Japanese Concentration Camp Life of Foreign Residents in Shanghai

Jayce 2021-11-20 08:01:41

Shanghai from Taipan to Chu prisoner


"We often see some older people sitting on small stools knocking bricks. They are all Taipan in old Shanghai, big businessmen and former British officials from the public concession. Nothing happened before the Pearl Harbor incident. One can imagine that these heavyweights, who are served by Chinese subordinates and servants all day long, will do such hard physical work."-"Shanghai Boys, Shanghai Girls", Chapter 5.


From January 1943 to August 1945, the Japanese invading army set up a concentration camp for allied nationals in Shanghai, detaining more than 6,000 nationals from Britain, the United States and other countries, involving more than ten countries. It lasted for two years and seven months. It was the Second World War. Among them, the most influential and extremely important world events occurred in Shanghai.


Concentration camps set up


Shanghai allies nationals concentration camps, Japanese name is "Shanghai Group of life enemy aliens", the English name is after the Shanghai Civil Assembly Center, Xi said Chinese war "Shanghai allies nationals concentration camp."


The Shanghai concentration camp was established in January 1943, but some deliberation and preparations have already been made.


After the outbreak of the Pacific War on December 8, 1941, the Japanese army occupied the Shanghai concession and increased its control over the so-called enemy nationals such as Britain and the United States in Shanghai.


Before the outbreak of the Pacific War, Japan had already considered how to deal with the British and American nationals and their property in China after the outbreak of the war. On November 22, 1941, the first lesson of Asia Minor, Japan put forward the "Outline for Disposal of Enemy Nationals and Property of Enemy Nationals in Sudden Changes in the International Situation (Draft)", which provided opinions on the handling of enemy nationals after the outbreak of war. The draft proposes that if the international situation changes suddenly, the handling of enemy nationals and enemy property in China "should be guided by mutualism and international law as the norm, and strive to reduce our burden, make good use of it, and avoid useless destruction and dissipation. ". The so-called mutualism is how the enemy country treats Japan, and how Japan treats the enemy country. The document stated that for enemy nationals in China, “should be placed under the surveillance of the imperial army, and their residence and travel should be restricted. Military, if necessary, they should deal with the possibility of being incorporated into the army and other possibilities. My harmful enemy countrymen are detained". For professional and technical personnel, "Those whose technology and experience can be used by us should guarantee their lives and maintain the status quo under certain conditions to make use of them."


In accordance with this principle, on November 27, 1941, the Command of the Dispatching Army of China in Japan wrote a confidential document "The Essentials for Handling the Rights and Interests of Enemy Countries and Their Enemy Countries (Draft)" on November 27, 1941. On December 7, 1941, the day before the war broke out, Japanese Foreign Minister Togo sent an express and extremely secret telegram to the acting ambassador in Nanjing, Hidaka, requesting how to deal with enemy consuls and citizens after the war. Among them, the measures for ordinary enemy nationals include: special requirements to swear not to do harmful actions to Japan, moving and traveling require approval from the military; mail must be censored, and non-encrypted telegrams are permitted; prohibiting the raising of the national flag; surveillance General enemy nationals; speeches at gatherings are forbidden.


On December 8, 1941, after the Japanese occupation of the Shanghai Concession, they declared the nationals of 16 countries and regions including the United Kingdom, the United States, the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Panama, Cuba, and South Africa as nationals of hostile countries. In principle, troops will be sent to the British, American, and Dutch consulates in Shanghai to stop all operations of these consulates, shut down and seal up radio equipment, and take consulate personnel into centralized management. At the same time, the Japanese army took over and cleared banks stationed in Shanghai in Britain, the United States, the Netherlands and other countries, and invaded so-called enemy state-owned enterprises in the name of "military management." There were 64 enterprises in the first batch of military management.


On January 20, 1942, the Japanese army announced that it would register the population of the overseas Chinese in Shanghai, Britain and the United States. At that time, there were 5865 British, 1369 Americans and 152 Dutch in Shanghai. On September 20, the Japanese occupation authorities stipulated that from October 1st, all citizens of the enemy country who have reached the age of 13 must wear a red armband. The armband is 10 cm wide and has an English letter on it to represent nationality. The United States is A and the United Kingdom is B. , The Netherlands is N, the remaining small countries are X, and the British and American personnel of the Ministry of Industry and Technology retained by Japan are no exception. The Japanese army also stipulated that anyone wearing this type of armband is not allowed to enter public entertainment venues such as theaters, movie theaters, dance halls, nightclubs, back-to-back stadiums, and race halls.


In October 1942, the Japanese military authorities decided to treat people in enemy countries in China separately, distinguishing "detainees" and "group lifemen", and to deal with those suspected of espionage, especially those who might cause harm to the military. Detained the violator, and carried out group life on the others.


On January 24, 1943, the Japanese Consulate in Shanghai formulated the "Implementation Guidelines for Living in the Enemy Group of Chinese Enemies in Shanghai", and decided to take in the concentration camps for the British, American and other foreign nationals in Shanghai who are in belligerent relations with Japan. However, Filipinos, Indians, With the exception of Malays, Burmese, Japanese with British and American nationality, Chinese and Dutch Indians, for those people who have broken diplomatic relations with Japan, corresponding measures will be taken according to the attitude of the other country. At that time, it was estimated that 7,750 people would be admitted to the concentration camps. It was decided to set up eight concentration camps in Shanghai and another concentration camp in Yangzhou, which is also within the scope of Shanghai concentration camps.


On January 29, 1943, the concentration camp was officially opened. At the end of April 1943, the first phase of asylum came to an end. The eight concentration camps accommodated a total of 5,258 nationals from Britain, the United States and other countries. On September 19, 1943, about 900 people left Shanghai by boat. After the evacuation of the Europeans and Americans, the Japanese occupation authorities adjusted the personnel in the Shanghai concentration camps. The inmates in the concentration camps in Pudong, Huxi, and Longhua have undergone major changes, and some of the foreigners accommodated in the Yangzhou concentration camps have also been moved to Shanghai. In mid-October 1943, the number of inmates in the Shanghai concentration camp was 5,706. At the end of November 1943, it was 6,155, and at the end of September 1944, it increased to 6,200. These people come from the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the Soviet Union, Portugal, Norway, etc. The youngest detainees were 6 months old and the oldest was 88 years old.


The concentration camp lasted for two years and four months and did not end until Japan surrendered in August 1945.


Concentration Camp distribution


Shanghai allies nationals concentration camp beginning eight. In September 1943, Italy, which belonged to the Axis powers, signed a surrender armistice agreement with the United Kingdom and the United States. Subsequently, Japan set up a concentration camp in Shanghai to detain Italians. In this way, the number of concentration camps increased to 9. The two concentration camps in Pudong and Longhua have the largest scale and the largest number of people.


Concentration camps are generally isolated from the outside by barbed wire, and there is a sentry box at the door. Some concentration camps (such as Huxi No. 1 Concentration Camp) are located in places with a relatively large number of residents due to their weak barbed wire. They are prone to contact with the outside world. There have been incidents where the detainees successfully escaped, and there have also been incidents of successful delivery of letters.


The Japanese occupation authorities exercise military control over concentration camps. When expatriates come in, strictly limit the number of items they can bring. After entering, they must take an oath to obey the jurisdiction and do not engage in anything that violates the concentration camp system; in the concentration camps, every 20 or 10 people are organized into a small team (some called squads), and each team has a team leader; each team belongs to several teams. The brigade, the brigade has a brigade leader; the small team leader and the brigade leader are all selected from among the expatriates who have been accommodated. Each concentration camp has one director of the "group life center", one director of affairs, and a number of entrustments and inspections, all of which are held by Japanese; inspections are carried out every hour in the camp every day.


Betty Barr, who was only 10 years old when she entered the camp, recalled the details of her entry: A


few weeks before leaving home, what I was interested in was the preparations for moving into the camp. Each person is allowed to bring four pieces of luggage, and there is no mention of any restrictions on the size of the luggage. So my parents called the packing workers in China. They were very skilled and piled up a lot of things on our four beds, including the mattresses, stitched together with rattan. The luggage includes: a folding table, four folding chairs, bedding, mosquito nets, buckets, pots, pots, enamel plates, cups, knives, forks, spoons, bottle openers, gardening tools, wooden washboards, brooms, Dustpan, rag, a jar for indoor use.


Since we didn't know how long we would stay in it, we brought as much canned food as possible, as well as books, games, etc., especially toys that are particularly important to me, and even toy beds. Each piece of luggage is marked with a camp number. Those who entered the concentration camp on April 10 belong to the 22nd column. The numbers of our family are: 22/225 (Dad), 22/226 (Mom), 22/227 (Dick), 22/228 (Me).


We set off at 7:30 in the morning, packed three rickshaws, and drove to the Columbia Club, the place where we concentrated.


The bus is coming, tell us to get on the bus according to the number. Order was good, no escaping or screaming occurred. At ten thirty in the morning, we left. Most buses have a Japanese guard, but ours does not. Almost all the children in the car thought they were going on vacation and chatted happily during the trip, but Dick and I, the older ones, were very quiet.


We drove through Xiafei Road and passed by Xujiahui Cathedral. After leaving the French Concession, the road became dirty and bumpy. The small village was surrounded by rice fields and irrigation canals crisscrossed. Finally we arrived at our destination-Longhua CAC (Citizen Assembly Center), the official name of our concentration camp. The concentration camp is not far from the ancient Longhua Tower. It was (and still is) the campus of Shanghai Middle School, a famous boarding school in Shanghai. In 1943, it was still surrounded by barbed wire.


When we drove into the front door, about 1,000 compatriots who had already arrived there waved to us on the roofs of the nearest two houses, and swarmed to welcome us. But we didn't find any friends among them, and we felt lonely standing in the crowd.


A group of ten of us were introduced into the main building, and our parents had to sign the oath.


Then someone gave us the ration card and room number, and told us to wait outside to meet again. The representative of the British concentration camp, Mr. A, and the commander of the Japanese concentration camp, Mr. Hayashi gave brief speeches. Mr. Hayashi said that he was imprisoned in the UK for seven months, so he is well aware of the hardships we face. He looks like a considerate gentleman.


After the speech, we went to our new residence. A family of four was assigned to a west-facing north-facing room on the second floor corner of Building G (a two-story red building). It is only 12 feet by 14 feet in size, which is smaller than my own room on Yuyuan Road, but at least The whole family can be alone together and enjoy privacy. Later, we learned that many families had to share a room, and most bachelors could only squeeze in a long dormitory with more than 50 people.


-"Shanghai Boys, Shanghai Girls", Chapter 5.


Regarding the life of the expatriates in concentration camps, the Japanese military authorities have formulated detailed rules. In addition to taking oaths, forming formations, and expatriate self-management, there are specific regulations on meals, medical treatment, mailing, punishment, etc.

Camp management


roll call is an important means of Japanese nationals dynamic grasp, therefore, points were at least twice a day. For those who do not abide by the naming system, the Japanese army will violently punish them.


In order to prevent escape, in addition to strengthening security, patrols and other measures, the Japanese also implemented a continuous sitting system for detainees. One person ran away and the whole team was punished. Any attempt by the expatriates to escape or resist will be severely suppressed.


Many times in the past two and a half years, some of the difficult friends have "voyaged" through or over the barbed wire, and then we will be punished for the rest. You may have to add another name at midnight.


Sometimes the guards will rush to inspect our residence, looking for all the tools that can be used to cut the barbed wire. During the search, my heart hit my throat because my mother had hidden a kitchen knife under my toy bed and made me swear to keep it secret.


If the fugitive was caught by the Japanese soldiers, the punishment would be severe:


a classmate living in Building D then told me what happened that afternoon. She suddenly saw from the window that a man was crossing the football field trying to escape, and many guards were chasing him behind. In the end, they caught up with the escaping man, pulled him to the goal post, and beat him with bamboo sticks. The friend heard his screams. The people living in Building D yelled at the guards who abused violence at first. Then, regardless of the regulations, they rushed to the playground to rescue their compatriots. The crowd grabbed the armed police and walked to Building F, where they were interrogating other people and the escapees. The Japanese chief and representatives of the British concentration camp tried to calm the crowd temporarily, but soldiers armed with guns had been sent from Shanghai many days ago to restore order.


-"Shanghai Boys, Shanghai Girls", Chapter 5.


The expats were arranged to do daily tasks such as washing vegetables, cooking, cleaning toilets, and cleaning bathtubs. They were also arranged to engage in vegetable growing, poultry raising, and manual labor. In March 1945, Zhabei Concentration Camp raised 17 goats, 11 rabbits, 11 pigs, 1 goose, 6 ducks, 7 chickens, and lay 70 eggs. Longhua Concentration Camp has 9 acres of farmland. In 1944, when the supply of vegetables was difficult, the Longhua Concentration Camp demanded to increase the self-sufficiency rate of vegetables, and a variety of raw vegetables that did not need to be cooked. Some expatriates are also arranged to clean drains, pave roads, etc.:


The English Anglican Church in Shanghai and other pastors volunteered to apply for one of the worst jobs: cleaning drains. Another unwelcome job: breaking the bricks in the ruins to pave the paths in the concentration camps. We often see older people sitting on small stools and knocking bricks. They are all big classes in old Shanghai, big businessmen and former British officials from the public concession. Before the Pearl Harbor incident, no one could have imagined that these heavyweights who were served by Chinese subordinates and servants all day would do such hard physical work.


In order to solve the educational problems of the children in custody, the concentration camps offer courses, with personnel with educational experience in custody serving as instructors.


The children spend most of their time in school. They built an excellent school especially for us. The teachers are all excellent teachers from Shanghai. They have made preparations in advance to teach in concentration camps. The name of the school is "Longhua College", not a simple old-style Longhua College. The school even designed a special-shaped shield-shaped coat of arms. One side is a pattern of the nearby Longhua Pagoda, and the other side is a dragon and flowers, which means "dragon" and "hua" in Chinese. For many years after the war, I still kept the coat of arms embroidered by my mother.


My parents took the initiative to request participation in school affairs in addition to other jobs. One day, I heard a British child say to another, "Mrs. Barr is an American, how can I teach English?"


-"Shanghai Boys, Shanghai Girls, Chapter 5.


During the holidays, students are also arranged to do things, such as herding sheep:


Our school is based on the British education system, and like the local schools in the UK, we also have summer vacations. During the holidays, we were assigned jobs like adults. My job is to look after goats, of course each of them has a name. I drove them to the "New Territory", where there was edible grass, and I watched them graze.


-"Shanghai Boys, Shanghai Girls", Chapter 5.


Some concentration camps also set up libraries.


Aliens can also give lectures on various topics, engage in entertainment activities and various sports. The aliens in the Zhabei concentration camp prefer baseball, and some people go fishing in the rivers of the concentration camp.

goods supply


The supply of materials for the concentration camps is mainly provided by the Japanese military authorities. In addition, there is a commissary in the concentration camp, where there are scattered daily necessities for purchase, and institutions such as the Red Cross are allowed to post items in.


In Longhua, in addition to basic food, we are allowed to receive packages from friends in Shanghai that are forwarded through the International Red Cross channel once a month. The mother of a Danish friend of mine sometimes sends cakes and desserts, a Portuguese friend also brings peanut oil, jam, flour, etc., and other kind friends send us packages even when they lack food. .


-"Shanghai Boys, Shanghai Girls", Chapter 5.


Food is rationed per person. There are recipes in the canteen. Although the variety is relatively monotonous, if the supply is normal, the basic nutrition can be maintained. For patients, patients, and babies, there are also some special supplies, such as milk.


Peggy Pemberton-Carter, a British girl imprisoned in Longhua, wrote in her diary:


One of the most famous professional beggars in Shanghai, is now on the same level as us in terms of economics, with condolence money as support, sitting in the back With a satisfied smile on his face, he bid 850$ for a pack of cigarettes, and the bid was successful.


——"Qi Cage: Shanghai Magazine, 1941-1945"


Of course, these supplies are under normal conditions. When the war is tight and the material is scarce, the situation is very different. In the spring of 1945, as the war progressed, the material supply of the Longhua Concentration Camp was in trouble, and coal, food, and water were all in short supply.


On May 31, 1945, my mother discovered that the food quota had been reduced to the lowest point:


Breakfast: four days a week-long Handle green tea; three days a week-one ounce of porridge.


Lunch: a long-handled scoop of boiled cabbage and a little belly, one ounce of potatoes and 2 ounces of beetroot.


Dinner: canceled.


Total calories = 300


These meals are delivered to each house by the cooks. Once we leave the monthly packages sent by those friends in Shanghai, we may not be able to survive.


-"Shanghai Boys, Shanghai Girls", Chapter 5.


The most prominent recollection of people who came out of the concentration camp about life in the concentration camp is hunger. Many people starve their bodies and it is difficult to recover their health from then on.


In terms of material supply in concentration camps, there is a very prominent problem, that is, the lack of water. Due to the large population and few water sources, the concentration camps had to bring in water from outside. Betty recalled vividly the water shortage situation in Longhua Concentration Camp: The


first time we realized the lack of water was when we went to a shower room far away from Building G to take a bath. In a group of ten, we entered the public changing room. When it was determined that everyone was ready, the shyest few were still wrapped in towels. The woman in charge of the bathroom gave an order, and we rushed to the showers one by one.


"Are you all ready?" the woman yelled. "Okay, turn on the faucet!"


A one-minute pause:


"Turn it off! Now wipe the soap!"


About half a minute later :


"Alright? Now turn on the water!"


About a minute and a half later:


"End, turn off Drop the tap!"


Drinking water is loaded from the city in a special truck, and then boiled at a hot water station. The quota is five pints per person per day. At certain moments, we always carry a hot water bottle and line up to collect water. If someone invites us to participate in "pre-noon tea" or "tea party", then we will naturally bring our own water. My mother became an expert in washing pots and pans. She can wash the tableware of the whole family with two small glasses of water. Now


in looking back, I let such a thing filled with emotion, after all, we are privileged foreigners. What water did ordinary middle school students drink before the war? What do the farmers outside the concentration camp drink? What kind of water did George drink with his grandmother in the country?


-"Shanghai Boys, Shanghai Girls", Chapter 5.


During the more than two years of existence of the concentration camp, the winter from 1944 to 1945 was the most difficult to endure, lack of food and water, and the weather was extremely cold:


Peggy described in detail and vividly the scene of her freezing in the concentration camp in her diary:


The first real cold snap came suddenly on December 1st without warning.


We began to do our best to fill up all the cracks in the room, apply ointment to frostbite, and reorganize our personal habits. I realized that people can reshape their clothes and lifestyle. The closer he is to a Chinese farmer in terms of clothing and lifestyle, the better he can face the severe cold. All fault-finding behaviors, such as washing frequently, being uncomfortable and lying down, are best discarded. I have already realized the benefits of the new lifestyle. Although I do not wish to adopt this lifestyle again in the future, I can say with certainty that in the days to come, even if I live under unbearable conditions, I can endure it, no matter what.


Therefore, although the pace of winter is approaching, I believe I can face it. Now I just pray for a bigger and better curtain. On the one hand, it can block the cold; on the other hand, it can also serve as a psychological barrier to block the tide of discussions, emotions, tears, and unnecessary loud quarrels from fifty-two imprisoned women suffering from severe cold. And other emotional expressions.


——"Qilong: Shanghai Magazine, 1941-1945"


cold, irritable, and depressed, making the diaspora in the concentration camps more prone to quarrels. Peggy’s diary wrote: “January 6, 1944. It’s cold! It’s cold! It’s too cold! This is the monotonous sound that comes out every time we move our heavy, numb limbs. As for thinking, our brains are like A frozen sponge. In such an environment, people’s tempers are prone to irritability. Every day there will be quarrels around all the problems you can imagine, such as lighting, space, curtains, opening windows, time, borrowing, cutting corners, etc. Anger"


negotiations


Regarding the imprisonment of nationals from Britain and the United States and other countries in concentration camps, the British and American people initially had a relatively calm reaction due to their anticipation of the development of the situation. However, there were also some people who drank day and night and gave up on themselves. After entering the concentration camp, especially after the extremely poor life in the concentration camp, the dissatisfaction of the British and American expatriates has become increasingly strong. Some people believe that "the Japanese were relatively smooth in the early stages of the war, so they treated the enemy overseas Chinese in Shanghai fairly well. But recently they have repeatedly failed in the Western Pacific and the Burmese battlefield, so they turned their anger on the enemy overseas." Some said that the conditions in the concentration camps were poor and the diet was unpalatable. "We have to protest through the Swiss consulate."


In July 1943, the British and American governments made strong protests to Japan through the consul of the neutral country Switzerland on some issues during the establishment of the group life.


Among them, the most important is Japan's negotiations with allied nationals as hostages. In 1945, when the war between the United States and Japan was fierce, the Japanese army once transferred the detainees of the third concentration camp (now the Shanghai Zoo) in Shanghai to Yangshupu, where Japan's military and industrial facilities in Shanghai were relatively concentrated. The third concentration camp in Huxi mainly accommodates the elderly, the frail and sick, and young children. The purpose of the Japanese army’s trip was to take these diasporas as hostages and prevent the US military from bombing targets there. In response, the United States proceeded from the relevant international conventions and issued a serious warning to Japan.


The warning said: The Japanese government once voluntarily swore that the treatment of non-combatants in custody shall be subject to the humanitarian statutes in the Prisoners of War Convention. The behavior of the Japanese government is a serious abandonment of the Japanese government's pledge and a serious neglect of these defenseless citizens. The purpose of relocating these non-combat prisoners to areas containing military installations cannot be simply interpreted as an attempt to protect these areas from attack, but an attempt to expose everything under their power, including the places or areas where the Japanese live. The fighting area is protected from shelling when it is under fire. This is expressly prohibited by Article 9 of the Prisoners of War Convention. This is a serious violation of the Prisoners of War Convention.


Shanghai memories


The concentration camps of allied nationals in Shanghai are a peculiar historical phenomenon that occurred in Shanghai, which typically reflects the extremely extensive international nature of the city of Shanghai. It is windy internationally and it rains in Shanghai. In the war between the United States and Japan, the American Chinese in Shanghai suffered. The Italian government surrendered to the Allied forces, and the Italian diaspora in Shanghai changed from Japanese friends to Japanese enemies. The most ironic thing is that after the Japanese surrender, the place where the Japanese prisoners were held was the place where the Japanese held the British and American expatriates. Yesterday you shut me down, and today I shut you down. After turning a page of that history, the people who are most concerned about that history are still the allied overseas Chinese who once lived in Shanghai. Shanghai has become an unforgettable place in their historical memory.


This article is excerpted from the "Shanghai Allied Diaspora Concentration Camp Research Report" project group "Shanghai Allied Diaspora Concentration Camp Research" project group of the Institute of History of Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences

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  • Elinor 2022-03-28 09:01:03

    It can be recommended to take a look~ The transformation of the characters is too inconspicuous - this is the evil result of the complete mixing of the perspective of a big background and the perspective of the protagonist's little friend! ! ! !

  • Candice 2022-03-27 09:01:06

    Should be renamed SB kid zuo rote, stupid, annoying and pitiful. I watched it because I was curious about the perspective of a third country, and it was disgusting and speechless. This bear child really destroys the three views. In view of the director's background, I strongly mind that in his next film, a rich Jewish child can be deprived of everything, and he is eager to join the Nazis because of the worship of force or military uniforms or whatever in the concentration camp, and the story of disillusionment after the fall of the Nazis

Empire of the Sun quotes

  • Jamie: Help me, I'm British.

  • Jim: Are you with the American Fleet?

    Frank: American Fleet! Looks like you lost your shirt kid.