Conversation with Irv Engler 25 Nov 02

Omori

The following North China Marines appear on the roster for being at Omori at the end of the war: Irv Engler, James Hinkle, Lloyd Parrish, and Leslie Troth.

All four were transferred to Omori from Tokyo #5-D Kawasaki steel mills when some camps there were closed down after the bombing raids in the spring of 1945. As the sign on the roof says Marine Ace Pappy Boyington was also there. The signs were put up by the POWs to identify the camp to planes dropping food, medicine, and clothing prior to rescue.

both photos are from National Archives

The hospital ship Benevolence came into Tokyo Bay at the end of August as part of a task force to rescue the POWs at Omori and other area camps. Special permission had to be obtained by the Navy to rescue POWs from these camps at that time as MacArthur had ordered all POW rescues to be put on hold until the formal surrender of the Japanese.

Click here to read details about life at Omori.

When you get to the site read down a few lines from the top on the left. You will find Omori mentioned. Click there. I would recommend you read through the entire site.

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Conversation with North China Marine Irv Engler 25 Nov 02

Was sent to Kawasaki in Aug 43, then to island outside Tokyo, camp Omori

Boats came in about 5:30 am end of August, taken to hospital ship (the Benevolence), walk up gang plank, strip down, get deloused, showers, clean up, issued navy clothes. Then to LST

Could have gone to surrender ceremony on Missouri, but waiting for a flight home.

Flew to Guam, one night there, flew to hospital in Honolulu, Wheeler?

Story about Foots Anderson while at Woosung

A guard was talking big, Tojo bomb Seattle boom boom, Tojo bomb San Francisco boom, boom

Foots came back with Roosevelto bomb Tokyo boom, boom, Roosevelto bomb Osaka boom, boom. He named any Japanese city he knew.

A day or so later the Doolittle raid did hit Tokyo. Foots was beat on for a few days. They wanted to know where his radio was, how did he know about the raid on Tokyo?

Foots kept saying, " I was just shooten the shit!"

This habit of Japanese guards naming US cities and saying "Boom, boom" crops up in other references.

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POW Camps Holding North China Marines

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