Statement of Tetsusaburo Ito Related to Japanese Activities in Batangas in World War II
[p. 1]
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.
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, Chiyokochi 11. 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.
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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.
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
CERTIFIED TRUE COPY:
[Sgd.] GUILLERMO G. GUZMAN
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Photo taken during the war crimes trials in Manila. Image credit: U.S. National Archives. |
1 “Statement of Tetsusaburo Ito, part of the documentation in U.S.A. v Shumpei Hagino, et al.,” part of the U.S. Military Commission compilation of war crimes documentation, online at the Internet Archive.