at the National Archives by Roger Mansell. List of all ranks include seriel number, place of capture and service. List of deceased includes date, cause and next of kin.

Link to James Murphy web site- the experience of a POW. Very informative and accurate.

Books Describing Life at Hanawa:
Brothers From Bataan by Adrian R. Martin. Excellent research by nephew of a POW who perished in this camp. Also includes copy of souvenier roster prepared by a survivor. Has roster of Noto Maru and Las Piñas labor detail. Rosters have numerous errors since the "camp prepared" rosters were typewritten and not proofed against personnel records. Ask for compiled roster by this Center.
"I Am Alive" by Sgt Maj Charles R. Jackson, USMC, edited by Major Bruce Norton. Somewhat disorganized and limited descriptions but fascinating reading.

Camp History:
Five Page Essay by James T. Murphy
Interviews:
Interview with George E. Cobb, POW # 35

Memoir- Harry Whittinghill describes ordeal of capture on Bataan through rescue at Hanawa. Limited value as no dates specified- NOT a diary

Japanese Commandant's Announcement that war is over. (Illustrated)
War Crime Trial: Tsuchiya, Hichiro; Mine Foreman, Osaraizawa Mining Company - 16 years hard labor.

Modern use of Camp: Link to current Japanese page for this camp, now a "Theme Park" for mining. Known as the "Mine Land Osarizawa" Earlier, more extensive links, have apparently been removed by the Mitsubishi corporation.