Ocean Island massacre

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Ocean Island massacre
Part of the Japanese occupation of the Gilbert Islands
Location Banaba, Kiribati
Date20 August 1945(79 years ago) (1945-08-20)
Victims150–200
Perpetrators 67 Naval Garrison Unit, IJN
  • Suzuki Naoomi

The Ocean Island massacre occurred on 20 August 1945 when between 150 and 200 civilians were killed in a mass execution by members of a Japanese naval garrison unit. The civilians, all originally inhabitants from other parts of the Gilbert Islands, had been brought to Ocean Island as slave labour. [1] [2] Perpetrated five days after the official Japanese announcement of surrender at the end of the Second World War, the nature of the massacre was only revealed four months later due to the emergence of a sole survivor, Kabunare Koura of Nikunau, who had remained in hiding until December 1945. [3] [4] Initially, the commander of the unit, Suzuki Naoomi, claimed that the civilian population had been killed during a rebellion, but the revelation of Kabunare's testimony and subsequent confessions from lower ranking participants led to war crimes prosecutions by the Australian military. In total, 21 Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) personnel were convicted, of whom eight, including Naoomi, were executed, for their roles in the mass atrocity. [5] [6]

Contents

War crimes trials

IJN personnel convicted of war crimes on Ocean Island and sentenced to death
NameName (Kanji) Rank Sentence at trialConfirmed sentenceRef.
Miyasaka Denji宮坂傳治LieutenantDeath by hangingExecuted on 13 August 1946 [7]
Nara Yoshio奈良賀男LieutenantDeath by hanging20 years imprisonment‡ [8]
Ōtomo Torizō大友酉蔵Sub-lieutenantDeath by hangingExecuted on 10 August 1946 [9]
Sakamoto Chūjirō坂本忠次郎Sub-lieutenantDeath by hangingExecuted on 10 August 1946 [10]
Sakata Jirō坂田二郎LieutenantDeath by hangingExecuted on 15 August 1946 [11]
Sakuma Wataru佐久間彌LieutenantDeath by hangingExecuted on 10 August 1946 [11]
Suzuki Naoomi鈴木直臣Lieutenant-commanderDeath by hangingExecuted on 7 July 1947* [12]
Yajima Eiichi矢嶋榮一LieutenantDeath by hangingExecuted on 10 August 1946 [13]
Yamaguchi Nobuaki山口？(健)章LieutenantDeath by hangingExecuted on 12 October 1946 [14]

‡ On the recommendation of the Judge Advocate General, death sentence was commuted to a prison term of 20 years. [6]

* Lieutenant-commander Suzuki's execution was delayed due to appearing as a witness in the trial of Major General Hirota Akira. [15]

IJN personnel convicted of war crimes on Ocean Island and sentenced to imprisonment
NameName (Kanji) Rank Sentence at trialConfirmed sentenceRef.
Arai Kakuzō荒井角蔵Chief petty officer7 years imprisonment7 years imprisonment [16]
Hanawa Eiji塙栄次Sub-lieutenant20 years imprisonment20 years imprisonment [17]
Hiraki Sakae平木榮Sub-lieutenant20 years imprisonment20 years imprisonment [18]
Iijima Tadashi飯島重Ensign20 years imprisonment20 years imprisonment [19]
Ishii Sadazō石井定臓Sub-lieutenant20 years imprisonment20 years imprisonment [20]
Kiyohara Naoyoshi清原直美Sub-lieutenant20 years imprisonment20 years imprisonment [21]
Konno Hiroshi今野浩Warrant officer7 years imprisonment7 years imprisonment [22]
Shinozawa Yoshiharu篠澤美春Ensign15 years imprisonment15 years imprisonment [23]
Sugino Tsuchinosuke杉野土之助Ensign15 years imprisonment15 years imprisonment [24]
Tsuchiike Masatarō土池政太郎Sub-lieutenant20 years imprisonment20 years imprisonment [25]
Yasuda Harumi安田春美Ensign15 years imprisonment15 years imprisonment [26]
Yoshida Itsuo吉田逸雄Sub-lieutenant20 years imprisonment20 years imprisonment [27]
IJN personnel acquitted of war crimes on Ocean Island
NameName (Kanji) Rank Ref.
Ono Kaneichi小野兼一Chief petty officer [9]
Yachi Sumio谷地澄雄Ensign [13]

See also

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References

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Macdonald 2001, p. 148.
  2. ↑ Pappas 1998, pp. 163–167.
  3. ↑ Macdonald 2001, p. 149.
  4. ↑ Field 2005, p. 72.
  5. ↑ Morris 2019.
  6. 1 2 Sissons 2020, p. 107.
  7. ↑ Morris 2019, p. 321.
  8. ↑ Morris 2019, p. 330.
  9. 1 2 Morris 2019, p. 337.
  10. ↑ Morris 2019, p. 340.
  11. 1 2 Morris 2019, p. 341.
  12. ↑ Morris 2019, p. 350.
  13. 1 2 Morris 2019, p. 364.
  14. ↑ Morris 2019, p. 365.
  15. ↑ Carrel 2005, p. 195.
  16. ↑ Morris 2019, p. 279.
  17. ↑ Morris 2019, p. 285.
  18. ↑ Morris 2019, p. 290.
  19. ↑ Morris 2019, p. 295.
  20. ↑ Morris 2019, p. 299.
  21. ↑ Morris 2019, p. 311.
  22. ↑ Morris 2019, p. 313.
  23. ↑ Morris 2019, p. 347.
  24. ↑ Morris 2019, p. 349.
  25. ↑ Morris 2019, p. 360.
  26. ↑ Morris 2019, p. 368.
  27. ↑ Morris 2019, p. 369.

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