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Fukuoka 3-B Report Wake Island Marine Dennis Connor told me he, Foots Anderson, and Alvin Sawyer got caught stealing canned food (probably Red Cross food which the Japanese would not distribute). This happened while they were at the White House, the first camp. They had to wear a red band around their head for 3 to 4 days, then they were court martialed. They were told all along they would be shot. Sawyer evidently knew some Japanese and helped get them off with a lesser sentence. They were held in a room with one blanket for the three of them, no bed but the floor (this was in the winter). Afterward they were put to work unloading coal from a ship. In his oral history held at the Westen Historical Manuscript Collection at the Unviersity of Missouri at Colombia he mentions himself, Charles Pierce, and Norman Berg being beaten towards the end of the war.Some time after the war Connor was working for the Missouri Conservation Dept and Sawyer walked in the door. Their meeting was purely accidental.Connor thought there were about 140 prisoners in the group which was sent out of Woosung in Nov 1942, about evenly divided among Wake Marines, North China Marines, and civilians from Wake. They sailed aboard the Miike Maru which was also carrying about 5000 Japanese troops. They went up the coast of China to near Chinwangtao, then over to the Korean peninsula. They stopped at Pusan and then went across to Moji, about a 2 day voyage.A typical day consisted of getting up at 5 am, counting off in Japanese, out the gate by 6, and back to camp about 7 pm. They were told by Navy Doctor Herbert Markowitz (Guam) that at the end they were living on 800 calories a day. The Norris Troney diary also mentions the low rations. Connor recalls once getting a REd Cross food package to share among four POWs, another time one for 8 POWs, sometimes one box for 25 POWs. So little Red Cross food came in that when it did the food was usually added to the daily rice ration instead of giving it to individuals.
Sgt Bill Howard told them the news of the war being over. There was no big outcry. Their emotions were drained. They couldn't laugh or cry. Other accounts say the same.
For information on what North China Marines were held at Fukuoka 3-B go to the page titled Fukuoka 3-B POW Camp.
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American Ex-Prisoners of War NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS 3201 EAST PIONEER PARKWAY. SUITE 40 FUKUOKA #3, Page 1 of 3 PRISONER OF WAR CAMPS IN JAPAN AND JAPANESE CONTROLLED AREAS LIAISON & RESEARCH BRANCH AMERICAN PRISONER OF WAR INFORMATION BUREAU FUKUOKA CAMP #3 ON THE ISLAND OF KYUSHU. JAPAN 1. LOCATION: Fukuoka Camp #3 was first located in a suburban section of the city YAWATA, known as Yauhea, on the Island of A large steam electric plant was located within 500 yards of the camp installation, and surrounding it were steel mills To protect the prisoner personnel, as far as possible, from anticipated bombing raids, a new camp was erected in a About 500 yards from the new camp at Tobata was an enormous power plant standing at an elevation of 300 feet. There was no distinguishing mark to denote that the new installation was a prisoner of war camp. In order to identify it 2. PRISONER PERSONNEL: The total prisoner personnel was approximately 1,200 of which 500 were Americans. This figure included 75 civilians Col. Ovid W. Wilson, was the Senior American Officer. Lt. Col. Paul D. Philipps, the Adjutant for the American officer 3. GUARD PERSONNEL: The Japanese camp officials were: Maj. Yaichi Rikitake, Commander, crafty and cruel. Lt. Hata, camp doctor, non-cooperative, cruel. Lt. Ogomi, camp doctor. Cadet officer, Murada, camp doctor. Sgt. Major, Kita. Sgt. Kawasaki, pay roll and comnnissary. Cpl. Nagakura, stores and clothing. Private, Fukuda, medical orderly, inconsiderate, cruel. Mr. Manins, civilian guard, cruel. Mr. Osano, civilian interpreter, non-cooperative, indifferent. 4. GENERAL CONDITIONS: (a) Housing Facilities: Inasmuch as the camp remained at Yawata for a relatively short period, a description of the The hospital, classed as a good building for this type of camp, had steam pipes installed, but heat was turned on only
more pages need to be added
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