Japanese-pow Home Page
Updated: June 17, 2009 (Added
Memorial Day photos from the Manila American Cemetery. See 3rd item
below.)
Dedication:
This web site is dedicated to (1) the MEMORY of those who were Prisoners of War of the
Japanese during World War II and who died while they were POWs, and (2) the HONOR of those who were Prisoners of War of the
Japanese during World War II and survived those terrible times. They suffered such unbelievably difficult conditions and inhumane treatment
by their Japanese captors it is a wonder that any survived.
Purpose:
The purpose of this web site is to assist the many descendants who want to
learn more about their relative that was a POW of the Japanese. We hope
that all of these descendants will document the details and pass this
information on to future generations of their families so they may know and understand this
horrible tragedy.
Memorial Day Photos:
Click on Photos to see a group of photos taken in the
beautiful Manila American Cemetery on May 25, 2009.
ADBC Convention // Descendants Group
Plans:
The last ADBC Convention was held at the "Omni San Antonio Hotel At The Colonnade" in San
Antonio, TX on May 26-30, 2009. Over 500 people attended this convention.
It was a very happy occasion because so many people were there to share
memories, and at the same time, it was a very sad occasion because everybody
realized this was the "end of the road" for the American Defenders of Bataan and
Corregidor as a formal organization.
Beginning next year, annual conventions will be held by the "Descendants
Group, an Auxiliary of the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor" with all
former POWs, their families and widows invited (actually "urged") to attend.
The 2010 convention will be held at the Grand Sierra Resort & Casino in Reno, NV
on April 6-10, 2010. Click DG-2010 for more
information. All
interested persons please read the next item below. We need your support.
Descendants Group is now a formal
organization:
The group that has been informally known for several years as the
"Descendants Group" has been organized formally as the "Descendants Group, an
Auxiliary of the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor". Click here -
DG - to read more information and to find out
how to join this very important group.
Viewing Satellite Images of POW Camps and
Related Sites:
If you would like to view satellite images of locations of Japanese POW Camps
and some related sites just like the TV News shows a view moving around the
world and then zooming in on a location, click this link -
POW Sites.
Hellships Memorial Information:
The Hellships Memorial (located at Olongapo on the shores of Subic Bay,
Luzon) was dedicated on January 22, 2006. This beautiful memorial honors
all Prisoners of War that were transported by the Japanese on ships that became
collectively known as the "Hellships". Thus, the memorial honors ALL POWs
of ALL nations that were transported on these ships - both those that died
during transport and those that survived the horrors of the "Hellships".
The work that was completed prior to the dedication ceremony is considered as
Phase I of the project. For information about Phase I as well as Phase II
and maintenance of the memorial to assure that it remains beautiful in the
future, visit the Hellships Memorial web site at:
http://www.hellshipsmemorial.org/
(Note: As of June 4, 2009 this site was temporarily
unavailable - it is scheduled to be available again prior to July 10, 2009). See photographs of the memorial and of the dedication ceremony. Also, find
out how to contribute to the Hellships Memorial Fund so that you can be a factor
in the success of this memorial.
Search Aids:
There are many ways to search for information concerning POWs of the
Japanese. The following links lead to additional pages of this web site
that provide information to assist in your search.
List of Books and other printed matter
Internet Sites
POW Rosters
Research Facilities
Japanese-pow Listserv
Recommended Search Techniques
Hellship Information and Photographs:
Click the following link for Hellship Information and Photographs:
Hellships. Outstanding paintings of some of the
Hellships were added to this link on December 5, 2003 and on January 4, 2004.
POW Photos:
The purpose of this page is to show photographs that may assist descendants
that are searching for information about their relative that was a POW of the
Japanese. If you have a photograph that could be helpful to others, send it to the site
author by using the link in the last item on this page (attach a good quality
scan of the photo). Be sure to include
a suggested caption that includes all known identification of POWs in the photo
as well as the date and location. If you do not have exact information,
tell what you do know about the photo. To see items that have been posted,
click here: POW PHOTOS
Lists of POW Camps, Hellship Voyages and
Alias Names for Hellships:
These lists are made available primarily for members of the Japanese-pow
Listserv; however, all persons are welcome to view the lists. Code numbers
in the left column of the List of POW Camps and the List of Hellship Voyages are
reference numbers that explain numerical abbreviations on the "roster" that is
sent to members of the Japanese-pow Listserv. To view a list, click on a
link below.
List of POW Camps
List of Hellship Voyages
List of Alias Names for Hellships
Memorial Pages:
Click the following link for a list of memorial sites that have been prepared
by Descendants in honor of a relative that was a POW of the Japanese during
World War II: Memorials
FEPOW Day (New Project):
Michael Hurst, who lives on Taiwan and runs the Taiwan POW Camps Memorial
Society web site (http://www.powtaiwan.org/),
informed us about a new proposal for an FEPOW Day to be celebrated on August
15th of each year and requesting our support. For information about this
project, go to
http://www.fepow-day.org:80/index.htm. As you will see, the site says that
it has "been set up to promote August 15th as a day of remembrance
for all those who were held as Japanese Prisoners of War during World War II,
whatever nationality, colour or religion, whether service personnel,
civilian or romusha." The main web site of the FEPOW Community is
ustp://www.fepow-community.org.uk/.
Comments and Suggestions:
Please send whatever comments and suggestions you may have for the
improvement of this web site to the author (John B. Lewis). To send an
e-mail, click on Contact the author.