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Ships used to transport POW's to Japan from captured areas were old and hardly sea-worthy. Over 25 ships carrying Allied POW's were sunk during the war with over ten thousand POW's drowned. Additional POW deaths occurred due to lack of food, sanitation, and medicine during these hellish voyages aboard Japanese hell ships. On November 6, 1942 Dad and a group of 1500-1600 Allied prisoners were marched down to the pier in Manila and forced to climb aboard one of two old cattle transport ships. Dad ended up on the Nagato Maru Hell Ship. Destination: Japan.
Japanese Hell Ship Nagato Maru Photo Courtesy US National Archives
The Nagato Maru arrived at Moji, Japan on November 26, 1942. It is
thought that as many as 27 POW's died during the 3-week trip. It is
also thought that as many as 150 sick and dying POW's were abandoned
on the dock at Moji once they arrived.
A group of 400 men, including Dad, was selected by Japanese personnel
and marched to the train station. They waited an hour in the outside
cold, then boarded a train for an all-night trip to Kobe, Japan. A
ferry then took the men from Kobe to Osaka POW Camp #3 ... aka, Yodogawa
Steel Works.
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