In the matter of the exposure, by the Japanese, of American prisoners of war
to danger of shellfire on Bataan after surrender of American Forces in April
of 1942.
On Bataan, following the surrender of the
American Forces, the Japanese rushed all possible artillery to Bataan, in
order to concentrate their fire upon the harbor defenses at Corregidor and
the other forts in Manila Bay and force their early capitulation. Much of
this artillery was set up around the town of Cabcaben and the Japanese began
firing from this area into Corregidor and the other harbor defenses.
Between. April 9th, the date of surrender, and May 6th when Corregidor fell,
the Japanese used American prisoners of war (both officers and enlisted men
to carry ammunition to their artillery weapons which were placed around
Cabcaben. The entire area was under observation from the harbor defenses
and American batteries were firing upon the Japanese batteries, consequently
American prisoners of war were being forced to carry ammunition for the
Japanese under fire from American guns placed in the harbor defenses. Large
numbers of American prisoners were wounded and some were killed, the exact
number I do not recall, in one instance American fire knocked out an entire
Japanese artillery weapon and the crew, and the shell following the one
which knocked out the gun crew landed near the American prisoners of war
who were helping to load the gun and wounded some of them. One of the men
who was wounded at this time was a friend of mine, Captain Wyland, and it
was he who later gave me the information which I have just set forth.
However, such exposure of American prisoners of war, by the Japanese, to
American gunfire has been substantiated many times by other prisoners of war
who were on Bataan at that time. The Japanese commander in the Philippines
at that time was General Homma, and he was responsible for such use of
American prisoners of war and the consequent exposure of such prisoners to
American shellfire.
Killing by the Japanese of six unknown American prisoners of war
approximately June 20, 1942.
One night in June of 1942 I think it was
approximately June 30, but it could have been 15 days either way, the
Japanese came into the camp at Cabanatuan Camp about midnight and began to
count and recount the American prisoners of War. They carried out this
count several times and finally, before the night was over, they took away
six American enlisted men for questioning. These men were tied to posts in
front of the main Japanese Guard House in front of our camp for the rest of
the night. It was extremely hot on the day following and the Americans were
given no water they were kept bare headed, and they were badly beaten while
tied up. Late afternoon of the same day, the prisoners were marched around
the camp to the east side, where they were placed in a row facing the camp.
A Japanese execution squad then shot the men to death. The graves in which
these men were placed were located within 20 feet of the fence at the place
where they were executed. This was about the middle point on the east side
of the camp. The Japanese commander of the camp at the time this execution
occurred was Lt. Col. Maurie, and he allowed such to be done.
Killing by the Japanese of Lt. Col. Biggs, Lt. Col. Howard Britung, and Lt.
Gilbert, U. S. Navy at Cabanatuan during September, 1942
One evening during September, 1942, about
one hour after sunset which would have made it about 8 P.M., Lt. Col. Biggs,
Lt. Col. Britung, both of the United States Army and Lt. Gilbert of the
United States Navy, were found in a ditch inside the fence by an American
sentry. The three officers were discovered in the ditch when an American
prisoner came out of one of the barracks, and against orders failed to go to
the latrine and used this ditch as a urinal. When he did so he urinated
upon Lt. Col. Biggs and Col. Biggs started yelling and the noise which he
made caused the American sentry on duty inside of the compound to
investigate. When the sentry found the three officers he remonstrated with
them but Col. Biggs took the sentry's club away from him and knocked the
sentry down. By this time a number of other American prisoners had come
out of the barracks to where the commotion was going on and endeavored to
calm Col. Biggs and the other officers and bring them into the barracks
before the Japanese were aware of what was going on. It was only when one of
the prisoners made & flying tackle and brought Col. Biggs to the ground that
it was possible to quiet him, by that time the Japanese heard the commotion
and came to see what was going on. When the Japanese saw that the three
American officers had parcels with them, indicating they were in the process
of attempting an escape, they took the three officers outside of our gate
and questioned them and then moved them to the Japanese guard house. The
three officers were tied up to posts in front of the Japanese guard house
and were left outside in the wind and rain. Despite the noise caused by the
wind I could hear the Japanese beating them. In addition to beating them
with clubs the Japs used judo methods on them by throwing them up into the
air and allowing them to fall on the ground, where the Japanese would stamp
and beat them in the kidneys, the face, and the groin. The following
morning the three men were still conscious but during the morning they
occasionally became unconscious and the Japs would revive them so that they
could continue their torture. They were tortured al] day long by the
Japanese, and as they were tied beside a well traveled Filipino road the
Japs forced every passing Filipino to dismount his vehicle, bow to the
Japanese guard and take a club and beat the Americans. When the Filipinos
failed to strike the Americans hard enough, the Japanese would beat the
Filipinos. This torture continued throughout the day and the following
night, and on the second day the Americans were still alive although they
appeared to be in horrible condition, Col. Britung's face was completely
caved in and his jaws were crushed. On this morning a light rain was
falling and a detachment of Japanese (headed by one officer who I can only
identify by saying that he was a captain and had lost a thumb on Bataan)
armed with rifles and entrenching tools untied the Americans and supporting
them by the shoulders marched them east on the road directly passing the
side of the camp. I went to the fence and saw them passing but once they
went behind the trees which lined the road I did not see them again. I
stayed at the fence for perhaps 3O minutes or an hour and while there I
heard some shots in the direction in which the group had marched. About 10
minutes after the shots were fired the Japanese re-appeared and the
entrenching tools that I had seen them carry out were now covered with mud,
indicating that they had been used since I saw them last. We were never
informed by the Japanese that these men were executed, but we were only told
to drop them from the camp roll. The Japanese camp commander at this time
was Lt. Col. Maurie. Col. Maurie was aware of the treatment these officers
were receiving and permitted such torture and physical treatment.
In the Matter of Beatings and Physical Torture administered to American
Prisoners of War, by the Japanese, at Camp Cabanatuan No. 1.
While I was a prisoner of war at Camp
Cabanatuan No. 1 from May 28, 1942 until liberated by American Forces on
January 30, 1945, I witnessed countless beatings administered by the
Japanese to American prisoners of war. Most of these beatings took place on
the farm detail outside of the camp, and I would estimate that not more than
ten percent of the entire camp personnel escaped a beating at some time or
another. There were few days when fifty men did not receive beatings while
working on detail. Once during September or October of 1945, I was beaten
on the head with a 2 x 4 by a Japanese guard, a guard whom we nicknamed
''Air Raid". At the time this occurred there were about 1200 American
prisoners in mass formation, and this guard came up from behind the group I
was standing with and he started swinging a 2 x 4 right and left and he
knocked down at least 50 men. There were 50 others who were struck but not
knocked down, of whom I was one. Frequently on the farm Japanese guards
would take from one to fifteen men and torture them by forcing them to kneel
down with a how handle placed in back of their knees on top of the calves of
their, legs and force them to sit upon their haunches with this hoe handle
thrust behind their legs; in this position, and with their arms outstretched
would make them hold a five gallon container full of dirt out in front of
them. If they dropped the container, they were beaten. A short period of
time in this position would cause circulation to stop, and I estimate that I
have seen a total of 500 men who had been thus tortured. They were unable
to walk after such treatment and consequently we had to carry them in from
the field. During the period I was at Camp Cabanautan No. 1, I also saw
countless Filipinos beaten, and I once saw over 200 Filipinos beaten, placed
in the hot sun, given no water, then tied up and beaten more thoroughly.
This particular incident occurred sometime in 1943, I do not recall exactly
when. It is impossible for me to recall all of the instances upon which I
have seen beatings and torture administered. However, I can safely say that
these beatings occurred hundreds of times, and I can state that I have seen
the Japanese guards whose names follow administer beatings frequently:
"Little Speedo, Air Raid, Donald Duck, Porky, Charlie Chaplin, Caribou Sam,
Bull Montana". I do not remember the proper Japanese names of these men,
but I am certain that they have been property identified by other liberated
prisoners. The course of treatment of American prisoners of war which I
have set out was followed during the entire time I was a prisoner, and was
carried on under each of the camp commanders who were there while I was a
prisoner. These camp commanders were Lt. Col. Maurie, Major Ewanaka, and
Major Takasaki.
In the Matter of the Torture and Beating By
the Japanese of Five Filipinos at Camp Cabanatuan No. 1 during September or
October of 1944
Sometime during September or October of
1944 five (5) Filipino men were brought into the camp at Camp Cabanatuan No.
1 and were tied up by the Japanese and tortured. The Japanese attempted to
hide these men from the Americans by placing them where they could not see
them. However, we were able to watch what they were doing to the Filipinos,
and I saw them, beat these men brutally, and I saw the Japanese carry hot
coals from a fire and place these coals on the bare stomachs of these
Filipinos. It was rumored in camp that these men were being tortured
because they had been caught digging vegetables on the farm, but I do not
know if that is true. After these men were tortured they were taken away
and I do not know if they were finally killed or not. The Japanese commander
in the camp at this time was Major Takasaki and he was aware of this
occurrence. Major Takasaki was -- description omitted--
In
the matter of the execution, by the Japanese, of an American enlisted man,
(FNU) Compton, at Camp Cabanatuan No. 1 during September 1943.
During September of 1943 an American
enlisted man named Compton, who was a patient in the locked psychopathic
ward, escaped from the ward into the field outside the camp. His escape was
discovered by the Japanese and they combed the countryside for him for
several days but didn't locate him. He was finally found in a composte
(manure) pile by Americans working on the camp farm. When found, Compton
was in a state of coma. He was brought to the camp and remained in the
American section for perhaps an hour when the Japanese guards came in with a
litter, placed him on the litter and marched from the camp with him at about
dusk. The official Japan ese report that we received in the camp concerning
Compton was that he had been tried and dealt with under Japanese army
regulations. I know that he was never seen again and that he must have been
executed. The Japanese camp commander, who was responsible, was Major
Ewanaka.
In
the matter of the burning, by the Japanese, of a barrio near Camp Cabanatuan
No.1 during the latter part of 1942.
One morning during the latter part of 1942
(I can recall neither the month nor the day) a number of Japanese dive
bombers flew over in the vicinity of Camp Cabanatuan No. 1 and began bombing
and strafing a nearby barrio, prior to the time this attack began I had
neither seen nor heard evidence of any hostilities in the region. This
barrio was located between Camp No. 1 and the town of Rizal and was slightly
east of north between 10 and 15 kilometers from the camp. The Japanese
bombing and strafing lasted for about an hour and it started large fires
which I observed burning for some time. I later heard from Filipinos that
this barrio had been completely burned out and the population wiped out, as
the barrio was caught without warning by the Japanese bombers, however, I
cannot say that this report is true. In as much as this bombing and
strafing was done by Japanese war planes, such mission must have been
ordered by the Japanese High Commander in Manila, General Homma.
In the matter of the exposure, by the
Japanese, of American prisoners of war to danger of bombing in and near Camp
Cabanatuan No. 1 in January of 1945.
In January of 1945 the Japanese came to
Camp Cabanatuan No. 1 and forced American prisoners of war to begin
repairing military lines of communication in the Cabanatuan camp area and
along the Cabanatuan-Pongabon road. During this period this road was under
almost constant strafing and bombing from low-flying American planes, which
planes were strafing and bombing all traffic passing along the road. The
American prisoners of war who were forced by the Japanese to repair lines of
communication were driving in trucks all along this road, performing the
duties forced upon them by the Japanese, and they were constantly subjected
to fire from the American planes above, although they suffered no
casualties, they were constantly exposed to danger, in addition during
January, American prisoners of war were forced to repair Japanese tanks and
army trucks;, doing all types of mechanical work and battery repair work.
It is impossible for me to say who the Japanese Camp Commander was at this
time as the Japanese were constantly moving in and out of the camp.
However, the Japanese Commander on Luzon at this time was Lt. Gen. Yamashita
and he was responsible for such exposure of American prisoners.
In the matter of the exposure of American Field Hospitals numbers 1 and 2,
to danger of shellfire and bombing on Bataan after, surrender of the
American Forces in Aprils 1942.
After the surrender of Bataan, American
Field Hospitals numbers 1 and 2, both full of patients, were left on Bataan
and were not moved away until after the fall of the harbor defenses at
Corregidor and the other forts in Manila Bay. One of these hospitals was
located at Cabcaben, located there in buildings and tents, and we were aware
of its location. At that time, after the surrender of Bataan and before the
surrender of the harbor defenses, I was with the 59th Coast Artillery
Regiment on Fort Drum. We had excellent maps and, as we had the location of
the American Hospitals on Bataan, we had circled such hospitals and we had
orders not to fire into the circles we had, without calling back, after
receiving fire orders, to verify the order to fire inside the circle and
call attention to the fact that such firing order would necessitate firing
inside the circle. I know that my battery fired only one round which came
close to the hospital area at Cabcaben, and it struck on the ring of the
circle so that the hospital area only received spray of fragments from the
shell. We know that Japanese artillery batteries were placed on the
hospital grounds, as we could observe the fire coming from the Japanese
weapons from the hospital area. I later learned that the Japanese batteries
were placed right on the hospital grounds, right next to the wards.
Although our fire from Fort Drum did not strike either one of the hospitals,
fire from Corregidor did strike Hospital No. 2, and one ward with all its
patients was completely destroyed. The Japanese were responsible for all
casualties caused by American shellfire as their artillery was placed right
in the hospital area where the effort was made by the Americans not to
strike the hospital. It would have been a simple matter for the Japanese to
have evacuated the American patients from these hospitals to the rear, but
this was not done, and instead the Japanese attempted to use such patients
as a protection or as insurance, against American counter battery fire upon
their artillery which Americans in the harbor defenses knew to be in the
area of Field Hospitals Numbers 1 and 2. The Japanese High Commander in the
Philippines, General Homma, was responsible for such failure to evacuate
American patients and for the emplacement of Japanese artillery in American
hospital areas, subjecting American prisoners of war to danger of shellfire
from their own weapons in the harbor defenses in Manila Bay.
In
the matter of the killing, by the Japanese, of (FNU) Trujillo, an American enlisted
man, at Camp Cabanatuan No.1 during March of 1945.
On approximately March 30, 1943 (l am not
certain of this date -- it could have been 30 days either way), I was
awakened during the night by a commotion of shouting and excited Japanese
voices. It was about midnight but I went outside and I saw that the
Japanese had an American outside of the fence at the southwest corner of the
old hospital area. The Japanese were crowded about him and the Japanese
officer of the day was present. I later learned that this American was a
perimeter guard who had been going through the inner fence dealing with the
Japanese guard on the outside of the camp. On this occasion the American had
apparently waited until the Japanese officer of the day had passed by, and
after he had passed the American had gone over to carry on some sort of
negotiation with the Japanese guard. However, the Japanese officer of the
day was apparently suspicious and he turned around and came back. When the
Japanese guard who was dealing with the American saw the Japanese officer of
the day returning he turned on the American and struck him with his rifle
butt and started blowing his whistle, yelling that it was an attempted
escape. The American guard, whose name I learned was Trujillo, was tied to a
post at the guardhouse, next to the hospital fence, with his hands tied
behind him. As I was close by, I could hear the Japanese beating the
American at intervals all night long. The American was held, and I watched
the Japanese torture him. He was beaten with clubs, he was beaten in the
kidneys and legs with rifle butts and bayonets. Finally a Japanese
non-commissioned officer of the guard took off his belt (which was a wide
belt with a large metal buckle) and began to beat the American about the
face with the buckle. The Japanese continued beating Trujillo until the
Japanese was exhausted, and by this time he had succeeded in completely
obliterating Trujillo's features and Trujillo was unconscious. He was
later revived and he was marched away and I heard that he was executed. The
camp commander at this time was Major Wanaka and he was completely
responsible for the treatment which this American prisoner received and for
his death.
In
the matter of the killing, by the Japanese of 2nd Lt. Bob M. Huffcutt at Camp
Cabanatuan No. 1 during April 1944
During the month of April 1944, 2nd Lt. Bob
Huffcutt was shot and killed by a Japanese guard while he, Huffcutt, was
working in his okra patch inside of the camp compound. At the time Lt.
Huffcutt was shot, I was in front of my barracks building and I was shielded
from Huffcutt by this barracks building and other nearby buildings. It was
just after lunch-time and I was washing my mess gear when I heard a rifle
shot. I rushed to the rear of the barracks building and as I got to the
rear of the building I saw a Japanese guard in a guard tower level his rifle
and fire at an object laying on the ground inside the fence. At that time I
did not know who or what the, guard was shooting at. Immediately after the
final shot which I heard, the Japanese guards started driving all Americans
away from the area. The boys who had been in the okra patch were also
driven back, and they told us that it was an American working in the okra
patch who had been shot by the Japanese guard. I later learned that this
American was Bob Huffcutt. The American prisoners who tried to go to the
aid of Huffcutt were driven back, and it was 20 minutes before Japanese
officers and guards came into the com pound and went to the okra patch.
Finally, after the Japanese officers and guards had left the patch, they
allowed the Americans to go in and recover the body of Lt. Huffcutt. At
this time the Japanese had an order that Americans should not come closer to
the fence than one meter. However, when Lt. Huffcutt was shot he was at
least 12 feet on the inside of the fence, and I saw where one bullet had
plowed the ground, and it was about 11 or 12 feet inside the fence. There
was absolutely no excuse for the killing of Lt. Huffcutt, nor had he done
anything to provoke such attack. Lt. Huffcutt, prior to the war, had been a
personal secretary to Mr. Sayre, U.S. High Commissioner in the Philippines,
and after refusing to leave the islands upon the outbreak of hostilities,
was given a commission in the U. S. Army. I do not know who the Japanese
guard was who was immediately responsible for the death of Lt. Huffcutt.
However, the camp commander at this time was Major Takasaki.
In
the matter of the exposure to public exhibition and ridicule of American prisoners
of war at WaWa, Nasugbu Military District, Luzon, during May 1942.
