*
World War II -- prisoners of war POWs Japanese murder orders
Japanese Treatment of World War II POWs: Murder Orders (1944-45)
Figure 1.--The Japanese after Emperor Hirohito announced the surrender (August 1) had two weeks to destroy documents before American occupation troops began landing. The Japanese Government remained in place and went on an 2 week orgy of destroying documents. This continued on a smaller scale even after the Amercan occupation force began arriving. This was very different than the situation that transpired in Germany which was mostly occupied BEFORE the NAZI surrender. The first U.S. occupation personnel, a group of 150 men, flew to Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture (August 28). They were followed by an American squadron led by the 'USS Missouri' which landed the 4th Marine Division on the southern coast of Kanagawa. Other Allied personnel followed after the formal surrender ceremony on tghe 'Missouri' (September 2). While many documents were destroyed, complicating the Tokyo IMT War Crimes Trials, many documents surfaced. Here is one of the most incriminating. It is part of the IMT archive: File 2015, designated as Document No. 2710, certified as Exhibit "O" in Doc. No.2687. The date indicated, "1 August xxxx" appears to have the year lined out with a pen. The year appears to be 1944 in the original typing. The number "2015" is penciled in the upper right corner. No other marks were noted on the sheet. It was sent by the Commanding General of Military Police to POW camp commanders on Formosa (Taiwan). Source: Journal of the Taiwan POW Camp H.Q. in Taihoku, entry 1 August 19xx
The Japanese after Emperor Hirohito announced the surrender to the Japanese people (August 15) had two weeks to destroy documents before American occupation troops began landing. The Japanese Government remained in place and went on an 2 week orgy of destroying documents. This continued on a smaller scale even after the Amercan occupation force began arriving. This was very different than the situation that transpired in Germany which was mostly occupied BEFORE the NAZI surrender. The first U.S. occupation personnel, a group of 150 men, flew to Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture (August 28). They were followed by an American squadron led by the 'USS Missouri' which landed the 4th Marine Division on the southern coast of Kanagawa. Other Allied personnel followed after the formal surrender ceremony on tghe 'Missouri' (September 2). While many documents were destroyed, complicating the Tokyo IMT War Crimes Trials, many documents surfaced. Here is one of the most incriminating. It is part of the IMT archive: File 2015, designated as Document No. 2710, certified as Exhibit "O" in Doc. No.2687. The date indicated, "1 August xxxx" appears to have the year lined out with a pen. The year appears to be 1944 in the original typing. The number "2015" is penciled in the upper right corner. No other marks were noted on the sheet. It was sent by the Commanding General of Military Police to POW camp commanders on Formosa (Taiwan).
Japanese Destruction of Documents
The Japanese after Emperor Hirohito announced the surrender to the Japanese people (August 15) had two weeks to destroy documents before American occupation troops began landing. The Japanese Government remained in place and went on an 2 week orgy of destroying documents. This continued on a smaller scale even after the Amercan occupation force began arriving. This was very different than the situation that transpired in Germany which was mostly occupied BEFORE the NAZI surrender. The first U.S. occupation personnel, a group of 150 men, flew to Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture (August 28). They were followed by an American squadron led by the 'USS Missouri' which landed the 4th Marine Division on the southern coast of Kanagawa. Other Allied personnel followed after the formal surrender ceremony on tghe 'Missouri' (September 2).
Document 2710
While many documents were destroyed, complicating the Tokyo IMT War Crimes Trials, many documents surfaced. Here is one of the most incriminating. It is part of the IMT archive: File 2015, designated as Document No. 2710, certified as Exhibit "O" in Doc. No.2687. The date indicated, "1 August xxxx" appears to have the year lined out with a pen. The year appears to be 1944 in the original typing. The number "2015" is penciled in the upper right corner. No other marks were noted on the sheet. It was sent by the Commanding General of Military Police to POW camp commanders on Formosa (Taiwan).
Translation
1. (Entries about money, promotions of Formosans at Branch camps, including promotion of Yo Yu-teku to 1st C1 Keibiin - 5 entries)
2. The following answer about the extreme measures for POW's was sent to the Chief of Staff of the 11th Unit (Formosa POW Security No. 10)
3. "Under the present situation if there were a mere explosion or fire a shelter for the time being could be had in nearby buildings such as the school, a warehouse, or the like. However, at such time as the situation became urgent and it be extremely important, the POW's will be concentrated and confined in their present location and under heavy guard the preparation for the final disposition will be made.
The time and method of the disposition are as follows:
(1) The Time.
Although the basic aim is to act under superior orders, Individual disposition may be made in the following circumstances:
(a) When an uprising of large numbers cannot be suppressed without the use of firearms.
(b) When escapees from the camp may turn into a hostile Fighting force.
(2) The Methods.
(a) Whether they are destroyed individually or in groups, or however it is done, with mass bombing, poisonous smoke, poisons, drowning, decapitation, or what, dispose of them as the situation dictates.
(b) In any case it is the aim not to allow the escape of a single one, to amilhilate [sic] them all, and not to leave any traces.
(3) To: The Commanding General
From: The Commanding General of Military Police
Usage at the IMT Trials
This Japanese murder document (some authors use the term execution, but we believe murder is more appropriate) was not mentioned in open court at the Tokyo War Crimes Trials [Holmes]. It was, however, introduced into evidence by the prosecutor (January 1947). It was admitted into evidence by the chief judge without comment as document #2701, exhibit 2015.46 pp. 119-126. The Japanese text and an English translation of this document are on pp. 123-124. [Pilchard and Zaide]
Translation Dispute
A HBC reader vtells is ryat the translatiin is inaccurate. He writes, "the Japanese document displayed on your website is not the document (IMTF. exh. 2015) you refer to in your description. The displayed document is actually an advice from Tokyo to the POW administration in Taiwan, dated 20 August 1945, to let those guards who by their behaviour towards the prisoners have caused resentment against them (and could thereby be accused of war crimes - my interpretation) leave. It is classified as secret and urgent. The document you describe - exh. 2015 - does not contain orders either. It comprised out of 2 pages out of a camp journal and besides reporting payments to named guards, the punishment of named prisoners, and the death of another named prisoner plus a list of his belongings, specify instructions what to do with the prisoners in case there is an uprising or an enemy attack. There are no orders to kill the prisoners at that moment; they are instructions for a what-if situation. Contrary to your description, the document does not mention the year, just August 1. The IMTF translation does, however, state the year 1944. Probably, that was established elsewhere." [Sihan]
Sources
Daws, Gavin. Prisoners of the Japanese: POWs of World War II in the Pacific (New York: Morrow, 1994).
Holmes, Linda Goetz. Unjust Enrichment: How Japan's Companies Built Postwar Fortunes Using American POWs (Mechanicsburg, Pennsslvania: Stackpole Books, 2001).
Pilchard, John and Sonia Magbuna Zaide. Eds. The Tokyo War Crimes Trial (New York: Garland Publications, 1981). This is the full text of the Tokyo War Crimes Trials, officially known as the International Military Tribunal for the Far East. It is a mamoth 22-volume document.
