Journal of Roy C. Hilton, A Personal Letter Continued, August 23, 1945

Journal of Roy C. Hilton, A Personal Letter Continued, August 23, 1945

The fourth and final part of Hilton's letter to his daughters. This journal starts in September 1934 as Hilton returns to the mainland United States and then jumps to his service in the Philippines during World War II and his time as a prisoner of war at various camps in the Philippines, Taiwan and Japan until their liberation at the end of the war in 1945.

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[Page 1]
Col. Roy C Hilton,
Mukdew, Manchukuo,
Aug. 23, 1945.
Laurens, S. C., U. S. A.

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[Blank page.]

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Next morning we began passage for our first trip through the Canal and to New York. We spent much time observing the mechanical [illegible] towing our ship and watching the lifting and lowering of the ship through the locks. The remainder of the voyage was uneventful. Even Windy Passage through the West Indies was quiet as we passed through it making our whole voyage a quiet and pleasant one. The Republic was slow but roomy and comfortable. You may remember that you girls sing a song to the tune of Parlez-vous to the effect that “The Republic passed a ship today Parlez-vous ---- The ship was going the other way Parlez-vous -- etc.”

Before leaving Honolulu, I had obtained a leave of absence for three months upon arrival in the United States, so when we arrived in New York about Sep. 14, 1934, Uncle Jim met us at the and we spent a week with him and his family in New Jersey, just outside of New York City. We shopped, went to shows, and took sight-seeing trips. He had planned a trip for us up the Hudson River but, since we had just completed a 28-day sea voyage, we omitted that part of his entertainment program. We had spent about three years in the tropics and were going to Fort Snelling Minnesota for duty where the winter is extremely cold, so my shopping included buying some of the warmest winter clothes for all of us that I could find. You and Lollie were

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equipped with warm imported English wool coats and hats to match.

After a week in New York we took the train for Greenville, S. C., where we were met by members of the family from Laurens. Our baggage consisted of about pieces which Ambrose Easterby, thought was too much. We spent a pleasant three months in Laurens and other places in South Carolina. In the meantime, my orders had been changed from troop duty at Fort Snelling to organized reserve duty in Minneapolis. (End as of 6/10/44)

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During the morning of April 9th a tank unit began patrolling our main road along the south shore of Bataan - our arms had been destroyed or abandoned, our troops by the thousands were moving in disorder around rear areas, and the Nipponese took charge of our supply depots, foods, etc. Nipponese artillery continued to fire into our rear areas in Bataan after the surrender and for the remainder of the day; some bombing continued. The main forces of the Nipponese halted from about time and white flag reach Nip. headquarters until about noon, then they streamed forward to occupy all of Bataan.

Capt. Ochai, a tank company commander arrived at our headquarters during early afternoon to effect the surrender of Luzon Force headquarters. He conferred with our chief of staff, Brig. Gen. Arnold Frank. Capt. Ochai was pleasant enough and allowed us to remain at our headquarters until about the morning of Apr. 10th at which time the officers of our headquarters were assembled at Hospital #1 (R. P. 169) and remained there until 1:30 PM, then deported by automobiles for Camp O’Donnel, our first P. W. Camp.

There are several items of interest that I want to mention before relating my experiences as a prisoner of war.

The island of Luzon which contains the city of Manila is populated by various Philippine tribes. Among these are some fairly civilized people living in or near cities, such as the Tagalog people; and pagan, semi-savage

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people (tribes) who are still inclined to head hunting and cannibalism such as the Bontoc’s, Ifugao’s, Negrito’s, Benquets, Kalinga’s, Apayao’s etc. who live in mountain provinces much of which is unexplored by white people. The Tagalog people had had most of the opportunities, and Quezon, the former president of the P. I. was one of these people. The most cultured natives live in the southern group of islands - Visayan islands of Cebu, Iloilo, Panay, Leyte, etc. The Macabebe tribe were loyal pro-government tribe for the Spanish and also the American governments.

Manila is an Americanized city of about [blank] population. It has a walled city section of the Spanish times and many different oriental and occidental sections of business and residential districts. The Manila Hotel is a modern and luxurious hotel. The Army and Navy Club is also modern and near the Manila Hotel. There are beautiful tropical scenes and also squalid oriental scenes within the city. It is a fine city to visit and to observe a combination of occidental and oriental life - or these two types of life adjacent to each other.

The Philippine Campaign will be available to you in history form but I want to touch a few of the high points here. The Nipponese Army made landings on isolated unprotected points about

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December 9-11. They made heavy landings in Lingayan Gulf area and East of Manila about Dec. 19-21, 1941, assisted by their former landed troops. Our Philippine troops were found unable to defeat the Nipponese troops at the beaches so decision was made to retire to Bataan in order to defend Corregidor and thereby deny to the enemy the use of Manila Bay as a Naval Base and deny them entrance to Manila bay water. We completed this retirement by Jan. 6, 1942 and held on the Abucay line - defending most of Bataan. Persistent attacks on this line and penetrations through it forced us to retire to a rearward line - Pilar-Bagac Line - about Jan. 26, 1942. The enemy also landed troops along the West and South coasts of Bataan, and formed pockets of their troops in rear of our line in jungle areas. These troops were almost totally destroyed by our attacks upon them. Then, when our troops were about exhausted from inadequate food and about 50% reduced in combat efficiency by dysentery and malaria, the enemy made its final and successful offensive beginning about April 3, 1942. Our surrender on April 9th was the result of this final offensive by the enemy.

Our Luzon Force Hdqrs. was located in a jungle on the southeast slope of Mt. Marides, opposite R. P. 167 on the E. W. road across southern Bataan. Gen. King had

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his staff eat with him at his mess. This staff consisted of Brig. G. Arnold Frank, C. of S.; Col Floyd Marshall (died here on August 15, 1945), G-1; Lt. Co. Frank Holland G-2; Col. Vick Colliers G-3; and Col Roy C. Hilton, G-4 (supply). In the tall jungle trees around our headquarters there was a tribe of monkeys - about 12, or 15, of them. The overhead foliage was so heavy that we could not see enemy planes when they came over. Numerous bombs were dropped near us causing us to seek dug-outs, but they landed at targets nearby. On the night of Apr. 8-9, 1942, we demolished our ordnance depot and were forced to seek cover for two or three hours in dugouts or behind large trees for protection against heavy shell and bomb fragments from the explosions - about 300-500 yards from us. Some of these explosions were terrific, the first one caused our beaver-board headquarters building to collapse. For a few days preceding surrender our meals consisted of a large bowl of oatmeal and coffee for breakfast and then a bowl of soup and a piece of bread (or equivalent) at five o’clock in the afternoon (two spare meals a day).

We of Bataan and the P. I. have the consolation of believing that we saved Australia as a base for our later operations, because we held until after the British had surrendered at Hong Kong and Singapore and some of the Nipponese

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Troops from Singapore came to Bataan to help in our defeat. Probably, if we had surrendered at the time of the fall of Singapore about Feb. 15th, the Nipponese might have been able to land in Australia ahead of our large force - they were hastening in that direction.

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A Prisoner of War under Japanese Control.

At about 6:00 P.M. April 10, 1942 Capt. Ochai, the Japanese officer who had taken us - Gen. King’s staff - in charge for surrender, started with us in about seven automobiles from Hospital no. 1 (R. P. 169) to our first Prisoner of War camp. Just prior to our departure, a Japanese General officer made us a speech stating that our lives would be spared and that the treatment that we would receive would be according to Japanese Knighthood. He had his speech interpreted to us in English and Tagalog because there were several Philippine General officers with us. As we started toward Cabeabeu on the east coast of Bataan we passed an unbroken column of despondent American troops, Philippine troops and Philippine refugees - all in disordered columns. The Nipponese had taken commanders away from units and were driving our troops out of Bataan like so many cattle. There were about 74,000 troops and 40, 000 natives on Bataan - we were feeding about half of these natives. These cadaverous, disheveled, disordered troops and refugees continued for about ten miles along our route. We travelled all night stopping at several towns where our equipment was inspected and stripped confiscated, and arrived at Camp O’Donnel about 4:00 A.M. On Saturday, April 11th at O’Donnel we were held in formation until about 10:00 A.M. while Japanese officers made us disgusting speeches and again inspected and confiscated much of our equipment.

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At about 10:00 A.M. on April 11th we were taken and placed in the Nipa shacks (straw) which were built to house Philippine troops - where we were to live for one month. General King joined us at this camp on the night of April 17th. For the next four days we were fed a small bowl of rice only three times daily and found water very scarce. During this time we were interviewed by Nipponese officers as to military operations dispositions on Bataan and Corregidor. Many questions were concerning matters on which were not supposed to, and did not, testify forbidden to answer. In some instances our officers were punished for refusing to answer improper questions. Beginning about April 16th some potatoes, salt and sugar were added to our meager rice meals.

On April 19th many more American P. O. W’s began to arrive in numbers of from 200 to 1600. By the 22nd there were 8300 of us in camp. By the 26th 9100 Americans had arrived at O’Donnel but 600 had been taken away on a work party. There were there remained about a total of 8,500 Americans in this camp. All of the arrivals after our [illegible] party had experienced exhausting marches, brutal treatment, and many of them were devoid of all equipment. and had been severely persecuted in route They looked like walking cadavers. It was a pitiable sight to witness the exhausted prisoners arriving by marching in a scorching sun, totally dehydrated, dirty, thirsty, hungry,

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ragged, demoralized and without clothing. They had atrocity stories of brutality and cold-blooded murders by the Nipponese that make one’s blood boil with anger. Water became scarcer and scarcer with new arrivals. We tried to give them water when they arrived but only a few buckets of hot water from surface pipes were available. A few of them actually lay down and died from exhaustion and dehydration just after arrival.

Philippine troops were arriving in another part of this camp in the same condition at the same time. It was reported that 45,000 Philippine troops arrived there so that there were finally about 54,000 troops crowded into Camp O’Donnel which was built for about 8000 troops.

There were days at O’Donnel when water was so scarce that we were forbidden to use it for bathing our hands and faces, for shaving or brushing our teeth. I have seen a line of men remain in place all night with empty canteens in order to get water when it started flowing the following morning. There were only three spigots available from one main water pipe. Many days the pump was out of action and water had to be carried by buckets by our ghost-like exhausted P. O. W.’s. By April 30th, malaria, dysentery and results of exhaustion from the march from Bataan were taking a daily toll of about 14 Americans and from 70 to 100 Philippinos by death daily. The march to the cemetery carrying the dead in improvised stretchers started in the afternoons by improvised blanket stretchers and were often

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counted by us as they passed. Philippino corpses passed along a road just in front of our Nipa (straw) shacks. No medicines were available, the medical personnel were seemingly helpless and panicky, sanitation was entirely lacking and not even soap and water were available in the so-called hospital building. Col. Gilnser Bell and I went through the hospital several times where Americans were lying on straw strewn on the floor. and Almost nothing could be done for them. They looked like ghastly skeletons. We passed out some of our cigarettes and took some of our soap for the use in the hospital.

By May 9th we were eating rice and sweet potatoes. On this day we were given two small calves for 8,500 Amer. P. O. W.s. Water situation was better - enough for drinking and some for bathing. Twenty-five Americans died this date; over 2% of our Amers. had died there so far.

On May 10th the Colonels left O’Donnel and moved to a building near Tarlac (about 10 miles from Camp O’Donnel). We fared better here - sanitation and food, including meat, were much better. A post Exchange was started where we could buy candies, cigarettes, some fruits etc. Pork, beef and caribao meat were part of our food. We slept in an over-crowded building on double-deck wooden cots without mattresses; blankets and sheets, pillow etc were furnished. On June 3rd and 9th officers

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from Corrigedor joined us at Tarlac and by June 25th we had 15 Generals, 93 Colonels and five (5) Majors with us. We were required to salute all Nipponese Army personnel including privates of our guard. More officers and enlisted orderlies arrived from Belibid on July 11th bringing our total to 127 officers and 55 enlisted (orderlies).

On August 11th we left Tarlac, went to Manila by train and by ship (steerage - in the hold) to Kerenko, Taiwan (Formosa) arriving there on Aug. 17th - 1942. Our quarters and sleeping quarters area, drinking water etc were very good here. The area was clean and scenery attractive. Upon arrival, we were formed, stripped of all garments and our equipment and clothing were again inspected before we entered quarters. Our shoes were taken and locked up each night and we were required to wear wooden clogs. We had two roll calls daily in formation and, at the evening roll call we were required to face toward the Emperor’s Palace (N. E.) and salute the Emperor.

In Aug. an inspection was held by a Japanese chief of staff officer. In a speech he made to us, he said, in part, “Japan is God’s country and a country of soldiers. If you don’t obey Japanese orders, your lives cannot be guaranteed ---. That is all.” A very short and impertinent speech.

On August 31st we were given our first pay at rate of $310.00 (yen) per month for Colonels commencing Aug 17th

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Thereafter, we signed a payroll each month, received a nominal monthly allowance for Post Exchange purchases (from 50.00 to 30.00 Yen) and had the remainder, after deducting from 16.00 to 30.00 Yen per month for our subsistence and a few yen for incidentals, was put to our credit in a big deposit book - a paper transaction (In prosperous peace-time a yen was about forty ($0.40) cents, but I believe it had defined to about $0.12 ½ cents by this time.)

Shortly after arriving at Kerenko, we were subjected to all kinds of indignities. Our food consisted of a small bowl of rice and a bowl of thin vegetable soup - sometimes only onion top soup. We grew thinner and thinner on this starvation diet. The high rank of officers of all Far East Countries including civilian Governors (of D. E. I., Malaya, Singapore & Hong Kong) were with us after about Sept. 15th, (1942). On Oct. 5th the Emperor’s Rescript was read to us in a disgusting ceremony at which we were required to yell three “Bangai’s” (Hurrah’s) for the Emperor (the Nip God). This ceremony was repeated on the 8th of each month for over a year many months but with decreasing enthusiasm by the Nips.

On Oct. 26, 1942, we were turned out for our first work - farm labor, supposedly voluntary and on what was supposed to be our vegetable garden. Our camp commander said that work was voluntary but we must volunteer or go out to the field

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and if we went out, we must work, “no work, no food,” they said. This included all ranks - Lt. Generals, Generals, Civilian Governors, etc. The Lt. Generals and Civilian Governors were given the humiliating job of guarding a herd of about 20 goats that we had with us. The rest of us went and with heavy crude hoes and shovels to spade up grassy turf and prepare it for planting potatoes, green vegetables, etc. It was cooly labor and difficult work. We worked 50 minutes and rested 10 minutes for about three hours mornings and afternoons. Sometimes we alternated, part of us working one day and part the next day. In addition to this we had to clean up our compound area pulling up grass by hand, by use of safety razor blades, or with any thing that we could provide. Food for working personnel was increased by about one-spoonful per meal. We got thin and weak and by spring we could hardly walk the ¼ mile up hill to our garden area. My weight about March 15, 1943 reached 122 pounds from about 155 pounds; others decreased as much as 70, or more, pounds.

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(a separate paragraph here - see page 243-b, herein)

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On March 22, 1943 about 1 stone of Red Cross supplies arrived for us - British individual packages of food, bulk food including cocoa, sugar etc - and some clothing. This was stored and the first issue

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made about three weeks later - April 9th - while we were almost starving. We were always there after much underweight and food conscious - hungry. This was their chief way of torturing us. Also, during this time the soldiers of the Nipponese guard unmercifully struck our officers and enlisted men upon the smallest, or no, provocation. Lt. Generals and the higher ranks were not excepted. Some of our officers were unmercifully beaten by these heathen - [illegible] savage guards. Our complaints to the Nipponese officers brought no relief from these indignities. It was difficult to even communicate with the Nipponese officers, then only a sneer came from them. Work, at times decreased to about two days per week as our work progressed. However, work for officers continued until June 10, 1944 - in all about 19 months. By this time we were getting Nipponese prisoners of war. Our successes in the Pacific were increasing, and the Nipponese were beginning to consider the ‘hereafter’ of their barbarous and inhumane action. A Nipponese Inspector arrived at our camp about 6/10/44 - and upon another complaint against officer P. O. W.’s working under complulsion in violation of the Geneva Convention, he said that work was voluntary. He then called for signatures of officers

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243-b The rice and vegetables for each day’s allowance for our meals were weighed and issued to the kitchen by weight. (We were also weighed once a month, probably to determine if we were being reduced sufficiently to please our Nip commander). After the food was cooked it was issued to prisoner squads in large wooden buckets by weight. The least variation from correct proportional weight produced a howl from the prisoners. At one time at Kerenko when we reduce so low in food and thought we were starving, we had three General officers in the kitchen at meal times to weigh the food for distribution to squads - one Major General and two Brigadier Generals. Some cases of accident occured where a bucket of food would be spilled en route to its squad; this squad either went without that part of its spare food for that meal or called on the other squads to divide their food. I have seen our men scraping up spilled vegetable soup off of dirty stairs, where it was spilled, and eating it. An order was issued prohibiting prisoners from eating the bran which was stored for pigs’ food stating that this bran was unfit for human consumption. Many prisoners collected snails from under

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garbage piles and around our camp grounds and cleaned, cooked, and ate them. Fortunately, I never resorted to this extreme.

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who would not volunteer to work and nearly all (all of the American officers) sent in their signatures. This ended our compulsion work.

After Red Cross supplies were issued on April 9, 1942, our weights began to pick up. We were weighed once each month and I kept a health chart to show my loss or gain - and the food which we were getting. Still, with addition of R/C foods, our weights remained well below normal and we never regained physical strength. Although, not many admitted it but our mental condition was also well below normal during our [illegible] days at Kerenko. In an ordinary game of bridge the questions continually come up as to: “Whose deal is it? What’s trump? What hand took the last trick? What cards are we dealing with?” etc.

During our time as P. O. W.’s, we were in very crowded quarters, slept on straw mattresses on the floor (or on bamboo or iron cots) and ate in the same rooms in which we slept on plain plank tables and sat on wooden benches. No chairs were furnished, no recreation rooms were available; lights in our rooms of about 20 ft x 20 ft for eight or ten of us was supplied by one 25 watt globe light. We had a small library and books of a fair variety were generally available. We read, wrote notes on our condition, played chess and card games etc: for pastime. Sanitary conditions were at all times very poor. Our food was brought to us by our own officers and personnel

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in large wooden buckets and was served to us in bowls placed on the tables in our crowded rooms. We ran rosters on food carriers and food servers.

The winter (1942) at Kerenko was a severe one - at least it seemed severe because we had no heat, insufficient clothing, and were our poor physical condition little flesh on our bodies. Our formations and work were out in the cold and we really suffered at times from the chilly weather (temperature actually only went as low as about 45° F. occasionally). During most of our stay at Kerenko there existed what we called ‘the reign of terror.’ Jap. officers and sentries seemed to actually invest methods of punishing us. They gave mass punishment for the lightest offenses. There were almost daily cases of beating prisoners, insulting and attempting to humiliate them by rough harsh scolding and the mass punishment of addition work or decrease in food. Instead of being treated as honorable prisoners of war as provided by the Geneva Convention, we were treated more like criminals in the hands of brutal guards. Their inferiority complex compelled them to take advantage of our helpless condition to wreak a long pent-up vengeance on us.

Two holidays each year were granted

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us - Christmas and Easter. On these days and on certain Nipponese holidays we were given additional food including some meats and were allowed to celebrate the occasions. Food on these days was usually adequate and appetizing. In some instances, the Nipponese officers and guards joined in athletic games with our teams on holidays. The Nipponese seemed to revert to human beings on these occasions. (We had been able to buy a few Jap. musical instruments and developed an orchestra. We also had a victrola with a number of good records.)

My first message to my family after surrender was a radio message sent on Nov. 10, 1942. My first message from my family was received on Feb. 22, 1943 (2/22/43) (26 months and two days since the last message from home on Dec. 21, 1941). After our first message home, were allowed one message to our families or friends each 4 to 6 months. Newspapers in English - Nippon Times - were discontinued on April 23, 1944. Our outside news after this time was by local vernacular papers which we surreptitiously brought into camp.

On June 7, 1943, we left Kerenko for Camp Shira Kawa (White Heron) on Southwest Taiwan, arriving at new camp on June 8th. We travelled a few hours by crowded steerage in an old boat, went ashore by [illegible words] in a rough sea at Sou, a N. E. Taiwan Post, and travelled about 12 hours by

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train. In this train we were placed four to the section with all of our equipment - sections were small for orientals. We sat in these crowded, hard and straight seats with blinds drawn over windows to add to our discomfort. We were not allowed to leave our seats except in emergency. The trip was a rough and tiresome one - as were all trips which we made under Jap. control.

For this trip we were given five meals consisting of a total of five buns, two small cans of dried beef, and one Red Cross can (12-oz) of canned beef. We got Hot tea was supplied at our destination.

Shira Kawa was a crude and marshy camp in a valley and well into the country. It was muddy and overgrown with grass and weeds when we arrived. It rained the day of our arrival and for several weeks thereafter flooding the camp several inches deep. It was an unsanitary mosquito infested camp area from the beginning. Food and treatment was better here than at Kerenko. Some bananas and fruits, occasional meat in small quantities and small post exchange articles were furnished us. A large farm was begun by us with pick and shovel - potatoes and green vegetables were planted. Areas were grubbed of thick undergrowth by us under the guise of mosquito control, a large swimming pool was dug in very difficult hard clay, and a park was cleared off on a knoll just outside our prison boundary. Plenty of work was provided for each day for officers and enlisted P. O. W.’s. We not To be excused work except when our one must have fever reached of about 101°. We were issued

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Post Exchange payments in coupons in amounts of from 40 Yen to 80 Yen monthly to buy Post Exchange articles. These include toilet articles, sugar, syrups and a few tasteless canned goods. Tomato ketchup and synthetic syrups were among these P-X articles.

More British and Dutch officers joined us at Shira Kawa, mostly hospital cases and half-starved officers from a mining camp in N. Taiwan. We were inspected occasionally by the Nipponese prison camp commander who made meaningless speeches with no promises for better conditions. Also, we have had occasional visits by representatives of our protecting powers - from Switzerland and Sweden. These representatives were led around by the Nipponese officers and shown only what the Nips. wanted them to see. The prisoners who were permitted to talk to these visitors were carefully coached on what they were permitted to talked about say and were not permitted to complain about their treatment. For these visitors the Nipponese remove hospital patients from one ward which was labeled “Recreation Room” during this visit; the parks which we had cleared and had not been permitted to use so far, was labelled conspicuously “P. O. W. Park.” We did not go out to work during during some of these visits. One Swiss representative who lived in Tokyo and had a Nipponese wife remarked, “If you don’t like your treatment under the Nipponese, don’t go to war with a nation that sleeps on straw.”

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Although treatment was better at Shira Kawa than at Kerenko, it was plenty bad - still like the treatment one might expect for criminals. Beatings of prisoners was less frequent but still was being done. We were required to sign statements that we would not attempt to escape from from the camps and in addition to this statement, there was a triple fence of barbed wire and bamboo. At several camp there was an electrified wire fence, and inside these fences were many armed guards with fixed bayonets. These guards often come through our barracks to make life as miserable as possible for us. Except for a few months each year during which we were allowed a siesta period, we were not allowed to be on our bunks during daylight. This meant that we had to sit on the rigid benches in our over-crowded rooms. As the guards approached, we were required to stand at attention and salute them.

Five cases of malaria fever developed in our camp on June 25, ‘43 - about two weeks after our arrival. Two officers Cols Amis and Aldrich have had malaria about 11 times and Col Aldrich has had it about 11 times since our surrender. Mosquitoes were bad there and rains have been plentiful.

On July 2nd a group of about 20 small native girls and boys around 11-12 years of age, came in

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camp to clean out our filthy latrines by use of large dippers and buckets carried on poles by two persons. Child labor is common around here. Native men and women are worked on drainage outside our camp.

By August 21, 1943, we had in our camp about 389 officers and 84 enlisted men - American, British (and Australian) and Dutch. Nearly all officers do their own dishes and laundry - including our Lt. Generals, Civil Governors, etc. Enlisted men are busy in the kitchen, at the stock farm and at other details. We do not wear many clothes and therefore haven’t much laundry to do.

In September 1943, we had numerous rumors that the war was over. Nip. soldiers said in effect, “You should be very happy - you are going home soon. A senior Nip. officer in a speech to us about this time also told us, “You will be going home very soon. He said our work by us was required to improve our health and provide us more food than could be provided us otherwise (we got very little of the food we produced, however). On Sept 30th newspapers to include those dated August 20th arrived. These gave us news of landings by Allies in Sicily, of Mussolini’s resignation etc, and must have been the bases of rumors concerning our going home soon.

On the seldom occasions when mail came in, we were notified by name to form

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in alphabetical line to receive our mail. Sometimes letters come in for dates varying more than a year, some prisoners got no mail at times while others would get 60 to 70 letters. Some radio messages were delivered along with letters and the radios were undated. Anyways these were seldom and happy occasions. The Nips. took their own good times in censoring and delivering mail after it arrived.

Christmas of 1943 was about our best day to date. My diary for this date reads: “There’s many a ‘Merry Christmas’ being passed from person to person - nationality to nationality - here this morning. Moral seems high. The Nipponese issued us about ¼ loaf of bread each this morning. We are having duck soup for dinner and three pigs in our soup for supper. Church services were held in Yasume park. ‘Tis chilly, about 65° this A.M. We had athletic events - concert singing - several comic skits, etc. this P.M. to make a pleasant afternoon for all. A comic orchestra (POW) furnished most of the fun, and an American dancing exhibition was also good. The Nips. seemed to enjoy it and gave bananas to participants. One volley-ball game was played by Americans vs Nipponese officers and soldiers teams (our guard) - the American team won by a score of 21 to 4 points. Our commandant and Nip. guard officers visited

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all of our room’s and offered a ‘Merry Christmas’ greeting during the day. This was really a pleasant day and our first pleasant one since captivity.” (Capt. Wakajana is our camp commander).

To make the most of our association of nationalities here, we often ask officers of other nationalities officers to give us talks on their country or experiences. We’ve had talks on Burma, India, Dutch East Indies, etc. In this way we have a better understanding of other nation’s problems.

By early 1944 we were getting through our P.X. (Colonels expenditure allowance per month was 50.00 Yen), the following: about 2 lbs sugar per month; salt; tea and coffee, enough; tomato ketchup - about 2 bottles per month; about 1 ½ qts of strawberry or pineapple syrup per month; worchester sauce; cigarettes and cigars.

Work for officers continued until about June 10, 1944, when we were told by one senior inspecting officer that work was voluntary and we told him that we refused to volunteer. After this date we fared worse in food and P-X supplies and privileges but none of us worked on the farm - local police of our area was still required of officers also and enlisted. Some of the privilege denied us were: denied use of our park area; music and card games denied us except on week-ends; no sitting, or lying on beds in daytime;

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no light in rooms (dark rooms) except at meal times and at night; all-hour night formations for check.

In July 1944, we received many impounded packages - mine arrived about July 18th, having been mailed about Aug. 23, 1943. It was in good shape and contained many foods, toilet articles and some clothing that I much needed.

For lying on his bunk in daytime, Col Balsam was punished by being placed in solitary confinement for four days (Aug. 4-8) on rice diet in an filthy cell. He was allowed only to take only the clothing he wore - no toilet articles, no bedding etc: He was required to stand in his cell during daylight - about 14 hours. Other types of punishment are: standing at attention for prolonged periods; striking receiving heavy blows on head; holding weights at arms length; denial of P-X privileges, etc.

On Oct. 1st and 6th our General officers left Shira Kawa for a new camp. On the 7th the Colonels and many enlisted orderlies were notified to prepare to move by water.

The Colonels group left camp at 4:30 AM on October 9, 1944. Two rice balls were issued each of us for two travel meals. We travelled by crowded and blinded rail cars to Taikoku to Keelung (Northern Taiwan) and boarded the ill fated Oryoku Maru at 5:30 PM the same day. We

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were crowded in the hold as steerage passengers with 259 Colonels and enlisted in one double-deck hold. We were crowded so close together that it was difficult to find sufficient space to lie down. The double-deck did not permit space to stand up and, in the upper deck, the blower-ventilation system in many places did not permit space sufficient to sit up. We were locked in, with armed sentries at the two exits, and blacked out from 6:30 PM to 6:30 AM. One toilet of four seats was available for 259 of us. We ate in on the sleeping space - a stuffy, crowded, filthy, smelly - roach-covered hold. There was no water for bathing or brushing teeth. We went outside ship on the deck and bathed by water hose for two or three days while we remained for two weeks at part in this disgraceful condition.

On Oct 12 and 13th Keelung was attacked by American airplanes bombers and while we were locked in like rats in a trap. We heard Some bombs were heard exploding, heard much anti-aircraft fire including guns on the decks of our ship we heard. It was reported that about twenty of the Nipponese sick passengers of our ship were killed at the railway station by our bombs. In case a bomb had struck our ship, we were in a helpless and hopeless condition. The sentries would not permit us to get out of the hold, they required us to close

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the port-holes during air attacks and there was not one chance in a thousand for us to escape death in case the ship was sunk. (In this connection the story of the next trip of the Oryoku Maru (Dec 1944) - as told to us by survivors of the ill-fated voyage, as an indication of what would have happened to us in case the bombs had struck our ship).

Having lived in the hold like rats for two weeks at this part of Keelung and having made one unsuccessful attempt to sail, we finally left port with 2 cruiser escorts on Oct 25th. We debarked at Moji (Ryushu, Japan) on the 28th after about 75 hours travel, then travelled by train to Beppon, arriving and detraining there about noon of Oct 28th. This town is a health resort about 60-70 miles East of Moji. We were billeted Our billets at Beppon were in a clean comfortable 4th class hotels. We slept on pallets on the matted floors, kneeled at a low-table in the dining room for meals of a bowl of thin vegetable soup and one flour roll, and bathed in a common water tank - Nip fashion. As usual, we were continually hungry here. No space was available for exercising, shoes were left at the entrance to the hotel and not permitted to be used in the hotel. The stairs were so steep that they appeared more

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like ladders than steps. Six of us were assigned to one room of about 15’ x 18’. This was the most luxurious living conditions that we had experienced as prisoners of war. Many days were uncomfortably cool and no fires or heat was available. Fortunately the sun shone on the open porches most of the daylight hours and was a means of keeping warm.

About Nov. 3rd a change in our guard detail took place and a Nip. Major from the Tokyo P.O.W. officer joined us. Our treatment from this time forward was much more considerate and almost human. We were not Hazing ceased and we were free from disturbance within our confined area.

On Nov. 7th my 52nd birthday, I passed around Old Gold cigarettes (Red Cross) to my room-mates and received a cigar and a wheat-flour bun from Ray O’Day and Atkinson.

We left Beppon about about on Nov. 10th with our the new guard for Chiang-Chia-Tung, Manchuria (about 125 miles N. of Mukden), via Hataka and aboard a large ferry type ship at about 10:45 P.M. The next day we sailed for Fusang, Korea, arriving there about 5:00 P.M. (about 9 hours voyage), were assembled and served cold supper in a cold theatre building. At 11:00 P.M. we [illegible] and left Fusang for travel through Korea and Manchukuo.

Arrived at our camp 3:30 P.M. in a temperature

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of almost 23°F. En route there was much snow in North Korea and Manchukuo. Overcoats and warm clothing and blankets were issued us on the train - also the cars were heated at times. Basket lunches were supplied for meals. While we were almost freezing in the cold, we had to listen to Nip. officers speeches for about an hour and sign statements regarding non-escape. Among other things, one officer told us to “take care of our health” in this colder climate - we were about to freeze and possibly contract pneumonia while we listened to this statement in the cold. One of our officers had high fever of about 104° and was required to stand outside and listen to these dumb speeches. We had travelled in cramped condition for 37 days and were in poor condition to be further exposed to cold weather. Our ankles and bodies were swollen from lack of exercise and lack of adequate space.

While travelling through Korea, we saw humanity struggling for existence under crude, primitive conditions which were quite antique to use - plowing oxen, pushing freight cars along siding, hauling by donkey and ox-carts, performing labor by hand where we use machinery, etc. Small patches of cotton had been pulled up and allowed to mature and open in piles where the picking continued. Kaffi-corn, grain and vegetables including rice were being harvested.

We found our quarters to be filthy with dirt, but otherwise in fair well housed and condition and containing huge coal heaters (without heat). It took several hours to get heat in the building: we

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Did not get the quarters clean during the six months we remained there - always a heavy dust and coating of dirt remained on floors and shelves, etc. 8-10 officers were placed to a room of about 25’ x 25’ (12 officers at first). Straw mattresses on rigid iron beds were provided; adequate blankets and clean bedding were issued. Again we had wooden tables and benches in our sleeping quarters where meals were served from wooden buckets into china bowls. Only spoons were used as eating utensils. The washrooms contained much ice and were always ice-cold. Heat from the huge coal-heaters was usually adequate to keep quarters warm, but coal dust kept the rooms and articles therein covered with black dust.

The area around the one barrack building which housed us was about 150 x 100 yards. Temperature during the winter reached about 15° below zero F. Snow and sleet were not unusual. Most of us wrapped warm clothing around us and took some exercise in spite of the cold. Food was about adequate in quantity here - mostly soya beans, corn meal mush, corn bread or millet bread, and vegetable soup. We gained some weight on this food. Library books were good variety. I played lots of bridge and chess. Tournaments were held in both games. Treatment here was much better than at other camps. No beatings and

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little disturbances by Nips. Crows, or rooks, built nests just outside our windows in early spring. We even helped them to build nests. Some of them used old nests by rebuilding them. Magpies and sparrows also were numerous. Many geese, ducks and some bustards (turkey size) flew in flocks over our camp in spring.

On May 20th (1945) we moved by rail to this camp at Mukden - the main P.W. camp - and joined other American and British prisoners here. About 1300 of were here after our arrival. General Wainwright and other senior officers and Governors, Justices etc. from Singapore area and Houkong, D.E.I etc went to a separate camp about 100 miles from here.

We are packed in double-deck here - about 40 officers to a room about 36’ x 22’. Still have straw mattresses on the floor, tables and benches in isles for eating and writing. Treatment here continued improved. Food is fair but inadequate as to quantity and variety - vegetable soup, corn meal mush, millet bread, mostly. We’re losing weight since arrival here on May 21st. Our train was packed - 120 officers with all baggage packed into 3rd class passenger cars built for

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about 60 passengers. This congested trip lasted for 24 hours. Had four millet buns for a four meal trip.

The Nips have been hastily evacuating Manchukuo by rail for some time, probably expecting Russia to enter the war.

There is a large compound here. Three large brick barracks, kitchen, headquarters buildings are in a brick wall compound about 150 yds by 300 yds. We use about ½ this area. We were required to dig bomb trenches for protection and have black-out and anti-aircraft raid practices. Camp is very much over-crowded, about twice the congestion as at other camps - with all ranks present.

Prisoners from P.I., Taiwan, and Japan are here. Also, those who suffered disgracefully in coming here from the P.I. via the ill-fated Oryaku Maru - those who escaped bombing, starvation, freezing, and murder are here. Their horrible stories of atrocities are unbelievable. Many of our friends lost their lives on that voyage from Luzon, P.I. but that is their story.

On May 16, 1945, we saw something strange and mysterious happening. Within view of our camp, some parachutist landed from a plane and the plane continued on its trip. In a few hours from this landing, the Nips

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brought six persons into our compound who seemed to be Americans and who were armed. Our Nip. Commandant conversed with these new arrivals while they wore their arms, and there seemed to be long conversations between these parties at Nip Hqrs. You may imagine the excitement and speculation which this spectacle produced among us. Some of us deduced that these new arrivals were peace messengers to tell us that the war was over. This deduction was bourne [sic] out the next morning (Aug 17th) when General Parker assmebled all of us and told us that an armisted [sic] had been arranged between Japan and our Allies and that fighting - except between Japan and Russia in Manchuria - had ceased. We were told to have no celebration and to be calm. Not many of us slept that night. (Two of the parachutists were: Maj. Henessey CAC, & Maj. Lamar (med). They came and talked to us on the night of 8/17 & later, radio was installed - in & out.

This was the day we had looked for for 3 ½ years. Our joy was unbounded but we acted calmly. Groups of us assembled and talked things over for the next few days. Screens were torn away from our windows, we smoked where we pleased and were not bothered by the Nips any more. They turned over the camp to Gen Parker after morning roll call on Aug 18th and we have been free since that time.

On the evening of Aug 20th a group of three Russian officers arrived at our camp while we were celebrating our freedom by a musical concert. We had just completed singing

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the National Anthems of England, Holland and America when the Russians asked that all P.O.W.’s be assembled. The senior Russian officer - a captain, I think - spoke to us briefly and, among other statements, he said “From this moment I declare you free” (speaking to Americans). A few hours after declaring us free, the Russians had our Nipponese guard to assemble in the middle of our compound and in presence of us all and amidst our acclamation, he disarmed them, issued their arms to American soldiers as guards, and had them paraded as prisoners by our assembled group to the guard house. The Nip officers threw their swords to the ground when told to lay down their arms. This group of Nips was certainly a ‘whipped-dog’ looking group. Since that time, the Nip soldiers have been working her [sic] in our former camp under guard of American soldiers (former P.W.’s). The Russians occupied Mukden on Aug 20th. For several days and nights following this date there was much looting by Chinese and natives and firing between natives and Japs within our observation and hearing. Took several days to quiet disorders.

Since Aug. 19th we have put one of our officers as mess-officers in the kitchen, have taken over stores of Nipponese foods, sent Nip. prisoners out to dig potatoes, and have had more food than we could eat. In addition to this, 13-29 bombers began to arrive from China with tons of canned foods, candies, cigarettes, clothing, shoes, etc., so that we are now well equipped with food these articles (as of Sept. 5, 1945).

The planes which brought supplies into us have been taking away our person evacuating our group through China

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on their return trips - sick first, then some of the senior officers. So far, about 200 have left here and more are expected to leave almost daily.

While awaiting my turn to depart to the home and family, I am listening to radio broadcasts, playing bridge, visiting in the dirty, unattractive city of Mukden (pop. about 2,000,000), and gaining weight.

Winston Churchill said regarding prisoner of war life (He was a P.W. during the Boer War in S. Africa), “It is a melancholy state. You’re in the power of your enemy. You owe your life to his humanity, your daily bread to his compassion. You must obey his orders, await his pleasure, possess your soul in patience. The days are very long - hours crawl like paralytic centipedes. Moreover, the whole atmosphere of prison, even the most easy and regulated prison, is odious. Companions quarrel about trifles and get the least possible pleasure from each others society, you feel a constant humiliation in being fenced in by railings and wire, watched by armed men and webbed about with a tangle of regulations and restrictions.”

* (P. 265) Add to [illegible words] the fact that we are the prisoners of a primitive, barbarous and pagan nation of a low standard of living and you have a better understanding of our condition

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I agree with Churchill’s version of life as a prisoner of war. To his statement I add, “To be a war prisoner of a primitive, barbarous and pagan nation of a low standard of living makes the prisoner’s life a ‘hell on earth.’ We had expected rough treatment toward the end of the war when the Japs found that they were beaten and must surrender us or otherwise dispose of us. Some of us thought that they would ‘otherwise dispose’ of us. You may easily imagine our joy when the end came so quietly and unexpectedly. The transition from lowest type of war prisoner to freedom and peaceful citizenship in our case was perfect.

Although our group is being evacuated by air slowly, 40-60 per day - via China and to the U.S., those of us who are still here are becoming restless. Our living quarters are infested with fleas, are still congested and not at all appropriate for our grades. Our one desire is to be on the way toward America and our homes. It is reported that ships are arriving at Dairen, Korea, to take us home. We hope so.

And finally, Ruthie and Lolly, since I expect to be with you soon, I shall close this long letter to you. It has been written under the worst possible conditions of mental and physical discomforts and countless interruptions and annoyances by

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Our Nipponese guards.

May God bless you. Love

Daddy.
Roy C. Hilton
Col. GSC (Inf.) U.S.A.

Mukden, Manchuria,
August 6, 1945.

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[Back cover.]