In July of 1945 some POWs from Kiangwan arrived at Nishi-Ashibetsu.  Kiangwan had been closed down and all POWs transferred, first to Fengtai near Peking, then to Japan.  It appears most of the military POWs were sent to the northern island of Hokkaido, most of the civilians to Sendai #11 on Honshu.  The officers from the North China and Wake Island Marines were separated from their men and sent to Hakodate #4, called Nishi-Ashibetsu.  The enlisted men were sent to Hakodate #2 and #3.  All three camps were close in proximity.The information below comes from North China Marine Captain John A. White's book The United States Marines in North China.   In early July of 1945 the officers arrived at Nishi-Ashibetsu.  It was a fenced compound with a 150 by 20 foot dilapidated shack.  Already there were some Australian Army POWs.  (White makes reference to some British officers also, but they may have come with them from Kiangwan.)  The camp commander was a young first lieutenant. The galley had 3 iron pots of 5 gallons each.  It was located at the front of the barracks.  Next was a wash and laundry room, the Australian bunk area, the POWs from China bunk area, and then the benjo, or bathroom (latrine).  The latrine vats were often overflowing and rats were plentiful.  A six foot wide earth floor ran down the center of the barracks, dividing the sleeping platforms which were raised about 18 inches.Captains and below were put into work details.  The camp provided labor for the Mitsui coal mine.  Work included shoveling gravel into gondola freight cars and unloading logs from boxcars. Rest days came on the 10th, 20th, and last day of the month.  At times the POWs carried rakes, hoes, and shovels about a half mile from camp to clear a hillside field for the planting of buckwheat.At noon on 15 August 1945 the POWs were allowed to quit working.  On the afternoon of the 17th they were told of Japan's surrender.  On 20 August the officials of the Mitsui Mining Company invited Colonel Ashurst and several other officers to a dinner.  The following is a list of the POWs that attended: 

Americans: Maj L A Brown, Maj J P S Devereaux, Capt J A White, Capt H C Freuler, Lt W M Kessler, Lt W W Lewis, Lt M Llewis

Australians: Col J J Scanlon, Maj J R P Clark, Maj J Edmonds-Wilson, Capt S G Nottage, Capt R A McDonald, Capt P H Brown, Lt E R Almond, Lt J RBadham

 (All Americans were Marines except for M Lewis who was Army Air Corps) 

 On 21 August B-29s made the first food drop.  Supplies included cans of beef, ham, powdered milk, chocolate bars, cheese, dried and canned fruit, K rations, and cigarettes.  Recent magazines were included. In early Spetember Col Ashurst ordered Maj Devereux to go to Camp # 3 to take command until rescue.  Apparently Camp # 3 had mostly Wake Island POWs and Devereux had been their commanding officer there.  Capt White was ordered to take command of Camp # 2 where there was a number of North China Marines.  He left by truck on September 4th for the short ride to Camp # 2.  White stated in his book there were about 110 POW, North China Marines,  Navy medical personnel, and a few Wake Island Marines at Camp # 2.   (Rescue rosters, however, show only 28 North China Marines at Camp # 2 and twice that at Camp # 3.  See page for Hakodate # 2 or Hakodate # 3 for further explanation.)  American ground forces first reached Camp # 2 on 12 September 1945 by jeep.  They made arrangements for the POWs to leave.  On 15 September the POWs marched 2 miles to a train station, then travelled by train to Chitose airport near Sapporo.  They flew out on 16 September.  Captain White mentions he gave a complete camp roster to a major from the Judge Advocate General Corps.  The other Hakodate camps had gone out 2 days earlier than his group.  Photo below is some of those attending dinner mentioned above at Mitsui Company Club House.