After the Japanese had conquered all of the Asian colonies in late 1941 and the spring of 1942, they got the idea to separate the senior officers and chain of command from the regular enlisted men, so that the latter would not be able to function and would be easier for the Japanese to control. So in August and early September 1942 they began to move these highest-ranking officers to their island fortress of Taiwan which had been a Japanese possession since the end of the Sino - Japanese War in 1895.
The first group of highest-ranking officers to arrive in Taiwan were the Americans under Lieut. General Jonathan Wainwright and Major Generals King and Moore from the Philippines. 179 officers and men arrived at Takao (Kaohsiung) Harbour in mid-August 1942 on the Nagara Maru. They were then transferred to a local coastal steamer which the POWs called the Otaru Maru, but which was later correctly identified as the Suzuya Maru. The remainder of the journey took them mid-way up the east coast of the island to Karenko Camp in the present day city of Hualien. They arrived there on August 17th 1942.
Next, the top-ranking officers from Singapore and the Dutch East Indies - Lieut. Generals Percival and Heath and Major General Callaghan of the Australian Forces from Singapore, along with Lieut. General H. ter Poorton from the Dutch East Indies, were transported to Taiwan on the England Maru with many brigadiers and colonels and their batmen. This group also included the governors and civil officials from Singapore, the Federated Malay States, Straits Settlements and Sumatra. After spending about a week at Heito Camp, they were moved out to join their American counterparts at Karenko, arriving on September 8th.
From the outset of their stay at Karenko the Japanese tried to humiliate the senior officers and treated them very badly. Many were beaten and forced to do work which was beyond their ability as older men. The Japanese made the POWs work a local farm project to supposedly grow food to supplement their diet and then it was taken by the Japanese guards for their own use. The senior officers and the governors were also made to herd goats which was a difficult task for them.
Food was always a problem and the Japanese enjoyed playing games with the POWs when it came to withholding food and supplies from them. As a result of the poor diet and withheld medical supplies, three of the POWs died in this camp. British Maj/Gen. Merton Beckwith-Smith was the first on November 11th 1942, followed on February 11th 1943 by M/Sgt. James Cavanagh and later by Col. Paul Bunker on March 16th - both of the US Army.
In April 1943 the Red Cross wished to pay a visit to the officers' camp, but because conditions were so deplorable at Karenko, it was decided to send 117 of the higher-ranking POWs and governors to another camp inland south of Karenko called Tamazato. This new camp provided a better opportunity to show how well the prisoners were supposedly being treated. At Tamazato the men had better food and did not have to do any work. They were allowed to rest and relax and consequently were in better health and more fit by the time the Red Cross representative visited in June.
Following the Red Cross visit, all but 28 of the highest ranking officers and governors were transferred back to Karenko once again and a couple of days later they were moved to Shirakawa Camp in south-central Taiwan along with the men who had remained at Karenko. In late June the 28 senior officers and governors were moved from Tamazato Camp back to Karenko and sent from there to Taihoku Camp #5 and Karenko Camp was closed.
In 2012 the Society erected a memorial to the men of Karenko Camp outside the entrance of the current Military Police Base in Hualien. It was dedicated on November 12th and will stand forever in tribute to those who suffered and those who died there.
The ROC Ministry of National Defense assisted the Society with the memorial project and took part in the historic dedication ceremony. The Administrative Deputy Minister of Defense, along with the Mayor of Hualien, the Society Director, representatives of the British and American Trade offices, the Deputy Secretary General of the ROC Veterans Affairs Commission, and members of Maj/Gen. Beckwith-Smith's family addressed the gathering. A message from Robert Heer, the last known surviving POW from Karenko Camp, was read at the service. Rev. Herbert Barker blessed the memorial and offered a prayer of dedication and remembrance. Wreaths were laid on the memorial to the accompaniment of the bagpipes, and the Act of Remembrance was carried out with the playing of Last Post, the observance of two minutes of silence and Rouse. It was a moving ceremony and one which all present will not soon forget. (See the photos below.)