Sendai #11 Kamikita (Aomori)

Camp List     Main Page

Location: Sendai 11-B Kamikita (Aomori) (NIPPON KOGYO) [Open Pit Iron Mine] AOMORI-ken, KAMIKITA-gun, TEMMA-BAYASHI-mura TEMMAKAN, AZA MINAMI-TEMMAKAN, 1-BANCHI Overall area Map- Noted as Temmakan #11 camp Satellite location (Google Maps Required Above information thanks to: Wes Injerd's great site Time Line: 4 July 1945: Established as Sendai #11 Sep 1945: POWs move to Sendai City and rescued Japanese Staff: 2nd Lt. Uozumi was camp commandant. On 8 Aug. 1945 this officer is reported to have committed suicide. He was succeeded by Sgt Maj. Subano, a sadistic soldier who enjoyed beating and torturing the POWs. Bathouse at Sendai #11- click for larger picture. Pictures courtesy of Wes Injerd (more pictures). Other sites regarding this camp thanks to Wes Injerd: Recent views Web sites commemorating the camp: Most are Sl-o-o-o-w loading Group 1 Group 2 Group 3  Aerial View Living Quarters Camp was here Interesting site here from a man who ventured inside the old mine -- just click on the large font link at very bottom of each page to go on to next one

Labor: Slave labor for Nippon Mining Hell Ship: Technically not applicable but most were from Wake Island and had been sent to China (Woosung) on the Nitta Maru in January 1942. History of Founder: Yoshisuke Aikawa: Interesting history with link to company connection to Nissan Motors of today. Convicted as war criminal but later elected to House of Councilors in 1953. Gibbs Report: Details of camp history as prepared from reports by Doctor William Foley, Cmdr, USN (MC) Roster: Camp Roster Source: NARA RG 407 Boxes 11 & 12 The first (and apparently only) occupants of this camp was a detail of 198 American prisoners from Fengtai, China [arriving] 4 July 1945. The personnel is classified as follows: Army 4, Navy 1, Marines 7, Civilians 186. The civilians were captured on Wake Island and among them were a few Pan-American mess boys. The only officer in this contingent was Cmdr William Foley, U.S. Navy Medical Corps. [China Marines Medical Detach] Roster CSV file: includes more info on each POW including prior POW #, current POW #, and home town. Index number for position of rosters located. FTP link- 23 Kb Books about this camp: Abraham, Theodore A., "Do You Understand? Huh? a POW's LAment"; Sunflower Press 1992 Abraham, a civilian captured on Wake Island- not reviewed