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JIN, ICHIRO [ Marginal Note: Sugamo 2 Sep 47 ] Statement of Jin (15-17 July 1947) 49, now working in Liaison Office of Western Demobilization Bureau since 1 December 1945. From- April 1946 to October 1946 worked on disbanding the Kaikosha. RA, became Lt. Col. in 1943, transferred to WAH 24 April 1945, arriving 29 April as senior adjutant, succeeding Col. Koga on 1 May.19 June Jin began preparation to move the majority of the headquarters personnel to Yamae, which was done shortly after, with a few persons of each section left in Fukuoka, part of the headquarters being left to direct the ken government. As senior adjutant, Jin handled daily orders, the administration of WA officers and NCOs, the enforcement of military law to the troops, was responsible for feeding and housing the headquarters. He would see all documents'passing through the section except some regarding tactical affairs, would read all WD documents and circulate them to the units concerned, would read all documents to be sent to the ID, would stamp documents other than tactical ones going to HA regiments and would read the documents coming from the regiments. Jin was in charge of the seal of the CG, would write documents for the CG regarding the adjutant section, which were shown to the senior staff officer, vice Chief of Staff, Chief of Staff, and CG, on approval would stamp it as to whose order, whether the CG or Chief of Staff. If a document were sent out by a staff section the rough draft would circulate, the responsible staff officer would proof read it and stamp it with his private seal, and the document would then be brought to Jin to receive the seals of the CG and the Chief of Staff. It would then be sent out through the adjoining section message center. Whether Jin would sign the rough drafts of secret documents would be decided by the Chief of Staff; the document would be brought to Jin for the seal of the CG, he would not be ordered not to read it. It was rare for a secret document from the WD to be passed to the Chief of Staff or CG without being opened; usually Jin would see it. Kusumoto was 2nd in command of the adjutant section, and aide to the Chief of Staff, was responsible for the training of Headquarters EM and the administration of Headquarters civilian workers, was in charge of documents to the adjutant section. 1st Lt. Minami was 3rd in command of the adjutant section, was aide de camp to the CG and was responsible for punishment of EM. 2nd Lt. Oguri was in charge of the motor pool for the adjutant section, took charge of transient military visitors. 1st Lt. Goiyama of the Adjutant Section was in charge of WA personnel records and Prisoners held at WAH. 1st Lt, Tanabe of Adjutant Section was CO of the headquarters guard. 1st Lt. Yamashita of the Adjutant Section was in charge of food and quarters for Headquarters personnel. Capt. Yukino helped Kusumoto. JIN -2- Capt. Kawano arrived shortly before the headquarters moved to Yamae (after 20 June), helped Jin in his work in airraid protection. At the most, 10 PWs were held at WAH prior to the move to Yamae. Jin heard that some were executed shortly after 19 June, some shortly after the war. Jin didn't know of KIU incident, until a rumor after the war in the spring of 1946. It was the responsibility of the Adjutant Section to feed, imprison, and give medical attention to the PWs held at WAH, doesn't know whether it had to number the prisoners. Jin let Goiyama handle all this work. Jin recalls no instance where necessary to give medical care to Prisoners, received no reports that all Prisoners were not in good health and not wounded, so believes they were. Goiyama never reported to Jin that PWs were being taken to the University. If they had been taken to KIU Hospital for medical purposes, this would have been reported to Jin. It was the adjutant's section's responsibility to provide proper guards for them. If the PWs were to be removed permanently from headquarters prison, Goiyama would have reported this to Jin, did so report in May 1945. |