Captured Japanese documents

Series Title: Captured Japanese documents
Date series created: 1988
Series contents date range: 1942-1946
Extent: 5.5 metres
Access conditions: Subject to the Australian Archives Act (1983)
Agency controlling: Department of Defence
Custodial agency: Australian War Memorial

AWM82 is a collection of original Japanese documents dating from the Second World War and the immediate post war period. The material was transferred to the Australian War Memorial in 1954 from the Directorate of Military Intelligence in Sydney. The consignment note accompanying the material stated that, ‘this case contains a quantity of Japanese Records (written in Japanese). I assume there is no point in retaining these’ (AWM file 417/020/047). However, the records were kept, although packed away for nearly twenty years, some of which were spent in less than ideal conditions in a ‘soldier box’ beside the boiler room door.

The Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) appears to have received the bulk of the material in AWM82 from two distinct sources; the Allied Translator and Interpreter Section (ATIS), General Headquarters (GHQ), South West Pacific Area (SWPA) and Headquarters 8th Military District (Rabaul). While the ATIS material was captured between 1942 and 1945, the material from Rabaul dates from late 1945 to 1946. The collection also contains a number of items which have been added to the collection on the basis that they are written in Japanese, several of these are deaccessioned War Memorial relics.

In the early 1980's the material was examined in great detail by Etsu Kuwada, a retired Japanese Major-General and instructor with the Japanese Joint Staff College. General Kuwada produced a detailed description of the types of material in the collection that noted the origin of various items and their historical importance. General Kuwada's listing of the series was later published in Gunji Shigaku [Military History, Vol. 18, No 3 and Vol. 18, No 4]. In 1987 another item level description was compiled by Miss Doris Heath. However, despite the careful work of both Kuwada and Heath, as the series was not rearranged or properly labelled in conjunction with their work, it remained difficult for researchers and Memorial staff to access. In addition neither Kuwada nor Heath's lists were entered onto the Australian Archives ANGAM (Australian National Guide to Archival Material) database.

As a result of his work General Kuwada suggested that a number of personal items in the collection, such as soldier's paybooks and military pocket books should be returned to the families of the soldiers from whom they were captured. The Memorial took up Kuwada's suggestion and with the Assistance of the Japanese Embassy and the Ministry of Health and Welfare in Tokyo, ninety-two requests for the return of personal documents were processed, and eighty-six items returned to Japan. Photocopies of the items returned were retained in the collection for reference purposes and are clearly marked "Photocopy only, original returned to Japan".

In 1995 Professor Hiromi Tanaka of the Japan National Defence Academy, visited the Memorial and began the task of making another detailed description of the documents contained in AWM 82 for his own purposes. Professor Tanaka's work and a request from Japan for a soldier's savings book which had been requested, but not returned to the family during the 1980s, highlighted to Official Records staff the pressing need for re-arrangement, labelling and rehousing work to be carried out on the series. In early 1997 work on the series became a priority with the establishment of the Australia-Japan Research project (AJRP).

Through this venture between the Australian War Memorial and the Japanese Government, the AJRP aims to create a database listing all Japanese printed and written material that relates to the Australia-Japan relationship held in Australia collecting institutions including AWM82.

Work on the series during 1997 included the physical and intellectual arrangement of the collection into three major sub-series: documents which originated from the Allied Translator and Interpreter Section (ATIS), documents collected by the 8th Military District Rabaul, and miscellaneous material. These sub-series, reflect the different origins of documents within the series as a whole. The sub-series of material which originated from ATIS has been further divided into four smaller sections, grouping items according to how they were originally processed by ATIS. Professor Tanaka's detailed listing, kindly translated by staff of the AJRP, was used to provide item level descriptions for the series. These item level descriptions are more detailed than those shown on the primary RecordSearch item entry, and can be found on the AJRP website: http://www.awm.gov.au/ajrp

Items were also rehoused in acid free wallets and folders. The final arrangements of the series, and related control symbols are described in further detail below.

1/-: Documents which originated from the Allied Translator and Interpreter Section (ATIS)

1/1/-: Items captured at Milne Bay, 6 October 1942.

These twelve items, comprising of unit and sub-unit rolls, embarkation orders and organization charts, bear no ATIS registration stamps or document registration numbers. However, each item has handwritten annotation indicating that it was received at ATIS SWPA on 16 October 1942. As ATIS only officially began operations on 19 September 1942, it is possible that these documents were received and processed before the elaborate ATIS document registration system was devised. (Assigned number system, [1/1/1] - [1/1/12]).

1/2/-: Items registered by ATIS as "B" documents.

This group of captured Japanese documents comprises of items which were classified by ATIS as "B" documents, i.e. documents which, though not likely to be of "operational value might contain information of probable or general value" (Operations of the Allied Translator and Interpreter Section GHQ SWPA 1948, p. 43).

When captured documents arrived at ATIS, they were assigned a classification to indicate their priority for translation. Items could be classified as A, B, C, or D documents. Items were then scanned by specialist linguistic staff and a summary of the document with its classification was usually published and distributed in an ATIS Bulletin (AWM 55, 1/-). A full translation of important documents was then published at a later date in an ATIS Current Translations publication (AWM 55, 3/). Generally "A" documents, which were thought to contain information of immediate operational value, were translated and their contents distributed by ATIS as soon as possible, whereas "B" documents were put aside for translation later if required. By the end of the war, ATIS had about 200,000 "B" documents, some of which are listed in the ATIS inventories (AWM 55, 16/-). The process of compiling these inventories and the ultimate fate of the listed "B" documents is described in the Operations of the ATIS GHQ SWPA as follows:

Inventorying of Documents - "B" Documents were inventories; that is, segregated according to type: viz., diaries, orders, paybooks, nominal rolls, etc.; and essential data in respect to their issuing authority, title, date, area of reference, etc., indexed, numbered and recorded. The results were published in special ATIS Inventories. The documents were then carefully labelled and packed in numbered cases. In that way, it was possible for the limited number of translators available to concentrate their efforts on the processing of "A" documents, while still providing other intelligence agencies with sufficient information in respect to "B" documents to ascertain whether or not translation was desirable. Further translation was made as the situation permitted. All "B" documents, of which further translation was not requested, were shipped to the Assistant Chief of Staff, G-2, War Department, Washington, D.C. That applied only to those documents over which, the United States had jurisdiction. (Operations of the Allied Translator and Interpreter Section GHQ SWPA 1948, p. 43).

The registration numbers assigned to "B" documents by ATIS were divided into two sets. The 200 000 number block was allocated to documents over which the United States had jurisdiction and the 500 000 number block to documents over which Australia had jurisdiction. How jurisdiction was determined is not clear, however, one would expect that the nationality of the formation/unit responsible for the capture of the document was the determining factor. It would appear that the Department of Military Intelligence (DMI) Sydney was the designated last resting place for the records falling under Australian jurisdiction in the same way that Washington was the last location for documents falling under American jurisdiction. While the majority of documents in AWM82 have 500 000 number block registrations a number have 200 000 numbers. It has not yet been established how these "American" documents came to be with the Australian records'. However nearly all of the documents bearing 500 000 numbers had originally been given a 200 000 number which was crossed out and replaced.

Before work commenced on the arrangement of this series, these "B" documents were spread in no particular order through the first nine boxes of the series. The documents are now arranged and listed by their ATIS registration numbers prefixed by an assigned sub-series number. As the documents were placed back in their original ATIS registration number sequence, sets of different types of material such as maps, paybooks and saving books, each occupying a run of ATIS registration numbers emerged. Sometimes a fourth assigned number was required to facilitate the division of groups of items bearing the same ATIS registration number.

1/3/-: ADVATIS material captured in the Philippines, 1944-1945.

The contents of these items suggests that they were captured between late 1944 and 1945 in the Philippines, and processed by Advanced Allied Translator and Interpreter Section (ADVATIS) in Manila. ADVATIS was first established in 1944 at Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea, as a miniature ATIS base to service the immediate needs of the forces assembling for the invasion of the Philippines. In May 1945 after the invasion of the Philippines, ADVATIS moved to Manila, where it carried out document registration and initial translation work until its functions were subsumed by the movement of Base ATIS from Brisbane to Manila in July 1945 (operations of the Allied Translator and Interpreter Section GHQ SWPA 1948, p. 35).

While only some of these fifty one items bear ADVATIS registration stamps, the objects can be linked by their contents and also by there being a 5" x 3" index card, on which a brief description of the item has been typed (apparently by the same typewriter) attached to each item. The documentation on items bearing ADVATIS stamps suggests that these documents were also "B" documents. However there is one item [***] in this set of material which was registered as an "A" document by ADVATIS. The document, a diary of a Medical Officer captured at San Nicholas on January 30th 1945, still has its ATIS scanning sheet attached, the only item in the collection to do so. (Assigned number system, [1/3/1] - [1/3/51]).

1/4/-: Items registered by ATIS as "A" documents.

Many of these twelve items appear to have been translated and published as ATIS Spot Reports (AWM55, 2/-). Spot reports were, "only issued when information considered to be of immediate operational value reached ATIS without the certainty that it had been seen by forward tactical units" (Operations of the Allied Translator and Interpreter Section GHQ SWPA 1948, p. 52). All of the original documents in this set of material have been attached to cardboard folders or sheets with brief description of the material and or a typed note listing the Spot Report in which it appeared. (Numbering is a mix of assigned numbers and ATIS registration numbers where available eg: [1/4/1] - [1/4/-].

Most of the ATIS documents have a place and date of capture noted on them as part of the ATIS registration process. Many of the B documents come from New Guinea and as such were probably processed initially by the New Guinea Force ATIS Advanced Echelon, which was formed in January 1943 as Advanced Echelon No 1. Located with Headquarters, New Guinea Force, Port Moresby and then from May 1944 at Lae, the unit was responsible for the processing and preliminary translation of captured documents and the interrogation of Japanese prisoners. In addition, ATIS personnel working under this unit were posted to work in forward positions, many with Australian Division and Brigade Headquarters, to process and provide on the spot translations of material as it arrived from the front. The Operations of the ATIS GHQ SWPA provides a colourful description of the work of ATIS in forward areas.

Documents in bags, parcels, boxes and bales, and sometimes even wrapped in leaves followed the line of evacuation back to Advanced Echelon. Sometimes carried by natives, often as not by walking wounded, these documents came from companies, battalions and brigades to Division Headquarters. Rough notes made up forward were checked. Urgent information was extracted before rushing them on to the Advanced Echelon where they were sorted, stamped, examined and translated as necessary. The documents were then sent on to ATIS SWPA, for final examination. (Operations of the Allied Translator and Interpreter Section GHQ SWPA 1948, p. 25).

Many of the documents in the collection are in a poor state, damaged by water, mud and mould, not surprising when it is considered that they were often recovered from "battle fields, crashed aircraft, graves, sunken ships and foxholes" (Operations of the Allied Translator and Interpreter Section GHQ SWPA 1948, p. 12). Despite conservation work, some items in the collection are in such poor condition that they are unable to be used. Photocopying may also be restricted because of the fragile state of many items.

2/-: Post-surrender material received from HQ 8 Military District (Rabaul)

When Australian forces returned to Rabaul in September 1945, they discovered that the strength of the Japanese forces based in the area was far greater than previously estimated. In contrast to Australian estimates of 50 000 Army personnel and 5000 Navy personnel, there were in fact some 57 368 Japanese Army personnel, 4156 Civilian workers and 31 923 Naval personnel including 15 705 civilian workers (Long 1963, p. 556). On his arrival in Rabaul, Major-General Eather of the Australian 11th Division instructed General Imamura, Commander of the Japanese Army at Rabaul, to build 13 compounds to hold 10 000 Japanese personnel each while they awaited repatriation (Long 1963, p. 557). Japanese troops in New Ireland were also moved to Rabaul, and by November 1945 there were some 95 396 Japanese military personnel concentrated on Rabaul. (Long 1963, p. 561). Repatriation of the Japanese from Rabaul began in February 1946 and continued until June (Long 1963, p. 583).

Japanese officers were in charge of the every day administration of the camps, under the command of a permanent Australian Camp Staff under the control of HQ 8 Military District. Camp facilities included Japanese run vegetable gardens, cinemas and hospitals. Japanese troops assisted Australians with the disposal of Japanese munitions and some worked in a cordial factory established to provide cordial for Australian troops in the New Guinea area. Many of the documents in this section relate to the administration of the camps and preparations for the repatriation of Japanese troops. This type of material includes returns showing the location and organisation of the surrendered forces, documents relating to the liaison between the Australian Army and the surrendered forces and documents relating to the internal management of the surrendered forces. However, other items in the collection are of a more personal nature including personal diaries, correspondence and a beautifully illustrated song book (AWM82 **).

While it is clear that the majority of administrative papers were probably lodged with the Australian Administrators as part of the ongoing process of administering the camps, how the personal papers came to be in Australian hands is less clearly established. In an unpublished paper (refer AWM file 227/012/001) prepared at the time of General Kuwada's request that certain documents in AWM82 be returned to Japan, David Sissons suggests that the material may well have been confiscated from Japanese troops by Australian Authorities prior to their repatriation. Sissons cites several descriptions in published memoirs of Japanese POWs, of confiscation of manuscript material by American troops, prior to their embarkation to Japan and the searching of Japanese troops leaving Rabaul by Australian troops. Sissons also notes however, that a luggage limit was imposed by Japanese authorities on returning Japanese servicemen. Evidence for this comes from one of the diaries in the collection itself. In his diary entry for the 25th April 1946 Major General Hirashima writes, as translated by Sissons:

The regulations are that when we embark for home we may take only two wicker trunks each and that we shall carry these ourselves. Accordingly one rucksack has been issued per person. (AWM 82:2/*** in Sissons 1983, p. 39).

Given this luggage limit it is possible that some items were abandoned by Japanese troops prior to their departure from Rabaul and later collected by members of the 8 Military District Intelligence Staff.

Prior to Professor Tanaka's work on this section of the collection in 1996-1997, these documents had been arranged into bundles of related material by General Kuwada. Professor Tanaka helpfully divided the bundles into separate items and provided the Memorial with a detailed item level listing. Item numbers were assigned to the material as divided up by professor Tanaka.

(Assigned number system [2/1] - [2/238]).

3/-: Miscellaneous Material

There are presently four items of "miscellaneous material" in AWM82. They include paper based material which was once part of the Memorial's relics collection, but has been transferred to the Research Centre from the Memorials Heraldry and Military Technology Sections for more appropriate storage and documentation, and items donated to the Memorial by private individuals.

(Assigned number system [3/1] - [3/4]).

• AWM82 1
• AWM82 2
• AWM82 3