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Statement of Kondo (25 Nov 47). 30, now a river fisherman, was ;assigned as a civilian attached to the Army to WAH, in Jan 1944, as a clerk in Staff Section. Was'put in' Army, as Sgt in June 1944, to the Shimonoseki Mortar Regt, transferred feck to -/AH' in July 1944, to same job as previous. Was made Sgt. Maj. in August 1945, demobilized 19 Sept 1945. Yakumaru was in charge of the Staff Section. Kondo was his secretary. Made copies of documents, wrote letters and kept files for him. Aihara was the adjutant of Yakumaru. Yakumaru had general charge of the Prisoner stockade in WAH, Kondo kept the personal property of Prisoners held by WAH, kept lists of Prisoners and their property. However, Kondo didn't keep-lists of the special Prisoners kept at WAH, They were kept by the Adjutant Section and when such names were sent to Kondo he sent them over to Adjutant Section (Jin: Kusumoto). The Adjutant Section, not the Staff Section, was responsible for prisoners held at WAH, altho the stockade belonged to the Legal Section. Kondo believes the Leg«-, Section and Adjutant Section furnished the guards. He destroyed the list after the surrender, Kondo held billfolds, pictures, guns, bullets, notebooks, ring's, watches, pens, signal lamps, canteens, etc., in a box. Kondo gave Itezono the pistols and bullets, about 14 or 15 guns and 200 rounds ammunition. The other weapons and ammunitions were sent to the ordnance section, to Lt. Fukuichi Yamamoto. On 16 Aug 45, on orders of .Aihara, Kondo burned all that, was combustible. Non-combustible items, like watches, and rings, were put in a rubber bag and clumped into Hakata Harbor by Itezono, Kishimoto and Uchino. Kondo kept such personal possessions after may 1945 (when sending flyers to Tokyo was discontinued). In late April or early May 1945, Kondo looked out from the second floor, saw 3 blindfolded Prisoners brought in by truck. On 20 June 1945, Kondo saw 8 or 10 prisoners sitting in the hall (of the main building?-Kondo saw them on way from Staff Section, to telephone communication room). When Kondo returned, 3 or 4 hours later, they were gone. Later that day Aihara told him they had been executed. About 10 August, Kondo saw approximately 10 Prisoners standing by the Legs, Section Detention Barracks. (Kondo left for Hirao 10 or 11 Aug, returned 20 Aug). On 2 or 3 times, Kondo saw Prisoners brought in, 2 or 3 at, a time. About 16 or 17 August, Aihara who was at Hirao, told Kondo that all the Prisoners had been xecuted, to destroy the personal property and papers of the Prisoners, which, he did that day. When Prisoners were brought in, the Adjutant Section (Jin:Kusumoto) took charge of them, usually put them in the detention barracks. The documents were sent to Yakumaru, who reviewed them, decided that" to do with the Prisoners, then returned to the Adjutant Section. Kondo has heard the names William or Willlams,and John, Welton, Charles and George.
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