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Ocean Island massacre

Ocean Island massacre
Part of the Japanese occupation of the Gilbert Islands
LocationBanaba, Kiribati
Date20 August 1945 (79 years ago) (1945-08-20)
Victims150–200
Perpetrators67 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]

War crimes trials

IJN personnel convicted of war crimes on Ocean Island and sentenced to death
Name Name (Kanji) Rank Sentence at trial Confirmed sentence Ref.
Miyasaka Denji 宮坂傳治 Lieutenant Death by hanging Executed on 13 August 1946 [7]
Nara Yoshio 奈良賀男 Lieutenant Death by hanging 20 years imprisonment‡ [8]
Ōtomo Torizō 大友酉蔵 Sub-lieutenant Death by hanging Executed on 10 August 1946 [9]
Sakamoto Chūjirō 坂本忠次郎 Sub-lieutenant Death by hanging Executed on 10 August 1946 [10]
Sakata Jirō 坂田二郎 Lieutenant Death by hanging Executed on 15 August 1946 [11]
Sakuma Wataru 佐久間彌 Lieutenant Death by hanging Executed on 10 August 1946 [11]
Suzuki Naoomi 鈴木直臣 Lieutenant-commander Death by hanging Executed on 7 July 1947* [12]
Yajima Eiichi 矢嶋榮一 Lieutenant Death by hanging Executed on 10 August 1946 [13]
Yamaguchi Nobuaki 山口？(健)章 Lieutenant Death by hanging Executed 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
Name Name (Kanji) Rank Sentence at trial Confirmed sentence Ref.
Arai Kakuzō 荒井角蔵 Chief petty officer 7 years imprisonment 7 years imprisonment [16]
Hanawa Eiji 塙栄次 Sub-lieutenant 20 years imprisonment 20 years imprisonment [17]
Hiraki Sakae 平木榮 Sub-lieutenant 20 years imprisonment 20 years imprisonment [18]
Iijima Tadashi 飯島重 Ensign 20 years imprisonment 20 years imprisonment [19]
Ishii Sadazō 石井定臓 Sub-lieutenant 20 years imprisonment 20 years imprisonment [20]
Kiyohara Naoyoshi 清原直美 Sub-lieutenant 20 years imprisonment 20 years imprisonment [21]
Konno Hiroshi 今野浩 Warrant officer 7 years imprisonment 7 years imprisonment [22]
Shinozawa Yoshiharu 篠澤美春 Ensign 15 years imprisonment 15 years imprisonment [23]
Sugino Tsuchinosuke 杉野土之助 Ensign 15 years imprisonment 15 years imprisonment [24]
Tsuchiike Masatarō 土池政太郎 Sub-lieutenant 20 years imprisonment 20 years imprisonment [25]
Yasuda Harumi 安田春美 Ensign 15 years imprisonment 15 years imprisonment [26]
Yoshida Itsuo 吉田逸雄 Sub-lieutenant 20 years imprisonment 20 years imprisonment [27]
IJN personnel acquitted of war crimes on Ocean Island
Name Name (Kanji) Rank Ref.
Ono Kaneichi 小野兼一 Chief petty officer [9]
Yachi Sumio 谷地澄雄 Ensign [13]

See also

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. ^ a b Sissons 2020, p. 107.
  7. ^ Morris 2019, p. 321.
  8. ^ Morris 2019, p. 330.
  9. ^ a b Morris 2019, p. 337.
  10. ^ Morris 2019, p. 340.
  11. ^ a b Morris 2019, p. 341.
  12. ^ Morris 2019, p. 350.
  13. ^ a b 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.

Sources
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