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World War II Pacific Theater Case Synopses from Judge Advocate's Reviews Yokohama Class B and C War Crimes Trials

Defendant: Okazaki, Isojiro, Medical Orderly, Superior Private, Yodogawa PW Camp, Osaka Area, Honshu, Japan

Docket No./ Date: 47/48/July 2, 1946, Yokohama, Japan

Charge: Violation of the laws and customs of war: 1. Did willfully and ulawfully, beat and mistreat certain American PWs.

Specifications: beating with fists, belt and shoes; slapping

Verdict: 2 years CHL

Reviewing Authority's Recommendations: Affidavits were used to discern the guilt of the accused. The accused was a medical orderly in the camp. The accused was identified as responsible for committing these beatings. These beatings were without provocation

Reviewing Authority: Accused stated that he had struck the specified PWs because one PW refused to answer and because the other PW lied. He stated that he struck them in anger.

Prosecution Arguments: Accused pleeaded guilty to the 2 specifications. The record is legally sufficient to support the findings. There is no evidence that the accused was not sane at the time of the alleged acts and at the time of trial.

Defense Arguments: Paul E. Spurlock, Reviewer, Judge Advocate Section

Judge Advocate's Recommendations: Lt. Col. Allan R. Browne, Army Judge Advocate found that the sentence was inadequate for the offenses to which the accused plead guilty. He believed that the 2 year sentence "is not a sentence which is consonant with the requirements of justice."



Child Testifying in Court in Manila.
Photo: U.S. Army, courtesy of Bob Harmon

The trial records of Japanese War Criminals Tried at Yokohama, Japan, between 1946 and 1949 is broken into 2 sets:

  1. 59 reels - Records of Trials and Clemency Petitions for Accused Japanese War Criminals Tried at Yokohama, Japan (1946-1948)
  2. 5 reels - Reviews of the Yokohama Class B and C war crimes Trials by the 8th Army judge Advocate (1946-1949)

The following is a summary of the corresponding case found in the latter group (5-reel set of Judge Advocate's Reviews). Analysis Prepared by Stella Lee Researcher, War Crimes Studies Center


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