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Chapters (40)
  1. FOREWORD
  2. RAILROAD OF DEATH
  3. REFERENCE LIST:
  4. Railroad of Death
  5. PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION (1948)
  6. INTRODUCTION
  7. PART ONE: SINGAPORE
  8. CHAPTER 1
  9. CHAPTER 2
  10. CHAPTER 3
  11. CHAPTER 4
  12. CHAPTER 5
  13. PART TWO: RAILROAD OF DEATH
  14. CHAPTER 6
  15. CHAPTER 7
  16. CHAPTER 8
  17. CHAPTER 9
  18. CHAPTER 10
  19. CHAPTER 11
  20. CHAPTER 12
  21. CHAPTER 13
  22. PART THREE: BASE CAMPS AND LIBERATION
  23. CHAPTER 14
  24. CHAPTER 15
  25. CHAPTER 16
  26. CHAPTER 17
  27. CHAPTER 18
  28. CHAPTER 19
  29. CHAPTER 20
  30. APPENDIX ONE:
  31. APPENDIX TWO:
  32. APPENDIX THREE:
  33. APPENDIX FOUR:
  34. APPENDIX FIVE:
  35. APPENDIX SIX:
  36. APPENDIX SEVEN:
  37. APPENDIX EIGHT:
  38. APPENDIX NINE:
  39. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  40. And The Dawn Came Up Like Thunder

Q. You must have heard evidence given by Mr Simon. He said guards used to beat prisoners of war, don’t you know these things?

A. I had neither seen nor heard about it.

Defence: That closes my examination Sir.

Court: The Court will adjourn until 1000 hours on Tuesday next the 9th of September.

ON THE 9TH OF SEPTEMBER, 1947, AT 1000 HOURS THE COURT RE-ASSEMBLES PURSUANT TO ADJOURNMENT. PRESENT THE SAME MEMBERS AS ON THE 6TH OF SEPTEMBER, 1947.

LT. INO, 2ND ACCUSED, IS CROSS-EXAMINED BY THE PROSECUTOR:

Q. Is there any truth in the statement that these prisoners of war were picked because they were among those of the fittest that were in the Thailand Camp?

A. That is right.

Q. Were you present at the time of embarkation on board the Asaka Maru of these POWs?

A. I was.

Q. Did you inspect the accommodation before the POWs went on board?

A. Yes, I did.

Q. Is there any truth in the statement made by one of the witnesses that the foot of the hold was covered in a mass of insects, rats and cockroaches?

A. Nothing of that sort.

Q. One of the witnesses says that 2 Korean guards were busy packing the prisoners-of-war into the hold, is this correct?

A. They didn’t pack them in.

Q. Were these Korean guards inside the hold or at the outside of the hold?

A. They were at the entrance of the hold.

Q. Where were you standing at this time?

A. I was standing also at the entrance.

Q. Did you see any man faint down the hold?

A. I did.

Q. And what was your reaction to the man fainting?

A. I called the medical officer who gave him treatment . . .

Q. Do you think this accommodation [which was set aside in the hold] . . . to be sufficient . . . [for] 750 men?

A. I don’t think so.

Q. What steps did you take to try and alter this?

A. I don’t think that the space was sufficient, therefore I approached the Ship’s master and got permission from him to use the decks for accommodation . . .

Q. When the convoy of the Asaka Maru stopped at the various ports did you try and obtain some medicines from these ports?

A. While we were at Manila I received medicines from the Prisoners of War Camp at Manila.

Q. Were there any other people on board the ship, Japanese personnel on board the ship apart from the prisoners-of-war, the guards and the crew?

A. Yes, there were.

Q. How many?

A. 40 on board the Asaka Maru and about 120 on board the Hakusan Maru . . .

Q. Were the prisoners-of-war ever allowed to use the other medicine chest – this one belonged to the 40 Japanese?

A. When I thought that the prisoners-of-war were short of medicine, I approached the unit commander of these 40 people but they had very little medicine and I couldn’t get any from them . . .