Statements Concerning Nakao

Statement of Nakao (10 September 1947)

24, in California through 6th grade, came to Japan in 1934 (12 years ?), drafted in 1943, transferred to WAH 16 March 1945 as a 2nd L t., assigned to Intelligence Section under Major Inenaga, with duties to audit English broadcasts and to interpret in interrogation of flyers.

Plane survivors were brought to WAH by the KT, turned over to the adjutant section under Lt. Col. Jin , and Capt. Goiyama of the Adjutant Section usually received the Prisoners and placed them in prison, would then notify intelli­gence section, and Inenaga would then schedule the survivors for questioning which was usually done by Col. Sato, Maj. Inenaga, and 2nd Lt. Yamanaka, with Nakao as interpreter. Nakao usually secured the names, age, rank, unit, and base, preliminary to the intelligence interrogation. Information regard­ing name, age, rank, unit, and home address was always turned over to Capt. Kajuro Aihara of the Staff Section. In April 1945 Lt. Col. Mitsuo Sugino became CO of the Intelligence Section, and Maj. Inenaga was transferred to another unit as staff officer.

Nakao recalls talking to Sgt. Billy J. Brown (crashed 29 April ), to Corporal Leon E. Czarnecki, believes he was a tail gunner, to 1st Lt. Marvin S. Watkins, believes he was CO, on 5 May, was rather ta ll, sent to Tokyo 8 May. He fur­ther recalls talking to 2nd Lt. William B. Fredericks (navigator on Watkins' plane), 2nd L t. Dale E. Plambeck (radar operator), Corporal Robert B. Williams, Corporal John C. Colehower (gunner). Nakao believes he talked to Czarnecki, Watkins, Fredericks, Plambeck, Williams and Colehower about 7 May, that their plane crashed near Oguni-machi, Kumamoto ken.

All these Prisoners were in good health except that one had a gunshot wound in his shoulder, another had an injured leg, Nakao believes, because he could not stand up. None were critically ill.

Nakao also recalls talking to Sgt. Jack V. Dengler, Private Merlin R. Calvin (who stated that he had been born in Canada, demoted from corporal), Corporal Irving A. Corliss, Master Sergeant Robert J . Aspinall, T/Sgt. Edgar L. McElfresh Sgt. Otto W. Baumgartern (Baumgarten ? ), Sgt. Ralph $. Romines, recalls the name of Jack Shelloy, reportedly an air corps sergeant picked up in Moji 9 July, crashing in the Kanmon channel, talked to him, after he was sent up from the 56th.

Nakao further recalls talking to a T. Roracka, does not remember talking to a S/Sgt. Teddy Ponczka. He further recalls talking to a Samuel Shepard Smith, a Lt. who crashed in Tangeashima (southern tip of Kyushu), held for 2 days at the 57th Army, heard he was sent to Tokyo. Nakao recalls talking to a Stodd, a navy flyer from the carrier ’’Franklin” (captured in Akune 16 March.) After 18 March orders were directed to turn over a ll captured navy flyers to the 5th Navy Airforce Headquarters at Kayoya, Kagoshima-ken.

Nakao heard after the war that all PWs held at WAH at the time the war ended were killed . Nakao went to Yamaie Headquarters 25 June. Between 16 March and 25 June Nakao questioned about 30 PWs. After his transfer to Yamaie he fre­quently returned to Fukuoka to question American PWs. Between 25 June and

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15 August Nakao talked to about 8 PWs, but he didn't speak to all of them - just the pilots and co-pilots. Between 28 July and 8 August he questioned no PWs, being on a special mission to Tokyo.

Nakao would estimate that about 60 American flyers were brought to Fukuoka from 16 March to 15 August; about 18 were sent to Tokyo. On 20 June Aihara told Nakao that a ll the American PWs held at that time had been beheaded that afternoon on WAH grounds. 2 days after the war Nakao heard all remaining PWs were beheaded at Aburayama.

The Fukuoka airraid started about 2130 on 19 June. Capt. Zikuya of the Intel­ligence Section had been drinking with Nakao. Incendiary bombs were dropped. About 2300 some of the Headquarters barracks caught fire , one near the PW barracks. They could not put the fire out; Nakao feared the fire would burn the Prisoners, felt "Bushido" for them would be better, talked to Zikuya about this, and they went into Air Defense Building about 2300, saw Fukushima and told him his felling, and he asked who was going to kill the Prisoners and how. Nakao stated that they (Nakao and Zikuya) would k ill them with swords. Fukushima turned to Inada, said something to him, and Inada then told Nakao he could not do such a foolish thing, but to put out the fire. Nakao, felling ashamed, left, and the fire was checked, the prison uriburned. Nakao didn't suggest that the PWs be released because he was excited, could not think rationally.

Nakao recalls that Sato on one occasion pushed a PW in the chest.

On 17 August 1945 Nakao was called to Hirao Headquarters, where Sato, Kusu­moto, Aihara, Tomomori, and Yakumaru were talking. When they finished Sato told Nakao that a ll the PWs had been killed , that if anyone asked Nakao what happened he should say they had been sent to Tokyo on an Imperial Staff Head­quarters plane.

In mid May 1945 Komori asked Nakao to accompany him and 2 PWs to the KIU Hospi­tal where the Prisoners were to be vaccinated. Nakao went along, left immediately after the 2 PWs were given injections. It was not until after 25 June 1945 that Nakao heard that these men were killed in experimental operations. Sato told Nakao at Hirao that some of the PWs were killed at the hospital. Later somebody told him that the PWs were taken to the hospital and reported as having been sent to Hiroshima and killed in the atomic bombing.

Statement of Nakao (24-27 October 1947)

Nakao is sure that WAH received 2 flyers from the 57th Corps at Takarabe, one a B-29 flyer who crashed in the ocean off Toi-misaki (SE Kyushu) in late April or early May, another a P-51 pilot near the end of the war off the Miyazaki coast. The B-29 flyer was an EM, maybe a tail gunner since a lone survivor, perhaps Sgt. Billy J. Brown. The P-51 pilot came from an Okinawan base, his mission to patrol the eatern coast of Kyushu; he was an officer, had a black eye.

Smith was about the la st flyer sent to Tokyo, several months before the Surrender.

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Nakao recalls that a P-38 or P-47 crashed off the coast of Wakamatsu after 8 August, believes it was based at Ie-jima, believes he escorted bombers against the Yawata Steel Works. Yamanaka would know more about location of crashes than anyone else, up to 8-9 August, when he went to Hiroshima. Thereafter, Capt. Sakura succeeded him. An EM Honda worked under Yamanaka, possibly Sakura.

Nakao recalls a crash involving a Capt. Nelson, who had served in the ETO, was now a bombing instructor, according to the story Yamanaka gave him, gave startling information as to the size of the American Air Force, believes he was sent to Hiroshima, since Nakao did not interrogate him on his return on 8 August. Both PFC Okumura and PFC Shigetomi of the Intelligence Section spoke good English.

Nakao recalls a flyer who crashed on Shikoku about 12 August, a dispute over who was to receive him, but received by WA, the only one escaping from a B-29 (Name of flyer is Brewer)

Statement of Nakao (24-27 October 1947)

There was a dispute between WAH and Naval Air Force Headquarters at Kanoya as to recept of captured American airmen; it was fin ally agreed that flyers from task forces would be turned over to the 5th Naval Air Base at Kanoya, and Nakao recalls 2-3 who were so turned over. One was captured in the Kagashima-kne, was being escorted to WAH when it was ordered that he be taken to Kanoya. Another one at Ibusuki was sent to Kanoya. An American Maj or was sent to Kanoya, believes that he was one of the two.

Nakao believes that in April or May, 3 flyers from Formosa were kept at Fukuoka overnight on the way to Tokyo, one badly injured, by the KT. One was a P-38 pilot.

On one occasion when WAH jail was full, 5-6 Prisoners were kept at the adjoin­ing 46th Infantry Regiment for a short period before 20 June (the congestion was due to the number of Japanese and Chinese Prisoners)

Statement of Nakao (28 Oct - 5 Nov 1947)

When a flyer was captured Aihara received notification by telephone and the Air Defense Operations Section would receive notification of the crash and number of survivors; this information would be received by Sato and the Intelligence Section. The flyers were sent to WAH, were not to be questioned prior although this was nevertheless done. When the flyers arrived, the KT usually had a document stating the name, age, rank, position, base, and some­times other data. Nakao would usually be called to the prison, would again ask name, age, rank, position to check the document received by Aihara from the KT. This information would be used by the Adjutant Section (Jin ), Aihara, and the Intelligence Section, which could so judge who was most important in the crew. The flyers were then put in cells, if possible separately, although sometimes EM were put together where crowded.

Yamapaka would arrange for the interrogation, would notify Lt. Col. Sugino of the plans and Sato of the intention. Sugino had never attended interrogations,

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but sometimes Sato, Aihara and Enatsu would. Interrogations were carried out according to rank and importance of position. Yamanaka would write notes during the interrogation, give a verbal'!report to Sugino and to Sato if Sato did not attend. Information considered urgent was telegraphed to the armies concerned. Later this information was written up and distributed to all armies in the WA Area, to neighboring services, and to the General Staff Head­quarters. Prior to May 1945 the flyers were sent to Tokyo as soon as the entire interrogation was completed. The longest that the flyers remained at Headquarters was about a week.

After May 1st, Lt. Watkins and Samuel S. Smith were the only flyers sent to Tokyo that Nakao knows of definitely. Nakao heard that Captain Nelson and another who Nakao knew as Hayward were sent to Hiroshima.

In mid May PO Komori came to see Nakao, led him out into the h a ll, said, "We  are going to take the flyer who is wounded in the leg to the University Hospi­tal to perform an experimental operation and would like your help in inter­preting,", then led Nakao to a neighboring room where Sato, Aihara and Enatsu were talking. Enatsu said, "Instead of doing that, add another PW camp es­pecially for captured flyers in the vicinity of Nishijun-machi. Here you could put the flyers to work and make them raise their own food so that they would be sufficient." It was then decided—Nakao believes it was Komori's idea—that Nakao should tell the flyer that he was to have an operation per­formed on his injured leg at the hospital. Nakao thinks it was at this time that Komori told Nakao that the experiments were going to be performed at the University by Ishiyama, who, Nakao thinks, he said was a former teacher of his.

Nakao went with Komori to the Prison, went to the cell of the flyer with the wounded leg; there were two others with him, one with a wounded shoulder, a tall, large man, Nakao thinks Goiyama might have been with them. The wounded flyer was on a stretcher. Nakao told him he was being taken to a hospital for treatment, according to Komori's instructions. They then took the flyer to a sedan, he and Komori got in the back seat, believes the guards on duty helped the flyer in. Aihara may have been there, thinks he got in front seat.

2-3 days later Komori called Nakao from the Intelligence Room, told him that he was going to try a newly developed sleeping powder, said more flyers were to be taken to the University for experiments, that if the powder worked the flyers would be drowsy by the time they reached the University, that he was going to give the powder to Goiyama or perhaps Aihara, that he wanted Nakao to help give the powder to the flyers, that Goiyama would get Nakao later in the afternoon. About 1700 Goiyama came in, said he was ready, showed Nakao the white powder in a small paper package, and they went down to the prison. Goiyama went to the kitchen behind the prison to get some sugar to mix with the powder in the water, came to the prison with a kettle of water, a bowl and some sugar, mixed it outside the prison, which Nakao then tasted, and they went into the prison and gave the solution to 2 flyers who were in the same cell. Nakao believes this was the same cell that housed the flyer with the injured shoulder.

They handed the bowl through a small window; both drank it , but it had no.

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effect. The next afternoon the large man with the wounded shoulder and Plambeck were taken to the University Hospital for experimental operations.

Nakao then recalls that Aihara and Yakumaru went along the time he went (see 24 September 1947 statement), didn’t come back on the truck, but with Sato, the 3 arriving later. Nakao also recalls guiding the 2 blindfolded Prisoners in the building.

Plambeck had not been given sleeping medicine the day previous to being taken to the hospital. 3-4 days after Nakao went to the University, Komori again approached him, said he would try the sleeping medicine again, suggesting that it might not have been strong enough the fir s t time, said that he would give the medicine to Goiyama and that they should give the medicine as they did the fir s t time, before mealtime. About 1700 Nakao met Goiyama, who had more powder and made a stronger solution, they again mixing it to hide the possible taste of medicine. This time they gave it to a ll the Prisoners.

In one of the cells - with 3 flyers - one refused which Nakao said was only "sugar water." Nakao then drank a glass him self, so they a ll drank. In another cell, a flyer asked for a 2nd cup. There was a Chinese in a cell with some of the flyers; they refused him a drink.

The following morning Nakao heard from either Goiyama or Komori that some of the flyers got sleepy or went to sleep; Nakao did not get drowsy. The same day Nakao was again asked to go to the University, but did not go, asked either Pvt. Shigetomi or Sup. Private Okumura to go.

Nakao told Plambeck he was going to be taken to a hospital to receive disease prevention injections when they took him for experimental operations.

Around the end of April 1945 or early May, before the arrival of Watkins crew, he thinks, he saw an order from the Intelligence Section of General Staff Head­quarters sent to WAH Intelligence Section stating that it was not necessary to send any more B-29 crew members, excepting the pilot, to Tokyo, but that fighter pilots and flyers of intelligence value were still to be sent, that the rest should be disposed of as seemed proper at the local headquarters.

This general order, sent to all the armies, he thinks, was by telegram. Probably the original was sent to the Intelligence Section and a copy to the General Affairs Section of the Staff Section, which would then distribute it. The order received by the Intelligence Section would have been seen by Sugino and kept in the Intelligence Section after being shown to the Senior Staff Officer (Akita), the Chief of Staff (Inada), and the CG (Yokoyama). In May 1945 Nakao heard that if a captured flyer were executed at Fukuoka, Tokyo should be informed so that the pilot or whatever members of that crew who were in Tokyo should also be executed, perhaps from 2nd Lt. Yamanaka - at least he should have known about it .

Nakao saw Maj. Kikkawa of the Intelligence Section of General Staff Headquar­ters at Fukuoka in early April when he came regarding business related to defense plans.