GENERAL HEADQUARTERS SUPREME COMMANDER FOR THE ALLIED POWERS LEGAL SECTION APO500 25 Feb. 1947 File No. 014.13 Public Relations Informational Summary No. 510 Subject: U.S. vs Junsaburo TOSHINO, Shusuke WADA, Kazutane AIHARA, Shin KAJIYAMA, Suketoshi TANQUE, Jiro UEDA, Hisao YOSHIDA Charges and specifications for the trial of seven war criminals alleged to have been responsible for the deaths of more than 1300 American prisoners of War, have been signed by Colonel Alva C. Carpenter, chief of the Allied Powers. These charges and specifictions have been forwarded to the Commanding General of the EIGHTH ARMY who will appoint the military commission to hear the case. Junsaburo TOSHINO heads the list of accused. He was born in Nishinakajima- mura, Onsen-gun, Ehime-ken, on 27 December 1903. He took his early schooling in Ehime-ken. He graduated from the Physical Education School of Japan, at Tokyo, in 1925. In March 1925 was drafted into the Army as a Private and served with the Matsuyama 22nd Infantry Regiment in Ehime-ken. He was released from the Army in August 1926 as a probationary officer in the infantry. In May 1941 he was again drafted into the Army, and stayed in Japan until November 1941, when he was sent to Fagi, Formosa. In December 1941 his unit left Formosa for Luzon. On 1 January 1942 the unit landed at Lingayen, Luzon. The unit was stationed in the northwest portion of Luzon Island. He became the Adjutant of the 2nd Battalion, Matsuyama 122nd Infantry Regiment, and remained with the unit until August 1943. In September 1943 he was assigned to the Philippine Prisoner of War camp at Cabanatuan, Luzon. He worked in the office and took care of the Adjutant's duties, as no one had been assigned to this position. In December 1944 TOSHINO was ordered to escort some prisoners of war from Luzon to Japan, landing at Moji, Kyushu, on 30 January 1945. During February 1945 he rested at Kamonso Hotel in Moji. In March 1945 he came to Tokyo and went to the Prisoner of War Information Bureau where he reported the details of the voyage from Luzon to Japan to a Lieutenant Colonel, whose name is unknown. On 27 March he left Fukuoka, Kyushu, by plane for Formosa. On arrival at Formosa, he joined the Taiwan 112th, mixed Infantry Brigade. TOSHINO was badly injured in a truck accident at Giran, Formosa, on 6 June 1945 and was put in the Giran Hospital. In October 1945 he was moved to the Taihou Hospital. On 23 February 1946 he left Kirun, Formosa aboard a hospital ship, and landed at Otake, Honshu Island, 6 March 1946. He went to the Otake Hospital and then to the Iwakuni Hospital. On 28 March 1946 he went to the Zentsuji, Shikoka Island. He stayed there until he was apprehended on 26 July 1946. Shusuke WADA was the official interpreter for the prisoner of war Guard Commander Lieutenant TOSHINO. He is charged with failing and refusing on his own responsibility and by neglecting to transmit to his superior requests for adequate quarters, food, drinking water, clothing, sanitary and hygienic facilities, and medical attention so badly needed by the prisoners. In case of Lieutenant TOSHINO's absence WADA took command of any and all situations. He was merciless in his dealings with the prisoners, they received absolutely no consideration at all. Kazutane AIHARA was a lance corporal in the Japanese Army. He performed the duties of a guard on the prisoner shipment. He is said to have been very vicious, the prisoners nicknamed him "Air Raid." When he came around, the prisoners would look for an excuse to get away from him. They did not even want to be within calling distance. He was in charge of the gardening details and other details that the prisoners were working on during their stay in Cabanatuan. He was one of the guards that accompanied the prisoners to San Fernando, La Union. He was the most hated guard at Cabanatuan. Shin KAJIYAMA was the master of the ship, Oryoku Maru. When the Oryoku Maru was sunk he took charge of the Brazil Maru and completed the voyage to Moji, Japan, via Takao, Formosa. Suketoshi TANQUE was a Sergeant Major and was supposed to have performed the duties of a medical non-commissioned officer. He was at the Davao Penal Colony. Jiro UEDA was a private in the Japanese Army. He was a prisoner guard and is concerned in the mass execution that occurred at San Fernando, La Union. Hisao YOSHIDA was also a guard and a private in the Japanese Army. He is also concerned with the mass execution at San Fernando, La Union. In the latter part of October 1944, the American forces began to push back to the Philippines. The air offensives began to make themselves felt by the Japanese. American carrier based planes were making daily raids into the heart of the Japanese strongholds in the Philippines. On or about October 1944, word came through that all able bodied prisoners of war being held in Cabanatuan and Davao Prisoner of War Camps would be transferred to Bilibid prison, Manila for eventual shipment to Japan. This group of prisoners gathered and stayed at Bilibid until 13 December 1944. On that date at 1000 hours a total of 1619 American and Allied Prisoners of War were assembled. This group was divided up into groups of about 500 men each. Of the 1619 about 1100 were officers, a majority being field grade. All of the group were American except 30 who were Allied Nationals. At 1000 hours the entire group marched in a column of fours through the main streets of Manila to Pier #7. Pier #7 was known as the Million Dollar Pier because it is reputed to be the longest in the world. Lieutenant TOSHINO, the Prisoner of War Guard Commander, was standing at the gate checking the number of prisoners as they left the camp. TOSHINO was not seen again until the prisoners arrived at the pier. The group arrived at the pier at about 1100 hours and waited several hours before they were loaded onto their ship. At 1500 hours a combat laden ship moved out in convoy from the pier and Japanese civilian, some sailors and a group of soldiers to man anti-aircraft guns, total numbering about 1500 person embarked. The prisoners were then loaded aboard. The ship was the Oryoku Maru, a new cabin type vessel which appeared to be designed for luxury travel in the Orient. Its capacity was about 15,000 tons. It was the best Japanese vessel the Americans had seen until that time. The ship carried absolutely no markings of any sort. It was heavily armed fore and aft with 3 inch anti-aircraft guns, dual purpose, and pom-pom guns. The prisoners were about 20 feet below the main deck. When the prisoners started to embark Mr. WADA, the Japanese interpreter, was supervising the loading. While waiting at the pier somehow the groups got mixed up so that when Commander Portz led his group aboard the ship he had about 700 men in his group and they were placed in the after hold. It took about one and one-half hours to load group #1. Group #2 in the charge of Lt. Colonel Curtis T. Beecher, started loading about 1530 in the forward hold. In this group there were over 600 prisoners. The hold was 60 by 100 feet. There were temporary troop accommodations built about four feet from the floor and extending out 12 feet from the bulkhead, and running around the entire hold area in a square, with no partition, and all wood. The Prisoners went down into this hold via wooden steps from the hatch to the hold. Light and air could only come through the hatch opening, which was about 20 feet by 20 feet. There were no ventilators, no port holes. Group #3 went aboard and were loaded in the hatch amid-ships with approximately 300 men. In group #2 the conditions in the hold were so crowded that the men, a few minutes after entering the hold began fainting. The Japanese were asked to move some of the men out, the request was refused and they were told that there would be about 200 men put into the forward hold. There wasn't enough air and men were fainting due to the lack of air and intense heat. The Japanese were hurrying men into the hold, in some cases these men were being pushed down the stairs and beaten with rifle butts and shovels. Men were knocked down and off the ladder falling on the men already below. AIHARA, one of the guards is alleged to have been one of the men standing at the hatch entrance beating the prisoners as they entered. All during this time WADA was present during the loading and without a doubt observed the treatment being given the prisoners, although he did nothing to stop it. At about 1800 hours all the men were loaded. The weather in the Philippines is tropical and extremely hot. In the lower bays when all men were in, they had to assume a crouched position because they couldn't stand upright. No men were permitted in the center under the hatch by order of the Japanese Guards. In the upper bays one could stand or crouch but could not lie down. Prior to embarking, the last meal that the prisoners were given was on the night of December 12th, at about 1900 hours in Bilibid. For this meal they were fed a « canteen cup of steamed rice and ¬ canteen cup of soup. There was also an issue of a « canteen cup of rice to be eaten the morning of the 13th at 1900 hours. The meal amounted to nearly a full canteen cup of steamed rice and a teaspoon of salt and seaweed for each man, and one canteen cup of water for one whole bay of approximately 45 men. Each man received the equivalent of three teaspoons full of water. The distribution of the food and water was left entirely up to the Americans, the Japanese had nothing to do with it. Never were the Japanese ever physically present in the holds. Other than this meager ration no food was received while the prisoners were aboard the Oryoku Maru, except on 14 December men in the center hold received morning chow. When the prisoners first boarded the ship there were a few cases of active diarrhea and dysentery. No provisions had been made for any latrine facilities in the holds. After repeated requests, four five-gallon buckets were lowered into the holds. They were placed in the corners. Although repeated requests were made to the Japanese for more buckets no action resulted. The four buckets that they received were overflowing within 1 « hours, and requests to empty them were refused. By 2400 hours the lower floor in the vicinity of the latrine was a sea of human waste. The stench in the hold at about 2400 hours due to the lack of air and human waste was overpowering. When the men first entered the ship the temperature was between 85 and 90 degrees. About 0200 hours on the 14th due to the noise and excitement, the hatch, which was the only opening for air, was completely battened down, cutting off all air except that which seeped through the hatch cover. The temperature then rose to about 120 degrees. Men against the bulkheads and in the bays were passing out for lack of air. These men were removed to the front of the bay where they were revived. For the remaining time on the Oryoku Maru the air situation became worse, because of the dehydration, weakness, thirst and stench. No sick bay had been designated. There was no room for it. Repeated requests were made for permission to bring the most aggravated cases of heat prostration and dehydration on deck where they would at least be able to get some air. All these requests were denied by WADA. During the nights of the 13th and 14th men became deranged and would wander about the hold stepping on other prisoners, screaming for water and air. Some became violent to the extent that they lashed out with canteens or striking with their fists or feet at anyone with whom they came in contact. It was pitch black in the hold. In this chaos there was no possibility for much needed sleep. On this first night about 40 to 50 men went out of their minds. About 0300 hours on the morning of the 14th the Oryoku Maru weighed anchor and headed out towards the China Sea. At dawn of the 14th the forward hatch was opened and in the forward hold there were 8 to 10 men who had died during the night. At about 0800 hours an air raid alarm sounded. The ship was strafed, ricochets began flying into the holds. The ship had been damaged, and was moving now with difficulty. Several men had been wounded during the raid by the ricochets. During the air raid, it was learned that at least 30 men had died in the aft hold the night of the 13th, mostly due to suffocation. After the raid medical groups were called on deck to treat the Japanese wounded. These groups were severely beaten because "American planes were sinking the Japanese shipping." When requests were made for medical aid for men in the holds, and food and water, they were beaten up and told that the Japanese would do nothing for the prisoners. On the night of the 14th and the morning of the 15th conditions grew worse. Men were suffering from thirst so acutely that many went out of their minds. Much screaming was audible. There was almost a complete lack of discipline, no matter how hard the hold leaders tried to restore order. The need for waster was so acute that the men were drinking their own urine and sewage running in the open drains along the side of the ship. These hideous actions were revealed to the Japanese but there was no action taken. The hold was a bedlam with screaming, swearing and fighting. Men went berserk and the conditions were like some fantastic nightmare. On the nights of the 14th and 15th the ship was bombed. The Japanese beached it making minor repairs, and discharged all Japanese passengers, moving back to Subic Bay. The prisoners were still aboard. It was felt that the Japanese knew that the ship would be bombed again and for that reason they took the Japanese passengers off and left the prisoners on. The morning of the 15th when the ship was anchored in Subic Bay about 300 yards offshore from Olongapo Naval Reservation, about 0830 hours WADA came around and told the men that the prisoners would be evacuated from the ship shortly; that they would not be able to take their shoes or any other gear as they would have to swim. He said that the Japanese were instructed to "shoot to kill" so they, the prisoners, had better be very careful. Several of the guards fired into the holds prior to evacuation. About 0930 hours the order for the evacuation came through. Prior to this order there had been an air raid in which a direct hit on the aft hold had been made, and about 100 men were killed. There were no life preservers or lifeboats in evidence. Men were forced over the side of the ship with no regard given as to whether or not they could swim. While the men were leaving the ship six U.S. planes dived on the ship but just prior to the bomb release point the lead plane zoomed up and wagged its wings in recognition. No bombs were released. During the swim for shore some of the men got aboard the debris from the ship and attempted to float ashore. In one case a raft with five men on it headed for shore, was fired upon by a machine gun set up on shore. Two of the men on the raft leaped off into the water, the remaining three were killed. During the disorder of the evacuation some of the half-starved men attempted to salvage whatever food and medical supplies available on the ship. While going in the compartments in search of food they observed American cigarettes and candy usually in Red Cross parcels. The food and medical supplies the men managed to salvage were confiscated by the Japanese. During this salvage operation some Japanese came upon the prisoners in the compartments and began firing on them. Lt. TOSHINO came upon Lt. William H. Brewster in one of the compartments and shot him, killing him instantly. Once on shore the prisoners were assembled in the area adjacent to a tennis court. During the period of assembling, the men were permitted to fill their canteens at a water tap outside the tennis court, but to do this they had to stand in line four to six hours. Fifty percent of the prisoners received their first water since the night of the 13th, the rest didn't get any because the Japanese, as a result of the confusion, chased them back into their assembly area. About 30 minutes later WADA came around and had the prisoners marched to the tennis court so that a count of men could be made against the rosters. Placing such a large group of men in the area of a tennis court was almost impossible. The court was surrounded by a chicken wire fence. A small area had been set aside for the sick and wounded. There was not enough space for a person to stretch out and lie down. Rosters were called off several times. All personnel were told to give any information available to them on persons not present so as to be able to determine how many men were dead or missing and how many present. In the gathering at the tennis court it was learned that the conditions in the aft hold had been worse than the conditions in the forward hold. Many of the deaths in this hold were caused by suffocation. At roll call there were less than 1300 prisoners still alive out of the 1619 that had left Manila. At 1430 hours American planes came back and bombed the Oryoku Maru, all the prisoners by this time having been evacuated. No food was issued on the 15th or the 16th, and the water situation was still very bad. On the evening of the 17th, one sack of uncooked rice was issued for 130 men. This amounted to about two tablespoons full for each man. The same amount of rice was issued on the 18th and 19th. On the 20th the ration increased to four tablespoons full, all of this was eaten raw, although facilities for cooking were stored close by and within sight. While the prisoners were kept at the tennis court, there was no provision made for protection against the sun. On the third day the men were allowed to leave the court and go into the shade for a few hours. Most of the men had on only a pair of shorts, some, more fortunate, had shirts and some trousers; there were no shoes or hats. At night it was very cold and since there were no blankets the prisoners were forced to lie on the hard concrete and suffer from the cold. While waiting at the tennis court, six or seven men died from wounds and exhaustion and were buried nearby. About the 18th, after repeated requests were made to the Japanese to hospitalize a prisoner, Cpl Eugene L. Specht *, USMC, who was suffering from a gangrenous arm, and having no action taken, it became necessary to amputate his arm at the tennis court. There was a mess kit knife for use as a surgical instrument, no anesthetic and no medical supplies of any kind were provided by the Japnese. Specht had been shot in the arm by a guard aboard the Oryoku Maru. It had swollen to incredible size, and the odor from it was overpowering. There was no outcry from the patient, only a few groans and "Oh Doctor." Specht survived a few days and subsequently died. It is alleged that Specht would have had an excellent chance to live if he had been given normal hospitalization. [* This is incorrect. Per Cdr. A. G. Beale, USN (Ret.), the name of the man whose arm was amputated was Cpl. Carl E. Logan, USMC. Beale visited and talked with Logan a few hours before his arm was amputated. Army medics Roland Stickney and Charles Towne held Logan during the operation. Fourth marine records indicate that Cpl. Specht was killed on December 15.] On the morning of 20 December 1944, 500 of the men were taken to San Fernando, Pampanga and the second group left on the 21st. The first group was placed in the provincial jail, and the second group in the movie house. While there, the prisoners were finally issued a canteen of rice. There was a spigot at the theater with running water and by keeping order everybody received enough water. Ample water was also available at the jail. About 1800 hours on 23 December, WADA came to the two group commanders and wanted the 15 sickest men to be selected for return to Manila for hospitalization. Among the group selected were Lieutenant Dwight D. Edison, Lieutenant John W. Elliot, Lieutenant Colonel Ulysses J.L. Peoples, Jr., Lieutenant Colonel Samuel W. Freeny, Pharmacists Mate 2/c Deenah R. McCurry, Second Lieutenant Herman V. Sherman, Major Wendell F. Swanson and eight other unidentified Americn Prisoners of War. About 1900 hours, a truck was brought to where the group was waiting and the sick were driven in the truck to a small cemetery on the outskirts of San Fernando, Pampanga. When they arrived at the cemetery there were a group of soldiers who had dug a hole about 15 feet square. When the guards on the truck had dismounted, they took up positions about the hole. Two of the guards brought one of the prisoners to the hole. He was told to kneel at the edge of the hole and to take a position as though in prayer. The prisoner was brought to the hole and he was bayoneted and decapitated. This procedure was followed until all fifteen of the prisoners had either been bayoneted or decapitated. It is alleged that at this execution both WADA and TOSHINO were present, that they supervised and took part in it. From San Fernando, Pampanga, the prisoners were moved by train to San Fernando, La Union, on 24 December. The prisoners were marched to the railroad station. At the station the men were loaded into boxcars. WADA and TOHINO had returned from the scene of the execution by this time. WADA again apparently in command, instructed the group commanders that 170 to 180 men would be put in each box car, which was actually physically impossible. However, 40 men who were the sickest were allowed to be placed on top of the cars. During the trip the conditions in the train were very bad. The heat was terrific, and due to crowding and lack of air, many men passed out. When a man became unconscious he was passed from hand to hand to the door of the boxcar to revive. The train arrived at San Fernando, La Union about 0500 hours Christmas morning of 25 December 1944. The weather was bitterly cold. The men were marched from the train to a school house about a half mile to a mile from the railway station. When the group arrived at the schoolhouse, WADA announced that water was available. A detail of men was ordered to dig for water. After digging five feet below the surface, water was found, and iodine was used for purification. At 0900 on 25 December, orders were received that the men were to line up and prepare for a march to the beach. On the morning of 27 December, after remaining on the beach for two days and two nights, the first group of 236 men was loaded aboard the Brazil Maru. The remainder of the men on the beach was loaded aboard the Enoura Maru. The men were marched to the piers where landing barges were waiting to carry the men out to the transports. While loading into the barges men were compelled to jump from the pier into the barges, some 20 feet below. If a man hesitated before jumping to the barge the guard would push him off the pier. In several instances men broke their legs. In one case, one man missed the barge completely, hitting his head on the side of the barge and falling into the water. When this man was finally dragged into the barge he was dead. All during the time the loading proceeded, it is alleged that TOSHINO and WADA were present on the pier and witnessed all the incidents that occurred during the loading operations. The Brazil Maru was an old freighter of about 2,500 tons. It was armed and was loaded with sick and healthy Japanese soldiers. During the six-day trip from the Philippines to Takao, Formosa, no food was received during the first two days except the food leavings of the five Formosan guards. This amounted to about one teaspoon of rice per man. On the third day an issue was made which was three men per mess kit of food. On the fourth day there was no food at all. On the fifth day prisoners were issued five Japanese rolls per man. These rolls were a type of hard tack infested with maggots and mold. All of the prisoners on the Enoura Maru (about 10,000 tons) were confined to one hold with two levels, forward of amid-ships. The condition was very crowded but not as bad as on the Oryoku Maru. A man could lie down here by doubling up his legs. The food was scarce and there was a little water and soup available once a day. The amounts received were small but were much greater than those received by the prisoners aboard the Brazil Maru. During the period of the trip between San Fernando and Takao, Formosa, there were 16 deaths. These 16 deceased were buried at sea. 236 men were moved from the Brazil Maru to the Enoura Maru in Takao Harbor, on or about 6 January 1945. During the 7th, 8th and 9th of January the men received one mess kit of rice for each four men, with one-half cup of soup for each four men. On the 8th of January in the afternoon, the Japanese ordered all men in the lower level of the hold to be moved into the forward hold so that sugar could be stored in the lower level. Approximately two- thirds of the men had been moved from the hold when the Japanese guards on the deck indicated that the other one-third would be absorbed into the upper level which created an overcrowded condition more than originally, since it was overcrowded initially. Men were so hungry that they stole sugar despite the threat by WADA that drastic punishment would be meted out. WADA stated "anyone who stole sugar would be severely punished individually and the balance of the group would be punished collectively for an unspecified period." On 9 January in mid-morning, during the completion of the morning meal, anti- aircraft fire was heard on the Enoura Maru and all ships in the harbor. Soon the drone of planes was heard and almost simultaneously the whistle of bombs was heard. The Enoura Maru rocked violently from a near miss, causing a flail of bomb fragments and steel fragments from the sides of the ship which killed about 300 outright and injured a considerable number. After the bombing such first aid as could be rendered to men was made available by the Prisoner of War doctors and corpsmen aboard. This aid consisted of collecting dirty towels, undershirts, or anything that could be used for bandages that the other prisoners would contribute. Outside of a few first aid kits which the doctors and corpsmen may have had, there were no medicines made available by the Japanese. In fact, no aid was rendered until 11 January when two Japanese enlisted hospital corpsmen announced they would treat those with minor injuries or wounds only. Treatment consisted of dabbing injuries with mercurochrome. They further stated that they were not interested in treating the more seriously injured. The dead bodies in the holds were stacked in the center of the hatch area like stacks of cord wood. They remained there until the 12th of January. During this time, a majority of the men who were wounded and who soon thereafter died from those wounds could have been saved with proper medical attention, but with lack of bandages and medicines it was impossible for the doctors to do much for them. Finally in mid-morning of 12 January, permission was granted to remove the dead bodies from the ship. The bodies were removed by placing them into cargo slings and lowering over the side of the ship into barges. Some of the dead were removed individually by tying ropes around the legs or arms and hauling them up onto the deck, then lowering them into the barges. The scene in the holds was like a page from Dante's Inferno-dark, but one could see the wraithlike figures wandering dazedly through a maze of stacked corpses. It was not uncommon prior to the removal of the dead, to sit on the dead and eat meals due to the overcrowded conditions. Items of salvageable clothing that could be removed from the dead were removed. Many of the bodies were in various stages of decomposition when they were finally removed. On 13 January, during the afternoon, orders came through from WADA that all the prisoners aboard the Enoura Maru would be transferred to the Brazil Maru. Reasons for this change were that the Enoura Maru had been badly damaged during the bombing. Transfer to the Brazil Maru was affected by landing barges. The move was completed in late afternoon. The wounded men, fracture cases, etc., suffered great pain in transfer as in some cases they were lowered into boats by ropes and hoisted aboard ship in the same manner. At this time, there were approximately 900 men remaining alive out of the original group of 1619. The ship sailed from Takao on the 13th of January for Japan. The trip from Takao to Moji, Japan lasted from 13 January until 29 January. During the trip there were two issues of cooked rice a day. There were two or three men to a lightly packed canteen cup of rice. No soup was issued at all. This diet was augmented by whatever sugar the men could steal. Numerous protests to the prisoner commanders brought no results. A diagnosis for the cause of the high death rate aboard the Brazil Maru was due to a combination of malnutrition, dehydration and exposure. During the journey there was active trading for rings, watches and fountain pens between the prisoners and the Japanese guards and the ship's crew for food, water and cigarettes. A lot of West Point and other graduation rings were traded for a cup of water or ten cigarettes. Anyone who had anything to trade did so. The water situation was very acute for the first two days out of Takao harbor. No liquids of any kind were issued. On the 15th approximately twice a day until the 29th, water was spooned out. It was black, salty and unpalatable. At no time even when the death rate was at its highest was the amount of water increased. Medical facilities aboard the ship were nil. Only the more seriously sick were placed under the hatch, which was considered as the hospital area. It was the coldest spot on the ship. Whenever a man was placed in sick bay it was almost a certainty that he would die. Only the men in the last stages were sent there. The doctor and medical corpsmen had nothing whatever to work with-no medicines, no bandages. It is said that one large bottle of sulfathiazol pills aboard the Brazil Maru probably would have saved at least 100 men whose diarrhea was a contributing cause to their death. When the ship first left Takao on the night of 13 January, about 15 men died. Bodies were stacked in the hospital area after first being stripped of all clothing by the hospital corpsmen under orders. Available clothing was then distributed to the men who most needed it. Bodies were collected over a two or three day period before permission was obtained from WADA to get a burial detail to throw them overboard. The first group of dead was about fifty. Generally, bodies would be taken up on deck and buried daily. It got progressively worse, finally reaching a maximum of about forty dead per day a few days prior to arrival in Japan. The men outside of the hospital area who had previously shown no evidence of suffering more than the rest would be found dead in the morning. This became so commonplace that a hospital corpsman would make a circuit of all bays each morning and shout "Roll out your dead." Bay leaders would then check their bays. A Chaplain prisoner led the men in prayer every night until he died five days out of Takao. Another Chaplain gave all of his food and water to the sick until he too died. Another Chaplain who overtaxed his strength by helping the sick died. Two or three times a day the roll would be called and if a man's name was called without an answer, someone would say "dead" or give the circumstances regarding his death, such as suffocation aboard the Oryoku Maru. Even though the list had been called many times previously, this was done by order of the Japanese. The ship finally arrived in Moji, Japan on 29 January 1945. It was met by a large boarding party of officers, enlisted men and civilians. It was announced in mid-morning that clothing would be issued topside. There were about 450 men alive then. It was bitterly cold. The prisoners were issued a pair of wool trousers, a blouse, a suit of cotton underwear, but no socks. Shoes were captured British shoes and were issued without regard to size. This was the first time since 13 December that there was enough water available for each man to have as much as he wanted. However, the men were cautioned that the water might be contaminated and that they had better take it easy. Later on food was issued but many of the men were so sick they were unable to eat. When the men disembarked from the ship they were walking skeletons. The Japanese corpsmen seemed to have a look of astonishment on their faces and there were shocked expressions on the faces of the people at Moji as the prisoners were marched through the streets. Men shuffled, some walked with the support of others. The men were infested with lice and had not shaved since 13 December. When the prisoners died aboard the Brazil Maru, they were stacked like cordwood. All of them presented a uniform appearance; lips were drawn back exposing teeth in a half snarl due to skin contraction, ribs seemed to be bursting out of the bodies and where the stomach would be was a hollow, legs and arms were pipe stems. A combination of cold and rigor mortis gave them a rigid unreal appearance. The eyes were sunken. Most of them were stripped nude and all of them gave a definite appearance of starvation. Lt. Col. Austin J. Montgomery is at present in Tokyo. Col. Montgomery is one of the survivors of the infamous Oryoku Maru. He will be a witness in the case against the accused. He will give eye-witness accounts as to what occurred during the voyage. Col. Montgomery's home address is 1475 Greenleaf Street, Sherman Oaks, California. At the outbreak of war, Col. Montgomery was a member of the Philippine Division. He was a motor transport officer for the 2 Corps and commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, 12th Quartermaster Regiment, Philippine Scouts. After participating in the defense of Bataan and the eventual fall of Bataan, Montomery moved to Corregidor where he was taken prisoner by the Japanese forces on 6 May 1942. From Corregidor he was moved to the mainland and held prisoner at the Cabanatuan POW Camp until October 1942. In November 1942 he was moved with a group of prisoners to the Davao Penal colony where he remained until June of 1944. While at the Davao Camp, Col. Montgomery was the prisoner of war Adjutant. During June 1944, Col. Montgomery was moved back to Cabanatuan camp where he remained until word was received that all able bodied prisoners would be sent to Bilibid Prisoner of War Camp for eventual shipment to Japan. After suffering the horrors of the trip on ship from Manila to Moji, Japan, Montgomery moved to the Fukuoka Prisoner of War Camp #1, arriving there 30 January 1945. In April 1945 he was transferred from the Fukuoka Camp #1 to Jinsen, Korea, remaining there until the surrender of the Japanese forces to General MacArthur. During the time he was incarcerated at the Jinsen Camp, Col. Montgomery was Liaison Officer between the Prisoners of War and the Japanese captors. 1 12