Statements Concerning Aihara

Statement of -Kusumoto - (        ) In early Sept. Sato called for Aihara and Kusumoto to appear before him, gave him orders regarding the plan of concealment. Kusumoto heard Sato tell Aihara that the KIU affair must be kept secret, that he should say if'there was an investigation, that the 8 flyers killed at KIU had been sent to the 2nd army, that he would contact 2nd army (Hiroshima). As to the rest of the Prisoners he was to say that 2 heavy bombers had come to Mushiroda Airport, Fukuoka, on the evening of 17 August from the headquarters of the Tokyo Chief of Staff and picked up the Prisoners.

Aihara and Kusumoto told Sato they would not carry out these lies, but he said this plan of concealment had been decided upon by higher officers and was ordering them.

Statement of Ishiyama (15 July 1946) Ishiyama believes Aihara was at the 2nd operation.

Statement of Sato (17 July 1946) Komori examined the PWs at the prison, submitted the list to Sato, who told either Komori or Aihara to submit this list to the General Affairs Section, and they handled the release of Prisoners (to KIU).

Statement of Ishivama (17 July 1946, not executed) 16-17 June - 1st series of operations (?) During operation Sato, and Ishiyama believes, Aihara remarked that it was the first time.they had witnessed a lung operation and they said something to the effect that it was beautiful. Ishiyama believes Yakumaru was there, is not sure, believes he and Sato were present at 2 operations, Aihara at one.

Statement of Okumura (3-15 Oct 1947) W A H .Intelligence Section: Maj. Kameyama the chief, Gapt. Aihara, Capt. Sakura, Second Lt. Yamanaka, 2nd Lt. Nakao.

Statement of Kikkawa. (1-6 Nov 1947) On 17-18 Aug. Capt. Aihara came to Tokyo, asked Kikkawa what happened to Watkins. Kikkawa called the KT, learned he was at Omori PW camp. He said, Kikkawa believes, that the PWIB had refused him assistance; he was worried about the report Watkins would give concerning'the 6 men of his crew he had last seen at WAH. Aihara said about 40 flyers had been executed (Kikkawa thought he meant after the war in the Kyushu confusion).

On 25-26 Aug. Aihara returned, told Kikkawa that 2nd Army had refused assistance to Sato, pleaded with Kikkawa to assist in a cover-up. Kikkawa had already received transfer orders to the Staff Section of the Chu-koku Area Army, at Hiroshima, so he told Aihara he would give some thought to his problems.

Between late Dec. 1945 and 1 Jan. 1946 Western Demobilization sent 4 documents to Hiroshima the 1st stated that Aihara was to be reported with 4-5 KT men as having accompanied the 9 flyers to Hiroshima.

Statement of Sato (30 Oct - 8 Nov 1947) Sato sent Murata to Aihara to get,the flyers to be reported as killed in the airraid. Aihara gave the list to Murata to put in the report. Aihara had a separate list of his own that was not part of the official repord, in a thick notebook. Sato first saw this book between 10 and 20 June. In Sept. Aihara brought the book to Sate and said, I will burn this. Do you want the names?” Sate said he did not. Later, in Fukuoka Prison, Aihara told him he had burned it.

Statement of Sato Cont'd. .......... Sato and Aihara went to Tokyo about 25 Aug, saw Oya and Kikkawa again. Kikkawa said he was being transferred to Hiroshima, told Sato to stop by there, that he would help. Sato stayed in Tokyo a few days, saw Kikkawa at Hiroshima on way back, he being liaison officer between the Japanese and Occupation Forces, who said that a report had been sent to the Occupation Forces that about 10 Prisoners had been killed in the atomic bomb attack and that it would not be possible to report more than 9-10, that he had already told Aihara about the plan, who had told Fukushima, Sato learned.

Aihara was told to make the plans reporting that 9 Prisoners had been sent to Hiroshima, made the detailed plans that they had been sent by plane, gave Sato a copy, which he threw away.

Statement of Nakao (10 Sept 1947) Information (PW) regarding name, age, rank, unit, and home address was always turned over to Capt. Kajuro Aihara of the Staff Section.

On 20 June Aihara told Nakao that all the American PWs held at that time had been beheaded that afternoon on WAH grounds.

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. Nakao wouId usually be called to the prison, would again ask names, 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.

Sugino had never attended interrogations, but sometimes Sato, Aihara and Entasu would.

When Komori took the first PWs to KIU to be operated - Aihara may have been there, thinks he got in the front seat (of sedan, Komori and PW in back).

2-3 days later Komori called Nakao from the Intelligence Section, 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 W 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.

Nakao then recalls that Aihara and Yakumaru went along the time he went (see Nakao's Sept 24, 1947 Statement) didn't come back on.the truck, but with Sato, the 3 arriving together later.

Statement of Yukino (18 June 1946) When the PWs arrived they were first registered with Capt. Aihara, PW Administrator, then sent to Yukino for clothing, feeding and housing. Aihara kept the records concerning them.

About 20 July 1945, 2 Prisoners were received, about the 23rd, 3 more, on the 25th, 3 more, all turned over to Yukino by Aihara.