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AIHARA, KAJURO ATIS Translation of 11 April 1947 - Statement of Aihara Aihara, an electrician, inducted in May 1944 in WAH to Operations Department, concerned with defense of the people and electrical installations; in April 1945 as an addition duty accept Prisoners (airmen) who were escorted to Headquarters and turned them over to the control section. About mid May 1945, more than 10 Prisoners were interned at the Control Section. Aihara was told by Sato to bring a roster of Prisoners, as they were to be used in medical operations at KIU. Sato pointed out the names, told Aihara to give those names to the control section and take necessary steps to send them to the University. Aihara told this to 1st Lt. Goiyama of the control section and after a while Aihara saw Sato and Komori leave headquarters in an auto with the Prisoners. thus 7-8 Prisoners were sent on 4 occasions to the University and Aihara conveyed these orders to the control section as on the first occasion. However, Aihara believes there was one occasion when Komori initiated the preparations, based on Sato's intentions. Aihara was introduced to Komori by Sato, never discussed ’’this incident” with him.Not sure that Aihara selected the Prisoners, didn't have the authority. Yakumaru was Aihara’s immediate superior. Sato made all the decisions as to what Prisoners were to be sent to KIU. On the 2nd or 3rd occasion Sato cautioned Aihara to keep the matter secret, q so cautioned the driver of the car and the guards. Later Sato warned Aihara with the Control Section Officers of the secrecy, repeatedly received this instruction from Sato before and after demobilization. After the surrender Sato said that "we" would report that all the Prisoners sent to the University were sent to Hiroshima, that Aihara was their escort, Aihara tried to refuse 3 times, but Aihara’s name went on the record as escort. Kusumoto knows the facts of this. Sato warned Aihara more than 10 times after the surrender. On being investigated in June 1946, he told the fabricated story only to have Sato say that it was false. At an army headquarters, only staff officers have authority to put a plan in action. It did seem that Sato, Komori and the professors in charge at KIU were deep in the plot. Sato and Komori were very intimate friends. The airmen were temporarily interned at headquarters and watched, fed, and given medical treatment by the control section, brought the Prisoners in and out of the place of internment according to orders from the staff officers. All Aihara did was to take care of the Prisoners names. When the names of the Prisoners were not know, Aihara had 2nd Lt. Nakao of the intelligence section ask them for Aihara. When Aihara received the Prisoners, he turned them over to the control section and recorded their names. The roster of Prisoners’ names was filed with other documents at the headquarters and not in a personal notebook, was burned after the surrender. Aihara heard that Sato, Komori and the professors in charge had dined together during the University incident. Aihara thinks he heard around May that the Judicial department gave the Prisoners a court martial but he didn’t hear the outcome. Aihara mentions that the Prisoners were of B-29 crews. About 15-20 August Sato told Aihara story would be that KIU victims killed at Hiroshima. Kusumoto present. Aihara told he was one who escorted Prisoners. Report showed 9 Prisoners taken there by Aihara. Afterwards Sato told Aihara many times to conceal matter. While Aihara was demobilized in September, he was sent back to headquarters many times and while there would be cautioned. Statement of Aihara (420 Apr. 47) In last 10 days of August Sato ordered Aihara to go to Hiroshima to make arrangements about 9 Prisoners, Aihara refused, but Sato insisted. Kusumoto present. At Hiroshima Aihara talked to Major Yoshikawa at headquarters, gave him orders from Sato. 9 Prisoners were 8 of KIU and 1 of 20 June execution. Yoshikawa at first refused, then agreed since order of Sato. Yoshikawa then chose a suitable spot where it was supposed to have happened. Statement of Goivama (1-8 July 1947) Aihara from the staff section told Goiyama that Komori was going to take some Prisoners to the University Hospital for treatment and to release them to him— verbally, not by order. Goiyama believes that Aihara told Goiyama to release 2. Komori picked them out when he came for them— Aihara did not tell Goiyama which two. Someone, Goiyama believes Aihara, must have called Komori since he came over at once to treat the wounded Prisoner with the bad injury to his back when he was brought to WAH. About 1230, after lunch, Goiyama went with Aihara to his room and Aihara told him to make preparations for the Prisoners to leave, said the truck , would be at the compound at 1300 and that Goiyama should order 3 extra guards. Aihara told Goiyama to get guards who did not talk very much. Aihara said it would be better if no one knew that the Prisoners were going to the University. Before the guards got on the truck, Aihara oriented the guards and told them not to tell anyone that.Prisoners were taken to the University Hospital. The treatment of Prisoners at the University Hospital was a secret, was not to be talked about. 2-3 days after the first time (the Prisoners were taken to KIU) Aihara called Goiyama into his office, said that in about a week Komori would take more Prisoners to the University. About a week later, in the last part of May, Aihara again told Goiyama to make preparations to take 2 Prisoners to the University the next day. Goiyama told Nakamura that they were taking Prisoners to the University n again, and so he needed guards, that the first Prisoner who had been taken to the University was done away with, that these fliers had bombed Japan, and, because of this, they would not come back from the University either. A̶i̶h̶a̶r̶a̶ Makamura said, "Is that so?" Statement of Goivama Cont'd - About 1300 the next day, Komori, Aihara and Goiyama went to the building where the Prisoners were kept, went into the building, Komori pointed out 2 PWs and the guards which Nakamura had sent took them out and helped them into the truck. Goiyama knew these Prisoners were being taken to the University for medical experiments and that they would be killed there because after the first operation Aihara told Goiyama that Komori would take more Prisoners to the University. Around the truck before it left were Aihara, Komori, Goiyama, 3 special guards, a truck driver, and Col. Sato. Aihara warned the guards to keep this secret. Komori, Nakao got on the the truck With the Prisoners and left. Aihara went toward his office. At the time that the 2nd group of Prisoners were being loaded on the truck, Aihara told Goiyama that in about a week "we" would send some more Prisoners, to the University. About a week later, in the first part of June, on the way back from lunch with Aihara, he told Goiyama that they would send 2 more Prisoners the next day, that Goiyama would make preparations for the guards. The next day, at about 1300, Aihara and Goiyama went from lunch to the building where the Prisoners were kept, waited outside and Komori and Sato came, the guard opened the door, Komori pointed at two Prisoners, and the guards brought them outside. Aihara again instructed the guards, and then Komori got on the truck. Aihara was with Goiyama the 4 times Prisoners were taken out of the compound and sent to the University. Each time Goiyama would receive from Aihara a slip of paper with the names of the Prisoners who were to be released written in Japanese. Goiyama believes that he did not keep the memorandum slips from Aihara or give them to Kusumoto, but threw them away. |