last changes 7 Nov 2007

As Prisoners of War

8 Dec 1941 North China Marines captured at Peking, Tientsin, Chinwangtao

[official surrender 1300 8 Dec-Ashurst notes]

(photos of each location on Peking/Tientsin Publications page)

10 Jan 1942

Marines from Peking sent to Tientsin by train to join others

[arrived about 2200 10 Jan-Ashurst notes]

28 Jan 1942

entire unit sent to Woosung POW camp outside Shanghai

arrive 1 Feb 42, bring total in camp to about 1500

[arrived 1300 1 Feb-Ashurst] photos on Woosung page

(Marshall, Stone, Story arrive Woosung 22 Feb 42 - see Escapes)

(it is possible a mass escape was planned while enroute to Shanghai-see Escapes and Deaths page)

10 Mar 1942

4 POWs escape Woosung, recaptured next day

17 Mar 1942

North China Marines Battles, Brimmer, Stewart, Story escape Woosung

16 Apr 1942

4 above Marines recaptured, eventually sent to Ward Road Jail in Shanghai - see their story on the Escapes and Deaths page.

18 Jun 1942

Wake Island civilian (Lonie Riddle) killed by guard, accidentally ??

June 1942

diplomats repatriated

(this included the five men of the Fourth Marines left in Shanghai to close out records when the Fourth was withdrawn to the Philippines in Nov 1941)

most believe this included Major Edwin McCaulley from Peking (but his name shows up on the roster of the Weihsien civilian internment camp in China in March 1943 and on the roster of the exchange ship Teia Maru which sailed for the States in mid September 1943. McCaulley is listed as a civilian on both the Weihsien roster and the Teia Maru roster. The personal information card (for McCaulley) all returnees filled out is missing from the files at NARA. See also page 3 of the Peiping Marine under Peking/Tientsin Publications)

Greg Leck's book, Captives of Empire, lists five retired Marines held at Weihsien. Three, including McCauley, had been interned from Peking. The other two were from Tientsin. All five were living as civilian retired military in those cities. McCauley and the two from Peking, Alphaeus Emil Smithberger and John Charles Smith, were repatriated in September 1943. The two from Tientsin, John Anderson (age 60) and Austin John V Roberts (age 49) were not released until August 1945. Both spellings of McCauley are used in different sources.

summer 1942

Carrol Bucher (photo on Escapes and Deaths page)electrocuted by perimeter fence 28 Aug at Woosung

Seaman 2c RAy K. Hodgkins electrocuted 15 Aug

18 Sep 1942

69 civilian prisoners and one US Marine from Woosung sent to Fukuoka 3-B in Japan (Newell diary, NARA, and Otera papers) apparently to prepare camp for occupation in November

3 Nov 1942

58 US Marines and 12 civilians (Otera papers) from Woosung sent to Fukuoka 3-B in Japan aboard Miike Maru-about 1/3 each North China Marines, Wake Marines, Wake civilians (Dennis Connor oral history at U of Missouri, Columbai-Western Historical Manuscript Collection)

(photos on Fukuoka 3-B page)

6 Dec 1942

entire group at Woosung transferred to nearby Kiangwan-about 700 Americans and 900 others [Ashurst notes say about 1800 POWs then]

Christmas 1942

Jimmie James provides complete Christmas dinner, Emmett Newell diary has frequent references to supplies sent in to camp by Jimmie James

20 Aug 1943

520 POWs transferred to Japan from Kiangwan (possibly aboard the Muroto which transported 520 POWs from Shanghai to Osaka-from official Japanese records) US Marines 178, civilian 323, British enlisted 7, civilian (British ?) 12. 120 went to the Tokyo area, 400 to the Osaka area (Otera papers)

at least 59 NCM were in this group-some go to Kawasaki, some to Osaka 13-B at Tsumori, Chittenden book says about 500, Japanese records say 520 (Dietz notes say 519 men left 19 Aug 43 and included 50 North China Marines)

20 Nov 1943

5 POWS sent From Kiangwan to the Tokyo area, 1 US enlisted, 4 civilian (Otera papers)

Oct 1944

North China Marine Jerold Story escapes Ward Road Jail successfully, Brimmer and Stewart recaptured-again

1944

William Killebrew dies of pneumonia 10 Feb 44 at Fukuoka 3-B

Ralph Goudy dies 12 Mar 44 at Tokyo #5 Kawasaki

Fernando Rodriguez dies of TB 5 Nov 44 at Tsumori

Holland Cash dies 18 Nov 44 at Kiangwan

Max Neuse dies of beating/pneumonia at Fukuoka 3-B on 13 Dec 44

Raymond Lease dies 31 Dec 44 at Tokyo # 5 Kawasaki

(photos on Escapes and Deaths page)

1945

Clyde Roark dies 19 Jan 45 at Kiangwan

Richard Rider dies in air raid at Tsumori on 13 Mar 45

(photos on Escapes and Deaths page)

4 May 1945

some POWs sent to prepare new camp at Fengtai, Dr. Foley in charge

9 May 1945

5:30 am-Kiangwan closed. POWs sent by train to Fengtai, arrive 14 May at noon

about 25 remain behind, too ill, sent to Municipal Police Hospital in Shanghai

2 groups (total of 7) escape enroute, 10 May 45 NCM McBrayer and Huizenga part of successful escape-civilians Bill Taylor and Jack Hernandez escape, Hernandez breaks leg and recaptured. Taylor makes contact with Chinese Communists, meets Mao, after 2-3 months connects with US forces

total of POWs now about 1000, 430 civilians, 450 US military, others

NCM Douglas Bunn, Theodore Dedmon, and John Jesse left behind )Otera papers) (Doug Bunn was shot in Oct 41 in Peking. See Chittenden book page 105). A group of about 25 was left in Shanghai due to injuries or illnesses. (see Bunn's story at Escapes and Deaths page and report on Ward Road Jail at POW Camps Holding North China Marines page) See info on those kept in Shanghai and Peking at the end of the war on the Fengtai report.

[Ashurst notes say 996 POWs, arrived Fengtai (just outside Peking) morning 15 May]

19 June 1945

entire group departs Fengtai at 6 am, travel 5 days to Pusan, Korea

sent by ship (Darian Maru) to Japan 6 am 28 June, arrived Japan 4 pm same day - debarked from transport 29 June at 1 pm (Behind the Barbed Wire says arrived at Susa on west coast, spent 36 hours altogether crammed in hold )

996 total POWs sent to Japan, 300 US, Norwegian, and Italian dropped in Tokyo area, 196 US dropped in northern Honshu at Sendai #11, remainder of US and British sent to Hokkaido (NARA info, Ashurst notes) NCMs Dr. Foley, and pharmacists mates Herman Davis, Art Schraeder, Loy Black, William Hunt, Earl Johnson, William Riley, and John Ryan sent with the group to Sendai #11.(Col Ashurst's notes and rescue rosters)

one group of 150 civilians went to Niigata (as told by James Allen, a Wake Island civilian)

read his narration at http://rims.k12.ca.us/pow/index.html

June/July 1945 to Sep 1945

all North China Marines now in camps in Japan-(except Battles, Brimmer, Bunn, Dedmon, Jesse, Huizenga, McBrayer, Stewart, Story) The majority of the NCM are in Hakodate camps 2, 3, and 4 on Hokkaido island - officers at Camp 4,  enlisted in Camps 2 and 3

6 August

Enola Gay drops first bomb on Hiroshima

9 August

Bockscar spends about an hour trying to drop second bomb on Kokura (location of many POW camps, including the NCM at Fukuoka 3-B) visibility inadequate so go to secondary target-Nagasaki 

2 Sep 1945

Japanese sign surrender documents on USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay

approx mid Sep 1945

most North China Marines released from POW camps

(photo of soon to be released POWs at Fukuoka 3-B, Hakodate #2, Nishi-Ashibetsu pages)

April 46 - August Carlson dies

(photo on Escapes and Deaths page)

1948

War Claims Act of 1948 allows payment of $1 per day of imprisonment for failure to receive sufficient quantity and quality of food

1952

Amendment to War Claims Act allows payment of additional $1.50 per day for inhumane treatment such as hard labor. Had to file before 3/31/52.

Adult civilian Americans interned by Japan were paid $60 per month of internment, children under 18 paid $25 per month.

2001-2002

surviving North China Marines or spouses receive promotion back pay in 1942 dollars without interest added, must have filed claim by Sep 2003 (in 2005 this filing period extended)