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During Ito's regime at Western Army, there were 20 or 30 Japanese court martialed for disobedience of orders and because of bad discipline; the maximum punishment therefor being one year. After 1500 On 20 June 1945, Ito returned to the office, after having left it at 0800, at which time he saw Captain Wako who wag in a hurry. A guard told Ito "everyone" was observing execution of Americans. Yokoyama never asked I to t s opinion regarding the executions, or anyone else, and Ito was entirely ignorant of it. The executions were in the rear of the Hqs. compound. Sato, Murata, and Wako were there. He doesn't t remember what Wako did at the time, but afterwards heard that Wako beheaded some of the flyers that day. He heard that Sato told Wako to be at the execution; Murata just went along. While Ito had said an officer from one section could not give orders to an officer in another 'section, he here states that Sato did do so. He heard from Wako or Murata that Lt. General Yokoyama gave permission for the execution; this tantamount to an order, and that this was told to Ito 5 or 10 minutes after the execution. Wako and Murata further told Ito that the Staff Section wag in charge of the execution, with Sato as its head. The Staff Section wag composed of Inada, Fukushima, Tomomori, Akita, Sato and Yakamaru, plus about 30 others. 8 Or 9 prisoners were executed, including the four men to be tried. Wako or Murata told Ito that the Staff Section intended to report to Tokyo that these Prisoners of War had been killed in a fire during the 19 June air raid. Ito saw a copy of this report, composed by Sato under the Commanding General's name. Inada, Akita, Fukushima, Yakamaru and Yokoyama would have seen the report. Ito sent a copy to the War Department, Legal Section knowing it was false. Sato told Murata that the Staff Section was sending the report to PWIB under the name of the Commanding General, and that the Legal Section should send the report to the Tokyo Legal Section stating four men to be tried were on the list. Lt. Yokoyama ordered Sato to send in the report through Sato who gave the order. Ito sent in the report about ê3 January 1945. The list contained 16 names. Murata said that the Staff Section had killed about 6 or 7 prisoners prior and that thig had been kept, secret. After the war Murata told Ito that he had heard a rumor that 6 or 7 prisoners of war were sent to Kyushu University Hospital. On the evening of 20 June Ito talked to Yokoyama who stated the fact it was a false report. Yokoyama said "all right". Lt. General Isa was also there and said "all right". Ito told Isa about the execution, Isa suggesting he didn't know about it, and he commented "is that so"? Yokoyama had already known of the execution — the meeting in Yokoyama's room lasted about a minute. After the war Ito heard/another execution in early August, the prisoners were taken from Western Army Hqs and executed at Aburayama. He also heard at that time that there was a third execution near the end of the war. |