The Allies POWs - Testimonies by IJA Soldiers

[Shinpachi]

Story continues...

**********************************
..... They would have been thinking to surrender.


By the way, the time of our all-out attack against the Corregidor was coming close. Ahead of this battle that would be our final one in the Philippines, I felt my intense uplift of morale and was so excited with my strong heart throbs that I was unable to sleep at night. All of our passion and concern were concentrated toward the Corregidor attack only then.

We did not care those wandering unarmed American soldiers around us. No matter how many there would be, we knew that they had made up their minds to surrender and were no harmful anymore.

It would be the winner's morals to protect the surrenderers but the morals should be the means to save them from the state of brave self-determination. I wondered if they had such bravery to be a surrenderer. Even if we did not protect them to leave them in the mountains, they would neither fight nor commit suicide but keep surviving by eating grasses or nuts to the end of war. So would be Taro and Jiro. What we had found in them was a human weakness that anybody can be servile under a situation.

Found out Taro or Jiro, those wandering American soldiers sometimes visited our cookhouse.
Most of them were hungry. We gave them meal and advised to go to our POW camp in Limay, saying they would be able to take hot meal three times a day. They left obediently. They would have known that they were not regarded as a surrenderer any longer.

One day, three American soldiers appeared in our cookhouse to ask for meal. They were all big men of 6 feet height. Judging from their age over thirty and calm manner, I thought their rank would be the noncommissioned officer.

They opened their mouth and placed the hand on the stomach to show they were hungry.
After meal, one of them asked us to hire them. We said "Go to Limay" but they shook their heads and kept sitting. We said the same thing again. One of them said
"Take us three to Limay by car."
"You can reach there on foot by the evening. We have no permission to use our car for you. It is impossible." I answered.

They were clearly perplexed and silent for a while. Before long, one of them, showing his extraordinary efforts on the face, said
"We three are a surrenderer. We are unarmed. We request you to treat us generously."
I felt a slight resistance in his words. His American style thought that a surrenderer has the right to request his protection would have let him say such words.

"Hey. What did you say now?"
Got angry, 1st Class Private Tsujimoto was just going to almost knock him off.


..... to be continued.

 

[ccheese]

This is all quite interesting, Shinpachi. Somehow, I have a feeling the story does not have a happy ending. Please
continue with your translations,....... and thanks for taking the time to do it.

Charles

 

[GrauGeist]

Shinpachi, thank you for your translations!

I know they are alot of work, but much appreciated!

 

[Shinpachi]

Thanks ccheese and GG for your comments.
Ending was not so bad. There was a human to human communication.
I guarantee.

I have clearly known that IJA policy was "Fight or Die!"
I am frankly glad I was born in the postwar!!!

 

[Shinpachi]

Story continues.

******************************************

....."Hey. What did you say now?"
Got angry, 1st Class Private Tsujimoto was just going to almost knock him off.


At midnight of May 5, the last bombardment by our gunners to the Corregidor was performed. Just after that, our infantry units carried out landing in the face of enemy. The landing succeeded excellently.

Leaving only a few soldiers in the cookhouse, we all others thronged in the observation station on the hill. The severe offensive and defensive battle was held all through the night.

It was noon of the following day of 6th that a white flag of surrender was raised in the Corregidor island. White flags also rose on the islands of Caballo and El Fraile one after another. Hanging on to the binoculars, we all cried out of deep emotion.

We heard later that enemy's General Wainright came to our landing force to offer his surrender but our force assumed no admission if it was not complete surrender and evicted him. I imagined the appearance of his agony when he returned dejectedly. The result of the severe fate which those who overestimated themselves to the last had to receive naturally had appeared as our refusal of their surrender.

Their optimistic thought to the war that they always had a choice of surrender in the fights was splendidly revenged by the absolute strictness of war. I thought I had seen their symbol of loneliness of those who were wandering around our cookhouse.

At night of 6th, the second landing was carried out on schedule. The tanks and cannons also landed. Corregidor fell. All of us gathered in the cookhouse that night to celebrate. Beer was served. We made the Korokke (*croquette) and Zenzai (*sweet red-bean soup with rice cakes) which might be our last field cooking from all the materials we had. We ate and drank exchanging beer.

Noticed suddenly, I asked 1st Class Private Tsujimoto who had been staying in the cookhouse during our absence
"By the way, do Taro and Jiro know Corregidor fell?"
"Yes, they do. I told it to them."
"How were they?"
"Right. They looked sad. They were absentminded all day long today."
I called them who were eating Korokkes of their share at the riverside.
I made them sit in front of me and poured beer into the mess-tin caps to the brim for them.

"Drink."
They sat up straight and drank up obediently. Talking nothing to them, I poured more beer a couple of times. Then, Taro suddenly asked me
"War is over. How are you all going to do?"
"We will be back to Manila in a few days."

Saying "Manila", Taro watched Jiro's face.
In the dim light of the lamp, their faces looked sad and being disappointed.
"How are we, Taro and Jiro, going to be?"
His eyes were obsessed and filled with his brooded feeling.

"We may bring you two to Manila but, in Manila, you will be handed over to the POW camp. You don't have to worry about it because you will be able to meet your friends or senior officers again there."
"Will you bring us with you?"
"Yes, we will."
I found the expression of relief on his face.
"Are you glad?"
They nodded.

I reviewed these two American soldiers of simple honesty again. I had some empty feelings of disappointment. I had just heard they were sad to know Corregidor fell but their sadness had gone somewhere to hear Manila in a moment. This would be all what was ruling their own fate, their entire thoughts and feelings.

1st Class Private Okuyama came to us and asked Taro
"Taro, do you have a girl friend?"
Taro answered Yes. Jiro did not have. Okuyama asked if Taro wanted to meet her. Taro answered he wanted to.

Then, Taro began to sing a song with the hollows of his blue eyes faintly reddening by drunkenness. It was a bright good song without any sound of the desperation. All quitted conversation to listen to it attentively.

He sang three songs one after another and urged Jiro to do his performance next. Jiro responded immediately. He sat down in Japanese style properly again and, searching for something in his pocket, took out a set of cards which wore out.

Jiro began magic with cards. His handling was so good that none of us could understand his trick. He twisted his face which was full of the mustache, beard and pimples oddly and showed it everytime one magic was over. The two kept repeating their innocent performances by turns, getting drunk by joy of their settled fate.

Our unit was to leave for Manila in the early morning of 10th. However, since one of our vehicle drivers had been sent back from malaria, one driver had been shortage. I trially asked Taro and Jiro if they could drive a car. As Jiro answered he could, we asked him to drive our car. He, the jocular guy, was incredibly so happy to be asked that shouted "Hoo!"

In the previous night of the departure, Taro and Jiro suddenly came to our beds, pushed out their faces for the light of the lamp and began to shave their mustache/beard with the razors we lent. Being filled with joy of going to Manila, they were hard to make titivation as if there were no people around them.


*****************************
This story ends here. This was what the author witnessed in the Philippines of May, 1942.
If there should be any inappropriate expressions, please take my own apology as I tried to translate them line by line as precise as possible.

Thanks for reading.
Shinpachi

 

[Shinpachi]

A POW camp at University of St.Thomas in Manila in June, 1942 (Photo Weekly 230th issue).
Caption says 'Here are three thousands and a fewl hundreds the allied POWs'.

I'm going to start Malaya story from next week. Thanks.

 

[GrauGeist]

...If there should be any inappropriate expressions, please take my own apology as I tried to translate them line by line as precise as possible.

Thanks for reading.
Shinpachi

Your translations are just fine, no worries!

Thanks again for posting these for us!

 

[vikingBerserker]

Awesome, thanks!

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Shinpachi, as always, your work is much appreciated. This set of translations is just as good as the IJA Secret Intelligence Team at Chofu set was. Excellent work my friend.

 

[Shinpachi]

Thanks GG, vB and Aaron.
I am frankly relieved to receive your friendly comments.

Translating the story, I wished 'Taro' and 'Jiro' survived the war as well as the other American soldiers left in the mountains and the author himself with his comrades.

There was no further description about the 3 noncommissioned officers who requested their protection.
Judging from the flow of the story, I guess they left for Limay on foot. Not killed at least.

Thanks.

 

[Shinpachi]

OK. Please let me start the next story "POWs in Malaya".
This story was introduced in the Photo Weekly issue nos. 235 to 240, except 238 during Aug-Sept 1942.
A long story.

Author Mr. Kazuo Takemori had been a writer before he was enlisted again as a 1st Class Private in early 1942 when he was 32 years old. So, this story takes a style of novel and the main character is not 'I' but 'Private Mizoguchi'.

Expression is so artful being based on classical Japanese expressions that I feel some difficulty to translate but believe it would be getting easier for me to do post by post.

This first post is very short but the second, the third and the fourth will be longer enough to enjoy.
Thank you very much for your reading in advance.


*******************************

POWs in Malaya
==========
Author: Kazuo Takemori
1st Class Private of IJA

Private Mizoguchi was enjoying a good sweat in a bathtub made of a drum under a large palm tree.
He was the last to use it that evening. Everything was calm and dark around him. Only stars were twinkling above his head.
Finished bathing, he wore clothes and walked up the stone stairs singing a song joyfully.

It was also dark in the barracks his unit was staying but the soldiers who were lying down and wriggling on their blankets could be observed faintly under the lamplight control. It was not a short way to reach his bed. Took off the shoes, he stepped over his comrades - Iwayama, Huchida and Yoshimura, and modestly passed by the side of Kubota and Sunakura who were enjoying Shogi(Japanese chess) solemnly to reach his place beside the door that was still open and led to the next room.

Seeing the twinkling stars through the window, he hung his bathing kit bag on the shelf and placed a towel on his backpack as a pillow. He lay down to sleep with his arms and legs extended comfortably.

..... to be continued.

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

 

[vikingBerserker]

 

[Gnomey]

Good stuff!

 

[evangilder]

Interesting so far, Shinpachi-san.

 

[Shinpachi]

Translation of "POWs in Malaya" will be coming up soon as I am struggling with it.

I have known that the modern Japanese language is much westernised making When, Where, Who, What clear.
Old Japanese, especially literature, was not necessarily clear, so I have to read the lines three times to translate...

Please be patient for a while. Thanks.

 

[Gnomey]

Very willing to be patient for you translations shinpachi. They are an excellent insight.

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Take your time Shinpachi, we will wait patiently for the next installment

 

[GrauGeist]

Not to worry, Shinpachi...take your time.

 

[Shinpachi]

Thanks everyone
Now, the story continues -

*******************************************

....... He lay down to sleep with his arms and legs extended comfortably.


As soldiers were exhausted for their daily duties of frequent shifts such as sentinel, patrol and scout, the moment of rest after bathing was one of their best enjoyments. They were allowed to sleep peacefully till the next morning, except ones who were in charge of the night patrol. However, enemy's bombers were making a raid on our airfield located at five kilometers south almost every night and, sometimes, they dropped bombs on a railroad station nearby. Bombs hit the ground as if a thunder. They destroyed houses to bury many people in the soil. Bombers always came during 3 to 5 o'clock before dawn.

Of course, soldiers never believed they could survive the night well but, frankly, when they had just arrived there, they were honestly afraid of guessing whether they could wake up alive next morning or not. But now, with the fearless calm heart, they were leaving their lives to the fate as things went on. In fact, there was nothing they could cope with the attacks by the airplanes which could fly freely in the sky but only practicing the lamplight control, anti-aircraft watch and antiaircraft fire preparation as trained. What they could do was to find the enemy planes as soon as possible and wait for their friendly fighters coming after all. While leading their lives just like peaceful time there, they were making up their minds each other to die calmly after doing their very bests.

"I hear that our soldiers of the front line has already occupied Kuala Lumpur perfectly and are now heading for Johor Bahru. It is only 300 km to Singapore." Kusumoto said.
He was an elder soldier who was occupying the opposite position head-to-head of Mizoguchi. He appointed himself with a news person in charge. At 17:30 every evening, he commuted to the office where a set of radio was equipped and took memo our overseas news being broadcasted from the homeland earnestly. Then, after the dinner, soldiers spontaneously gathered around his bed to listen to his news referring to the map of Malay Peninsula placed in front of him.

"I believe that our troops will be sure to enter Singapore by our Empire Day of February 11." Corporal Baba said decisively.
"Yeah, I wish Singapore falls immediately. I'm utterly tired of their damn noisy air raids." Iwai agreed.

Lying on the bed, Mizoguchi imagined the map of the Malay Peninsula in his head to chek where he was then. 'Even when we are relaxing like this here, our troops are advancing to destroy the enemy. Sorry.' he thought so. He tried to join the comrades' comversation frankly and naturally but could not find any suitable words to do so again. He was an introvert.

In the next morning, after the breakfast, Sergeant Oizumi ordered Mizoguchi
"Mizoguchi. Prepare yourself for patrol!"

Patrol with Squad Commander Oizumi was one of his enjoyments.
Receiving the sunlight, the silk trees on the roadside shone vividly with the extended leaves and the blossoms of lovely flower like a maiden's lips of light purplish red color. Orchids grew thick in the trunk. When the two came to the front of a logistics branch, they witnessed the surrendered Indian soldiers of the British army coming out, in ranks orderly, from their cream color barracks one after another.

They wore an open collar jacket of yellowish-brown with short pants and a pair of shoes. Tilting a little, they also wore a straw hat with wide edge or a fez with a red bunch or a yellow garrison cap. Among them, some soldiers wrapped their bundled long hairs overhead with the turban. Since skin was brown by sunburn, only large eyes looked remarkable. The palm was yellow. Those Indian soldiers who came out by the rank of three rows stopped on the road according to the command of the conductor who wore green trousers. And when they faced the lawn in a logistics square by the command "For the left", they raised the right legs altogether simultaneously and, as if kicking the left leg, they returned the right legs to take the immovable posture. Tung! Shoes sounded delightfully. Then, by the command "Rest", they opened legs and turned hands around the waist to unite them in the back. Furthermore, by the command "Sit" they sat down under the silk trees.

The Nepalese soldiers of a crew cut, leaving only five or six hairs on the head, were short and thick. They resembled a Japanese closely. The soldiers who rolled the turban around the head wore beard and mustache. Most of them had the sturdy physique. The other soldiers had yellowish-brown skin but their frame and eyes were of Caucasians.

When Sergeant Oizumi and Mizoguchi stood side by side, Oizumi said to Mizoguchi gently and frankly
"That man who wears a velvet rimless cap is an Indian captain. He is said to have brought all his squadron with him to surrender." and continued
"He is also said thought why he and his men had to fight against the Japanese for the whites. They are undertaking a business as a soldier but would not be going to make a war fron the beginning. For this great racial war, the British military was doing a big miscalculation to have placed them in the front. I heard that the Indian captain surrendered spontaneously when the British squadron for supervision was dauntless to the end."
Oizumi concluded his talk with a big laughter.

"It was better for the Indian soldiers, wasn't it?"
Mizoguchi said watching and celebrating their peaceful figures.

..... to be continued