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The World War 2 Japanese Prison Diaries of

Alexander John James

Korea

 Defining Life as a PoW at Chosen

The Regulations Defining Life of War Prisoners

 Chapter 1.  General Provisions Article: 

1. These regulations are defined in regard to daily life of those internal in the Chosen War Prisoners Camp.
2. The prisoners are required to abide by the under-mentioned regulations regarding War Prisoners and this Camp.
3. The prisoners should obey command and order of the Commander of the Chosen Army, the Superintendent of the Chosen War Prisoners Camp (including Head Officer of Branch Camp and Detached Camp) Staff Officer and Officer of the day.  In regard to command and Instruction issue by the right of guard commander and N.C.O. of the day are also same as above.
4. The prisoners should get on with daily life under the Imperial Nippon War disciplines.
5. Those who break the commands or rules mentioned in article 3 or violate the military discipline or attempt to escape or make resistance and commit dangerous acts are to be subjected to strict punishment according to the Imperial Military Criminal Law and Punishment regulations for the same.  Be careful not to lose your life by making resistance and dangerous conducts because soldiers on guard or watch are apt to use arms if case necessitates.
6. The prisoners are prohibited from assembling and displaying group conduct without permission.
7. Saluting by prisoners of war should be carried out as follows:
• The prisoners of war must salute the Commander of the Chosen Army and the Superintendent of the Chosen Prisoner of War Camps in the manner which is given to a direct superior, i.e. stop and salute. (At the branch and detached camps this includes the superintendents of respective camps – called simply superintendent hereafter).
• All the prisoners of war must salute the Officers also cadet (probational).  Officers attached to the Prisoner of War camps.
• All the prisoners whose ranks are Warrant Officer or below must salute the N.C.O.’s attached to the P.O.W. Camps.
• All the P.O.W. privates (including Lance Corporals) must salute Japanese privates (including Lance Corporals and civilian employees called privates here after) attached to the P.O.W. Camp.
• To the Japanese army and navy service men; other than those mentioned in the foregoing clauses, all the prisoners must salute those whose ranks are either equal or above their ranks.
• The method of saluting mentioned in the foregoing clauses will be carried out according to the Japanese Military methods.

Chapter 2.  Daily Life and Deportment

8. The schedule of the daily routine is as follows.  Rising, Roll Call diet information and putting out lights are to be announced by the sound of the trumpet; Remarks:
• During one hour each after breakfast and supper the prisoners are allowed to take physical exercise in the ground.
• In the afternoon of every Saturday general cleaning of room will be held and inspected in the afternoon.

9. The prisoners must rise by trumpet sound of rising and receive inspection of squad members at definite place designated by the officer of the day.  Those who necessitate medical consultation must apply to the officer at this time (in case of urgency application should be made at every occasion).
10. Evening roll-call will be carried out to one hour prior to the time of putting out lights, procedure is quite the same as the morning one and on that occasion, orders, instruction and other information are to be delivered.
11. Temporary roll-call will often be carried out in the same manner as the morning one.
12. The lights being left after of putting out lights are to be marked with red labels.  If extension of time is required permission of officer on day-time duty must be obtained.
13. You should prepare bedding and hang up mosquito nets after roll-call.
14. From rising to supper time you must not lie down in squad rooms, but this rule however is not applicable to Sundays, general holidays, and specially permitted occasions.
15. Prisoners should always adjust their style of dressing and mode of living and keep their bodies and clothes clean.  Above and beyond certain reasons you can unbutton your tunic or take off the same in the room and permitted place and occasion pointed out by the Superintendent.
16. Distribution of printed matter etc. by request on your initiation is forbidden.  Holding of meetings or attending same is also prohibited unless otherwise permitted.
17. You are allowed to read only books, newspapers and magazines that are approved or delivered by the Superintendent.
18. You must handle the supplied articles cautiously and make efforts to protect them from breakage or loss.  If you should damage or lose them you should compensate the same at your own expense.
19. You cannot enter the factory storeroom cookery bathroom and office room without permission.
20. You are forbidden to bring in or bring out articles from the camp.
21. Report is requested to be given to the officer of the day when any trifle accident occurs among the prisoners.
22. You should not step into the forbidden places.  If anyone found going over the stockade or attempting to do so will be punished on the ground that you hold an intention to escape.
23. Prisoners who refuse to take the oath or being placed on the black list will be attached with the attractive mark and will be forbidden to take a walk in the Camps ground.  Sometimes if occasion necessitates they may be detained.
24. Smoking is allowed only at the designated places.
25. The food and drinks sold at the Canteen are prohibited from carrying into the squad room.

Chapter 3 Duty

26. In general men on duty must serve in strict and positive manner, no idleness is to be allowed.
27. Under supervision of the officers of the day (or week) the contact men including their chief shall assist in roll-call maintenance of military discipline, sanitation, transmission of command and petitions.  They are also responsible for giving best attention to determine the origin of fire.
28. The aid officer for the day in case of officers being included among prisoners (to be called an aid officer below) sand the N.C.O. aid officer of the day (to be called aid N.C.O. below) are to be selected from among the prisoners who are to alternate at noon according to instruction of the officer of the day or an aid officer must watch over the check up of the members maintenance of military discipline and order caution against fire neatness and adjustment, military condition and service of the night watch.  Aid N.C.O.’s must look especially over execution of rule regarding fire prevention working as assistant to the said officer.  He must under the command of the N.C.O. of the day accompany patients to the medical officer, to be present at the consultation and record the names of the patient’s disease and class of sickness or accident and then inform chief contact man to that effect.
29. Two prisoners over night watches (in Jinsen Branch Jinsen superintendents discretion)are appointed from each story (in Jinsen each tenement)  according to the instructions of the prisoner officer of the day.  Their service is limited to one hour.  They must especially take care of sanitation prevention of fire and watch over escape.  If an escape occurs during their service they will be regarded as conspirator and will be punished accordingly.
30. In each squad one person will be appointed in charge of provision, bathroom, commodities and mail and must take over a portion of the work below mentioned following chief contact man’s directions. (1.) A person in charge of bathroom are responsible for bathing preparation, punctuality of bathing hours and giving various aids in the bathroom. (2.) A person in charge of provisions have responsibility over receipt of and distribution of meals, cleanliness, table wares and conveyance of utensils. (3.) A person in charge of commodities are responsible for keeping of furniture applying for repairs, borrowing and returning books etc. and handling donated goods. (4.)  A person in charge of mail are responsible for management of mails received and dispatched by prisoners.
31. Persons in charge of safekeeping of articles for the use of prisoners are appointed to look after the supplied goods and to lend keep and repair articles, clothes and other donated goods according to the order of the staff officer.
32. Book clerks are appointed to lend and manage the donated books.  Prisoner book clerks is to engage in the management of the lending of books and magazines and newspapers according to the order of staff officer.
33. The chief contact man of each squad is appointed to assist to business of prisoners mails.  He is to engage in business of collection and delivery of prisoner’s mail according to the order of the staff officer.
34. Cooks are selected to prepare meals for prisoners.  They must act according to the order and supervision of the staff officer and their work is as follows. (1) Receiving materials for the preparation of meals from the staff and his representatives. (2) Cleanliness and adjustment of cookery. (3) Equal distribution of foods. (4) Economical use of supplied materials.
35. Prisoner’s canteen clerk is appointed for management of a canteen, consisting of one N.C.O. (or W.O.) and three sailors or soldiers who will work under staff direction and act according to the prisoners’ canteen rules. 

Chapter 4. Prevention of Fire

36. Prisoners must always be cautious against fire, for it may often occur owning to carelessness or negligence.
37. Extinguish the fire after its use and aid non commissioned officers must inspect if the fire was surely extinguished or not.
38. Smoking and other conducts liable to bring about fire are prohibited in store room of fuel and don’t place articles which easily catch fire in the barracks.
39. Aid N.C.O. must inspect if fire in brazier is surely extinguished or not and if ash trays are gathered at the designated place or not prior to the evening roll call, and then receive the inspection of commander of guards.  Unburned charcoals in brazier are filtered out by ash filter and then carried to the guard house.  As to the handling of store, we will inform you later.
40. Number of braziers and ash pots will be elucidated at the respective places by tags.
41. Cinders of cookery are to be rejected and throw in dumping places.  Same applies to the bath houses.
42. Tobacco ash must be cast into the ash trays or braziers.
43. Use of candles and matches is prohibited without permission.
44. At emergency trumpet prisoners must line up at their definite place in the barrack in order to be inspected by the officer of the day.

Chapter 5 Hygiene

45. Prisoners are requested to pay special attention to their health and prevention of accidents, prevention of epidemics and contagious disease.  Clothing must be kept clean and exposed to the sunlight.
46. Prisoners must compensate the curing expense of disease.

Chapter 6 Canteen

47. Canteen is opened for your use.  Food and drink bought must be eaten in Canteen room.
48. You will not conduct yourselves in noisy troubling manners which will annoy others.  Canteen must be kept clean.
49. Care must be taken in handling Canteen accommodations.

Chapter 7 Miscellaneous

50. Prisoners are not allowed to keep money over under mentioned amounts; Officers £50, N.C.O.’s £30, Soldiers £20. Remaining amount must be saved.
51. You must observe regulations regarding mails.
52. Prisoner patients taken in garrison hospital must obey the rules of same.
53. Men on duty must put on arm badges on the left arm as show below. (PT.O.)
54. Bathing should be done according to schedule.  You must use bath water economically and keep room clean.

The above will be translated into English and distributed to you.

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