Statements Concerning Murata

Statement of Yakumaru (18 Aug 1947) 8 American PWs were executed 20 June at 1500 behind WAH for no reason, without military court martial. Wako received an order from Yokoyama to execute the 8 PWs; Murata told this to Yakumaru, having been told by Wako.

Murata who was present at the execution, told Yakumaru that Wako escorted the 8 PWs from the P.7 camp to the site of'execution. The 8 PWs were lined up behind the EM's quarters, blindfolded, The PW would be Ied to the pit and beheaded.

Present at the execution: Sato, Murata, Wako, Ito, Toji, Qnishi, Aihara, and other officers of the LS.

Sato received permission, verbally, from Ito to order this false (stating that the executed PWs had been killed in an airraid.), according to Murata, who was Ito's aide.

Statement of Kusumoto ( ) Kusumoto heard that Wako and Murata directed the men in destroying the building in which the captured flyers had been held.

17-18 August Murata told Kusumoto that the bodies of the flyers executed 26 (sic) June had been buried behind the headquarters grounds at Kaminohashi, that on 16 Aug., on order of Ito, these bodies and those buried at Aburayama after the 12 July execution had been dug up and cremated along with the bodies of the flyers executed on 15 August 1945 at Aburayama crematory, that Nakamura had tended to this, that he and Nakamura had put all of the bone ashes from the flyers exe­cuted on 20 June, 12 July and 15 August into one large box, brought them back to LS.

2-3 days later Murata said he asked Tomomori what should-be done with the ashes, and he ordered him to throw them into the ocean, and he had taken some head­quarters soldiers in a truck and carried them to the ocean where he had thrown them out. Before Kusumoto heard this from Murata, 1st Lt. Nakamura had brought Kusumoto a box which he said contained the ashes which he had taken from a box of ashes he and Murata had brought back to the LS from Aburayama, that he had been directed by .Sato to bury these at Hirao.

Statement of Sato (30 Oct - 8 Nov 1947) Sato suggested to Ito that the S men who had been taken to the University for operations be added to the list (of flyers executed) and reported as killed in the airraid. Ito said he would do it. Murata came to get the names and Sato sent him to Aihara, who had the list and gave them to Murata, to put in the report.

Murata brought completed report to Sato with his and Ito's hans in the right hand corner. Murata brought only one copy, but Sato knows that at least 2 were made since Murata brought a copy-of it after the war and said he was going to destroy it.

Tomomori, Murata and Sato decided together on about 20 Aug. 1945 that their previous false reports would break down by reason of personnel telling the Occu­pation Forces that no Prisoners had been killed in the 19 June airraid if questioned. Wako and Ito may have beer at this discussion, were told about,it, probably by Murata and Sato.

Statemert of Sato Cont'd . ........ In Nov. Fukushima told Sato that he heard that the June report of 16 sent to Tokyo was still there, that it must be recovered, so Fukushima, Nishihara and Sato went to Tokyo; the report had the hans of Ito and Murata and about 18 others.

Statement of Nakamura, Minoru (20 Oct 1947) On 15 Aug the bodies of the American flyers were cremated. After pyre was lighted, 1st Lt. Murata then told Nakamura he was going home, would return at 0500 to get the ashes. Murata arrived by truck about 0530. They buried the ahses of those killed on the 15th first, be­cause of Kusumoto's instructions.

Murata and Nakamura took a piece of skull, hand, rib, pelvis, spine and leg to represent the bones of each. Prisoner from 13 remains, put them in separate envelopes to represent the 13 executed on 15 Aug, then placed the 13 envelopes in a small wooden box about 12" x 30" x 30", which Nakamura had brought when he first brought the coffins.

The 2 boxes were placed on the truck. Nakamura told Murata that Kusumoto had told him to bury the remains of the 15 Aug execution in the nearby hills; Murata suggested they bury them in the military cemetery near Ropponmatsu, did so bury the smaller box on the way back, then drove back to Headquarters with the large box at about 0900, and Murata said he would take care of the boxes from then on.

1-2 days later, someone from LS told Nakamura that Murata was going to get rid of the- large box of ashes, wanted Nakamura to go along as witness; he went to the LS, found that the larger box was on the truck with 3-4 rice sacks, which con­tained ashes from the large box to make the box lighter.

Murata, Nakamura, the driver and 3-4 soldiers get in the truck, drove to Nagahama on Hakata Harbor, took the large box and dumped the ashes a little at a time into the water next to the brakwater, also emptied the rice sacks into the water at the same place.

Statement of Ohno, Minehiro (8 July 1947, taken by Pons) Ohno believe.s these (first of July 1945 execution) PWs were tried by LS, since those executed in the last part of June were investigated by 1st LT. Marata (sic. Murata).

Statement of Toji (15 April 1946) 20 June execution - Of about 15 witnessing the execution, Toji remembers Ito, Sato, Wako, 1st Lt. Murata, and Cpl. Kenichiro Kawai, air corps Intelligence CO.

Statement of Enatsu (23 Sept - 31 Oct 1947) Either the day. (PM) that Ono reported Ito, or the next day, Ito called Enatsu in. Present were Murata, Wako and either Kotegawa or Ono.

Statement of Tomomori (20 Jan 1947 - 20 Mar 1947) 21 Aug at Hirao Fukushima told Tomomori that it would be made to appear that the Prisoners executed 20 June 1945 were killed in a bombing attack. Murata suggested the dirt from the place of burning be dumped from the pier, since if story were bona fide human oil would be in the ground, present at this meeting: etc, Enatsu, Sate, Murata, and Tomomori believes, Wako.

Oki Report (ATIS translation) Statement of Sadayoshi Murata - About 8 were executed within Headquarters 20 June; he does not remember whether Wamitsu (wako) said to him "I hear that the army commander has granted approval," Executioners of that day were Capt. Wamitsu (Wako) and officer (s) of the Air Intelligence Unit and an NCO of the Staff Section. 1st Lt. Shirazaki, judicial, is.well in­formed as to this. Murata disposed of the corpses of the executed, took cafe of the remains after the war, according to orders of Fukushima and Sato. The cre­mated remains were' thrown in the sea.

Statement of Nakamura, Momoru in Oki report - Nakamura was with Murata when the one box (ashes) was thrown in the sea on order of Sato, with Yukino, who asked to go along, when they buried the other box in Hirao.