Vol 10, Number 2
Fall - Winter 2009
ANOTHER NEW POW CAMP DISCOVERED . . .
In July of this year, while doing some further research into the evacuation of the POWs from Taiwan in September 1945, it was discovered that the men who had previously been in Shirakawa Camp when the war ended were not returned to Taihoku Camp 6 as was previously believed. Rather, I discovered that they were put up in the former Maruyama Japanese Convalescent Barracks which stood on the site of the present Taipei Soccer Stadium on Chungshan North Road in Taipei.
This camp was in operation for a period of only 10 days from August 27th to September 5 – 6, 1945 and served as a temporary holding camp for the men from the former Shirakawa Camp awaiting evacuation by the American and British Navies.
The Maruyama Camp was a companion camp to the Churon Camp located east of the Matsuyama (now Sung Shan) Airport in Taipei. Churon Camp held all of the men who had previously been in the Kukutsu Camp in the hills south of Hsintien. All of those men had been moved there from Kinkaseki Camp in May – June 1945. This camp was in operation from August 25th – September 5th.
So now, in looking at the overall picture of the Taiwan camps, we have decided to re-allocate the Churon Camp to the status of “temporary evacuation camp” along with the newly discovered Maruyama Camp, so now we can more accurately say that there were 14 actual POW camps operational on Taiwan from 1942 through 1945, with the two temporary evacuation camps, making a total of 16 altogether.
Map of Maruyama Camp area in the lower left hand corner with the Taiwan Shrine – now the Grand Hotel area in the upper right corner. The Keelung River and Chungshan North Rd. and bridge can also be seen.
FEPOW DAY 2009
FEPOW Day 2009 on Saturday August 15th was a great success with more than 30 local friends and supporters in attendance at the Spot Theatre in Taipei for the occasion.
After a brief introduction about FEPOW Day and the work of the Society, a service of Remembrance was held with readings by Ted Chen and John Collins, and a prayer of Remembrance was offered by Rev. Diane Wong. The service closed with the playing of the remembrance CD “Before You Go”.
Following this, the film “Paradise Road” starring Glenn Close and Frances McDormand was shown. Directed by Bruce Beresford, it depicts the lives of the civilian women captured by the Japs and how they formed a choir to help overcome their situation and torment.
It is a true story, accurately portraying the brutality shown even to women and children by their Japanese captors, and how they triumphed over adversity. All those present were very moved by the film and were grateful for being shown another aspect of the POWs’ story, this time as pertaining to the civilians.
Our thanks once again to Ms. Tina Chen and the Taipei City Gov’t. Culture Bureau for their assistance in making the day a success. We are already beginning to plan for next year’s event.
FROM THE DIRECTOR. . .
Another exciting year is concluding for the Society as we continue to research and tell the story of the former Taiwan POW camps and the men who were interned in them, and also to erect and dedicate POW memorials in their memory.
The enquiries from family members and friends of the former POWs continue to pour in and this keeps me extremely busy as well.
This year has been outstanding with the dedication of the War & Peace Memorial Park at Kaohsiung Harbour – the site of the Taiwan POW Hellships Memorial in May, the dedication of the Toroku POW Memorial on June 6th and the dedication of the American Airmen’s plaque on the old Taipei Prison Wall on June 20th (see story on page 3). I have also been privileged once again to be able to travel to the UK for another wonderful reunion of former Taiwan POWs and then on to Scotland for POW visits as well.
For next year – the 65th anniversary of the end of WWII, we are making plans to erect two more POW memorials at the two schools which were the sites of the former Inrin and Inrin Temporary Camps. We also expect to be having some other special 65th anniversary events which will be announced later.
I am continually grateful for all the interest and support that is being given to us from various government and civic organizations and many friends. Without your help this work could not go forward. It is thanks to you that the POWs are being remembered. I wish you all a blessed Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous year ahead in 2010.