Statement of Tetsusaburo Ito Related to Japanese Activities in Batangas in World War II
[TRANSCRIPTION]
This page contains the testimony from one accused, Warrant Officer Tetsusaburo Ito, submitted as evidence in U.S.A. v Shumpei Hagino, et al., one of the war crimes trials conducted after the conclusion of World War II in the Pacific in 1945. This document was the record of a deposition likely held at a Japanese POW in Luzon. The pages contained herein are now declassified and were part of compiled documentation1 of war crimes trials conducted by the United States Military Commission after the conclusion of World War II. This transcription has been corrected for grammar where necessary by Batangas History, Culture and Folklore. The pagination is as it was contained in the original document for citation purposes.
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| Photo taken during the war crimes trials in Manila. Image credit: U.S. National Archives. |
[p. 1]
STATEMENT OF ITO, TETSUSABURO
RANK: W/O
AGE: 31
MARITAL STATUS: Married.
HOME ADDRESS: Akita Ken, Kawabe Gun, Kawasogi Mura, Shibano 61 Banchi
Q What is your name and rank?
A ITO, Tetsasuburo, Warrant Officer, Japanese Army.
Q What was your organization?
A I was with the Headquarters 2nd Battalion, 17th Regiment.
Q On what dates were you with the Headquarters, 2nd Battalion?
A I’ve always been with the 2nd Battalion but went with [the] Headquarters in February, 1945.
Q Did you go on any of the expeditions of the 2nd Battalion against the Filipinos?
A Yes, I went to Taal in the latter part of February, 1945.
Q Will you name all those who you remember on this expedition to Taal?
| A |
1. Lt. TAKEMOTO, Kiyomi
2. Lt. HAGINO, SHUMPEI 3. W/O HOSAKA, Shinkichi 4. M/Sgt. KIMURA, Keiichi 5. W/O Sato 6. W/O KATO, Sadakatsu 7. W/O KOBAYASHI, Ichiro 8. W/O SASAKI, Umeo |
9. W/O MONMA, Rikizo
10. 2nd Lt. FUKUOKA, Chiyokochi11. M/Sgt. SUZUKI, Masaichi 12. S/Pvt. KAWAMURA, Yuijiro 13. S/Pvt. Ikeda 14. Pfc. SUZUKI, Eichi 15. Cpl. MATSUKI, Naosuke 16. L/Pvt. ENDO, Shoichi 17. L/Pvt. ENDA, Koiichi |
Q How long did this expedition last?
A For three days.
Q Did you go out on the expeditions during this time?
A Yes, on each of the three days, I was with a platoon that had W/O HOSAKA, Shinkichi in charge.
Q What orders did you have?
A W/O Hosaka told us that Lt. Takemoto had ordered that everyone be killed. However, W/O Hosaka told us to kill just the men and not to harm the women and children.
Q Did the platoon you were with kill any Filipinos?
A Yes. During the three days, we saw about fifty or sixty Filipinos and we were able to shoot and kill about ten of these.
Q Did you kill any of these ten Filipinos?
A No.
Q Do you know Lt. Hagino?
A Yes.
[p. 2]
Q Did he participate in the killing of the Filipinos?
A Yes. On each of the three days of the expedition, I saw him leaving the billeting area with a platoon of about 20 men. Some of these men were armed with rifles, pistols and poles, and some were unarmed. After the expedition was over, I spoke with S/Pvt. Ikoda, S/Pvt. Kawamura and L/Pvt. Enda and they told me they were with Lt. Hagino’s platoon. They told me that this platoon killed a great number of Filipinos at Taal.
Q What do you know of the expedition to Bauan?
A I did not go on this expedition so I do not know what happened.
Q Do you know anything about other punitive expeditions?
A No.
The foregoing statement has been interpreted and read to me by Sgt. Harold T. Oie and I have initialed each of the 1 pages, including all corrections, and signed this, the last page, as evidence that I fully understand the same, that I have made such [a] statement voluntarily, without hope of reward or fear of force or punishment, and with the full realization that it may be used against me in Court.
I solemnly affirm that the information contained therein is true.
/t/ ITO, TETSABURO
/s/ George D. Murphy, 2nd Lt., CMP
/s/ Sgt. Harold T. Oie
[Sgd.] GUILLERMO G. GUZMAN