Niihama, Hiroshima #2-B- Besshi Copper Mine, Japan Sumitomo
Sumitomo’s Yamane and Niihama, Besshi Copper Mine, Shikoko Island, Japan
Hiroshima 2B Niihama (formerly Zentsuji 3-B/Fukuoka 13-B)
Home to Sumitomo, Besshi Copper Mine.
Employed by Sumitomo
Yamane: Copper Mine & smelter
Niihama: Casting Foundry for machine parts and a land reclamation project.
Back row: L-R Thomas Gibson, Bert Norton, Fred ‘Cowboy’ Matthews, Ralph Hadfield
Front row: L-R George Chatfield, Norm Thompson, Claude Dow, Andrew “Mick” Lambie
Yamane was Sumitomo’s Copper mine and smelter.
Niihama, Hiroshima #2-B- Japan -Sumitomo Casting Foundry for machine parts and a land reclamation project.
There were at least 37 men from 2/4th at this Camp and a total of 245 Australians of whom 18 died. Many Australians were sent from Thailand via Singapore sailed on ‘Rashin’ Maru which was a 70 day horror voyage.
There was also an unknown number of Dutch.****
On 18th May 1945 the prisoners were moved from Yamane where they were working at the Besshi copper mine to the wharves, smelters and refineries of Niihama. The reason for this move was simply because the men’s health had flagged so much that they were of no further use to the Japanese at the mine site.
Niihama
This was a Sumitomo Company business.
28 Aug 1945: First food drops
10 Sep 1945: Rescue Effected
Men sent by train through Zentsuji (picked up Yanks therein) then to port of Takamatsu thence ferry to Uno. Next train took men through Osaka to Wakayama.
The camp at Niihama, although different to Yamane, was of much the same construction. The barracks walls were constructed from pine wood and interlaced with a bamboo and an earth mixture plastered about 3 inches thick. The roof was also made of pine with natural fibre matting or bark laid over it. The latrines and pigsty were located at the end of the barracks. Unlike the barracks at Yamane, which was one long building, this was divided into two sections with the entrance in the centre instead of at each end as it was at Yamane. One half of the barracks was the sleeping quarters and the other for messing. The floor of the sleeping quarters was covered around the walls and down the centre with grass tatami mats. It was noted to be a good, clean camp and perhaps owned by industry not Government.
Following their arrival at Niihama the prisoners were allocated to the jobs that would keep them employed for the final months until Japan’s surrender. ‘Cowboy’ Matthews who was placed on light duties due to a tropical ulcer behind one kneww, worked in the cookhouse at Yamani and Niihama. Bert Norton was employed in the Iron Foundry cutting up steel hawsers with hammer and cold chisel into 3 inch lengths to make nails
Work was allocated to the prisoners at the copper refinery, No. 4 Party on the wharf, warehouses, iron foundry or stoking blast furnaces. At the engineering machinery foundry included amongst the Australian prisoners was Andrew ‘Mick’ Lambie who would clean up the castings as they were released from their moulds.
According to McGlinn’s Notes: In early February 1945 Ted Bunce was put out of action when his leg was caught between a truck and wall. It was not until the camp was packing to leave Niihama 13 Sept 1945, that Bunce had his first walk without crutches.
Several 2/4th who were employed on the wharves like the Kobe group, had the opportunity to scrounge extra food in the form of sweet potato and maize flour. Some of this crew were Bob Whitfield, Ken Tucker, Wilfred ‘Bill’ Nottle, Ray Muller, Lou Daily, Tom Conway and George Moir. At war’s end Bob Whitfield took his Japanese overseer and showed him the places where they used to hide the contraband. No doubt the Japanese overseer was impressed with the Australians’ ingenuity. In August, ‘Bill’ Nottle was knocked off the wharf by a crane and fractured his left ankle. This accident put him in the camp hospital for four weeks. Frank McGlinn whose diary was called upon to remind us of some facts about Niihama was one member from the 2/4th on the refining of copper.
From Frank McGlinn: on 1st August a sweep was organised by the various units of AIF to guess which day in August the war would finish. 31 of the 2/4th were in at One Pound each and each drew a day from a hat. If it did not finish in August, the sweep was to be carried on into September @ a cost of another one pound each.
The day announced by the West Australian Newspaper was to be the winner. Mick Lambie drew the 15th, Frank’s was 26th.
15th August the word around Niihama was that the war was at last over. The prisoners had been stood down from their various jobs whereupon they returned to camp. It would be another five days before Capt Marukami informed them that the war might be over as fighting had been suspended!
16 Aug 1945 Blue Philips had a long spell in hospital due to accidents. Was due to go to work today.
19 August 1945 McGlinn had a swim and got some rock oysters.
Basil Jones was given 5 days by officers for ………………………incomplete!
23rd August
Reg Suez, Ron Metz and Basil Jones were sentenced to five days detention by our Officers and are doing it in the other hut. The first two were convicted of breaking out of camp and entering a Jap store, Jones was cited as accomplice, but I don’t think he had much to do with it. They got some salt and a few eggs but were caught by Dutch officers coming back in. There are three Dutchmen also in detention for taking rice from the cookhouse. The rations are not too bad at present with the extra rice the cooks took.
24th August: Frank McGlinn played Housey Housey with Ron Arbery, Des Colevas and Doug Horn – it appears McGlinn won collecting abnout 20 fags (cigarettes).
25th August: Lt Ralph Sanderson said on Parade:
‘That in case anything was dropped from the air – everybody was stay well clear – except 10 strong, reliable and honest men who would be detailed for the role – there was to be No scrounging.’
Nothing was dropped from the air that day. A truck load of Japanese beer called Asashi arrived and was issued – one bottle per man.
28 Aug 1945: Young Bob Whitfield dropped a Jap! (surprised more Japs didn’t receive same treatment)
29 August: Advised they will be evacuated through Wakinyama.
31 August: Slim Simpson got two days in detention for trading with Japs.
31st August: A big four engined plane appeared overhead – the men could see it was not a Nip plane. There were a lot of wise cracks as the plane circled overhead. The men were very excited to see an Allied plane and everybody waved. Another plane appeared and a big T could be seen painted on its tail. One plane dropped to about 500ft and headed straight for the camp and the men just had time to read ‘P.W Supplies’ written on the wings when the crew let go parachutes – the first one landing about 15 yards into the ocean, another dropped onto a barrack room just missing the latrine trench.
Boys put sign on roof “THANKS YANKS”.
13 September – Departing Niihama Camp on journey to Australia.
FROM FRANK MCGLINN’S STORY: .MCGLINN packed up Ted Bunce’s gear for him as this was really the first day he had walked without crutches. Ted left by truck with the sick at 8 am on 13 Sept 1945.
The remaining men left Niihama Camp about 10.15 to walk to the station to catch the train to Niihama. They left Niihama station at 12 noon. The train followed the coastline until about 4.15pm where they boarded the ferry at Takamatsu for the mainland. (On the train were US POWs from Wake and Guam.)
14 September: Overnight train, arriving Osaka at daybreak.
Arrived Wakayama 10.00am and were met by a British Band playing ‘Happy Days are here again’. The area was largely burnt out caused by bombing.
There are 22 warships in the harbour, about 50 minesweepers and one Australian ship HMAS Cambion. ?
The former POWs were loaded onto barges and taken to US Hospital ships such as ‘Sanctuary’ or in McGlinn’s case, he was taken on ‘New Jersey’ to Okinowa.
19 September: ‘New Jersey’ arrived Okinowa having sailed around a large storm, sailing 500 miles out of their way and taking two extra days.
An Aircraft carrier with more former POWs docked in the afternoon.
20th September: the men board a landing barge and were taken ashore where the men found the rest of the 2/4th except Strawb Dyson and Bill Nottle who had been taken ashore.
A short time later a troop carrier from Nagasaki USS ‘Bingham’ arrived with a crew of 500 and 1400 POWs aboard. Met some men from Non Pladuk and 24 x 2/4th making total of 64 onboard. Two or three 2/4th left Nagasaki by plane.
McGlinn notes: Joe Unsworthy had to kneel down for three days for stealing a radish from the Jap Q Store.
26 September: arrived Manila got ashore where 14 men to a truck were driven 20 miles to camp.
McGlinn meets up with 24 men from 2/4th. They are all allotted accommodation in large tents which hold 12 men. There are wooden floors, electric lights, stretchers and mossie nets.
27 September: Bert Wall arrives Manila Camp.
3 October 1945: Bob and Mick left by plane today,
4 October 1945: Ted Bunce missed his boat and will now go by air.
Frank flew to Morotai PBY arrived 3.30pm. Arrived Darwin 10 October. Taken to Winnellie Camp.
Others to arrived Darwin: Doug Tanner went to hospital as he has something wrong with his lungs and required X-ray.
Saw ‘Porky’ Hayes.
Please read further
Frank’s notes: the nicknames for guards at Niihama:
‘Mickey Mouse’, ‘The Dirty Little Bash Artist’, ‘King Kong’, ‘Lolly Lopper’, ‘Silent’, ‘Goonie’ – the Jap doctor.
In Frank McGlinn notes he mentioned the ocean was a chain from the Niihama camp.
From McGlinn’s diary………
Please read McGlinn’s Diary
The Official list of Australian POWs recorded and recovered from Niihama 15 August 1945
YOKAHAMA, JAPAN, 1946. A GENERAL VIEW OF THE WAR CRIMES COURT WHILE MURAKAMI (1), A JAPANESE WAR CRIMINAL WAS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR HIS TREATMENT OF ALLIED PRISONERS OF WAR AT NIIHAMA YAMANE (PRISONER OF WAR CAMP) AT HIROSHIMA. OTHER JAPANESE PRISONERS OF WAR AWAIT TRIAL IN THE BACKGROUND. IDENTIFIED PERSONNEL ARE:- KAWABATA (2); TANIMOTO (3); LIEUTENANT-COLONEL SHUZO SAITO (4); BEPPU (5); NISHIYAMA (6); COLONEL SUZUKI (7).
Informal portrait of NX118 Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) Duncan Lindsay Beresford Goslett, Commanding Officer of the Australian War Crimes Section, Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers (SCAP) (seated behind the desk) with some of his staff and witnesses. Identified, left to right, standing: NX70315 Lieutenant (Lt) Peter Selwyn Withycombe, witness; NX139734 Captain (Capt) Finlay Elgin Munro, Adjutant; QX45282 Capt Douglas Malcolm Campbell, defence and prosectution work; VX89003 Major Harold Stannett Williams. Seated: Sergeant Webster; Lt Col Goslett; Lieutenant ‘Sandy’ Sanderson, witness. After being discharged at the end of the war, Lt Withycombe and Lt Sanderson were recalled to duty in late 1945 to give evidence against 19 Japanese officers, including Naval Captain Murakami at a trial in Morotai. Capt Murakami was in charge of the prisoner of war (POW) camp that provided POW labour to the Niihama-Besshi copper mine in which many POWs had been killed descending the vertical steel ladders to the 19th level. Capt Murakami was sentanced to hang, while the others on trial received various terms of imprisonment, and some were acquitted.
Please read Australian Dr. Hinder’s pertinent views on the atom bomb.
NIIHAMA ISOURA, JAPAN. C. 1945-11. ONE OF THE CONFINEMENT CELLS IN THE GUARD HOUSE AT THE HIROSHIMA PRISONER-OF-WAR BRANCH CAMP NO. 2. Courtesy AWM.
NIIHAMA ISOURA, JAPAN. C. 1945-11. INTERIOR VIEW OF THE PARTLY UNROOFED BARRACKS AT THE HIROSHIMA PRISONER-OF-WAR BRANCH CAMP NO. 2. (DONOR: R. H. MILLYNN).
NIIHAMA ISOURA, JAPAN. C. 1945-11. THE PARTLY UNROOFED BARRACKS AT THE HIROSHIMA PRISONER-OF-WAR BRANCH CAMP NO. 2. (DONOR: R. H. MILLYNN).
NIIHAMA YAMANE, JAPAN. C. 1945-11. INTERIOR VIEW OF THE BARRACKS AT HIROSHIMA PRISONER-OF-WAR BRANCH CAMP NO. 2. THE JAPANESE SHOWN HERE ARE CIVILIAN PRISONERS WHO WERE RECENTLY MOVED INTO THIS PARTICULAR PRISONER-OF-WAR CAMP. (DONOR R. H. MILLYN)
NIIHAMA YAMANE, JAPAN. C. 1945-11. THE KITCHEN AT THE HIROSHIMA PRISONER-OF-WAR BRANCH CAMP NO. 2.
We wish to acknowledge and thank the AWM for the above photographs.
YOKAHAMA, JAPAN, 1946. NISHIYAMA, A JAPANESE WAR CRIMINAL, BEING SENTENCED TO 40 YEARS IMPRISONMENT AT THE CONCLUSION OF HIS TRIAL FOR WAR CRIMES COMMITTED AT NIIHAMA YAMANE (PRISONER OF WAR CAMP), HIROSHIMA.
Please read Australian Dr Hinder’s words about Niihama and Atomic Bomb
Below: The last page of the listed POWs from Niihama recovered at end of war – please note comments at bottom.
We acknowledge and thank Mansell’s website for this information. Pls note this was the final page included.
Below: List of Australians who died at Niihama – including Cpl Dick Hindle who died in an accident below ground.
Hindle aged 40 years, was killed by a fall of rock at Sumitomo Besshi copper mine at Yamane on Shikoku Island Japan on 30.9.1944. His body was cremated and his ashes were carried as far as Labuan Island.
Records show ‘Died after leg severed by fall of stone. (Japanese records state ‘Contusion of the head’).
Below: Australian Roster for Niihama – we acknowledge Nigel Mansell’s website and thank them for copy.
(The following information has been researched from the Affidavits prepared by the two Dutch Camp leaders – Kruythoff and Otten.)
1,000 Dutch POWs departed Singapore 2 April 1943 on ‘Hawai’ Maru for Japan. Conditions were very poor and an epidemic broke about within two weeks.
350 Dutch POWs under the leadership of Capt. CGJ Tielenius Kruythoff arrived Niihama 25 April 1943. The group was split into two with1st Lt. Otten taking command of the second group.
The POWs arrived in poor physical health following their sea journey, but were forced to take journey to Niihama. During the first month 21 men died. Their food and medicine was completely inadequate.
The Camp Commander was Morakami. He was approached many times by the Dutch for improved food and supply of medicines. He received a death sentence after the war.
By end of Nov 1943 the two Dutch groups were rejoined in a newly constructed camp – however the two groups continued working separately for two separate Sumitomo units.
The food was the best it ever would be around Christmas 1943 and thereafter the quality and quantity deteriorated and in May 1944 the work load increased. Now in conjunction with their Sumitomo work the POW’s workload increased back at camp in particular having to work in the Camp Garden very early in the morning and late at night.
Nearer the end of the war the Camp was joined by about 25 Australians and 50 Dutchmen from Yamane near Niihama, and 35 Officers from Zentsuji, also on Shikoku.
Kruythoff and Otten recorded the appalling conditions – finally 30 Dutch and 3 Australians died at Niihama.
Kruythoff and Otten’s final words, other than they dreaded the 1945 Japanese winter because the POWs are at their lowest physical level.
Murakami, known as ‘Lopper’ was sentenced to death. These Dutch POWs had been subjected to his laws since April 1943, i.e. nearly 2 1/2 years.
Please read Frank McGlinn’s diary with details of last days at Niihama Camp
Please go to this Sumitomi Website for further information about Besshi Copper Mine.
https://www.sumitomo.gr.jp/english/history/besshidouzan/index04.html
Please view the Besshi Museum.
https://www.sumitomo.gr.jp/english/history/related/besshidouzan/
Please read the medical report take from Mansell Website
Yokohama War Trials Results:
Capt Murakami (Camp Commander) – “Lopper”
Unknown guard: “Mickey Mouse”
Oka San – “Happy”
Photos from Tokyo War Crimes Trials:
Colonel Shuzo Saito, sentenced to death
Colonel Suzuki, 15 years imprisonment, sentenced to death
Colonel Suzuki, 15 years imprisonment
Murakami, sentenced to death
Nishiyama, 40 years imprisonment
Tanimoto, 35 years imprisonment
Okada, 20 years imprisonment
Yamamoto, 15 years imprisonment
Shirasaya, 6 years imprisonment
Ika, 5 years imprisonment
Kawabata, 5 years imprisonment
Beppu, 5 years imprisonment
Hirai, 1 year imprisonment
YOKAHAMA, JAPAN, 1946. PLANS OF NIIHAMA YAMANE (PRISONER OF WAR CAMP) ON DISPLAY IN THE COURT ROOM DURING THE TRIAL OF JAPANESE WAR CRIMINALS. THE CAMP, SITUATED AT HIROSHIMA, CONTAINED ALLIED SERVICEMEN.