ARTICLES & STORIES

THE KINKASEKI MEMORIAL - HOW IT ALL BEGAN. . .

THE STORY OF THE KINKASEKI MEMORIAL

     The war was over; the Japanese, who had ruled Taiwan for 50 years, left the island, and the Taiwan Metal Mining Co. took over the operation of what had been the largest copper mine in the Japanese Empire. The prisoners of war who had been forced to slave in the dark depths of the mine were also gone, repatriated home to rebuild their lives.

     In time - the ore having run out, the mine eventually closed. Tall grass overgrew the mine sites, and the mine equipment...

THE KINKASEKI MEMORIAL DEDICATION

     On Sunday November 23rd 1997, the final chapter in the story of Kinkaseki was written, as over 150 friends and supporters gathered in the park that now stands on the site of the former POW camp, to dedicate the memorial to the more than 1,000 Kinkaseki Prisoners of War and those who were held in all the other prisoner of war camps on Taiwan. The weather was appropriate - slightly cloudy, but bright; a lovely fall day in Taiwan.

     Present with us for the dedication ceremony were three former Kinkaseki POWs -...

ENOURA MARU MEMORIAL SERVICE - JANUARY 9, 2005

     January 9, 1945 – was the date of the bombing of the hellship Enoura Maru at Takao Harbour, Formosa, with the loss of more than 300 American POW lives. On January 9th 2005 – the 60th Anniversary of that tragic event, the Society held a special memorial service to remember the Enoura Maru and the men who suffered and died that day. The ceremony was held in conjunction with the City of Kaohsiung Cultural Affairs Bureau at a pier at Kaohsiung Harbour. Following the service on the pier, wreaths were laid on the water...

REMARKS BY AIT KAOHSIUNG BRANCH CHIEF ROBERT FORDEN

Enoura Maru Memorial Service Sunday, January 9th 2005 Kaohsiung

     I am proud to be here today with you to honor the memory of those brave men who lost their lives here 60 years ago in the cause of freedom. Standing here on this warm sunny day in Kaohsiung, looking out at the calm seas and the city of people going about their everyday lives, it’s hard to imagine the horrendous conditions under which the American prisoners of war found themselves 60 years ago today.

     On board the 'hell ships' they suffered under...

The TAIWAN HELLSHIPS MEMORIAL DEDICATION

     Taiwan played a significant role in the story of the hellships in World War II. Being a Japanese colony and secure base, it served as a haven for many hellships en route to Japan, as well as a prime destination for POWs being used as slave labour here for the Japanese war effort.

     Following the memorial service held in January 2005 by the Taiwan POW Camps Memorial Society to commemorate the bombing of the hellship Enoura Maru in Kaohsiung Harbour, it was suggested that a memorial be built in Taiwan to remember...

THE ENOURA MARU HELLSHIP MEMORIAL SAGA

     This is the story of the Enoura Maru Hellship Memorial from the beginning in 2011 to its eventual dedication on August 15th 2018. Also on the website are the stories of the bombing of the ship, the memorial service held at Kaohsiung Harbour in 2005, and the building and dedication of the Taiwan Hellships Memorial in 2006.

     This is the culmination of seven year’s work that was first initiated by the Taiwan POW Camps Memorial Society back in 2011 at the request of some of the family members of the men who had died...

MEMORIAL SERVICE AT THE REMAINS OF THE OLD NORTH WALL OF THE FORMER TAIPEI PRISON FOR THE 14 AMERICAN AIRMEN EXECUTED BY THE JAPANESE 60 YEARS AGO

     June 19th 1945 – was the date of the senseless murder of 14 American airmen at the Taipei Prison. On June 19th 2005 – the 60th Anniversary of that tragic event, the Society held a special memorial service to remember the men who suffered and died that day. The ceremony was held just outside the remnant of the old north wall of the former prison with the brother of one of the slain airmen and his two sons present with us for the occasion. A number of friends and supporters joined with us as...

A WORLD WAR II REMEMBRANCE IN TAIPEI

by Jerome F. Keating Ph.D., Taiwan POW Camps Memorial Society Board Member

     Taiwan abounds with historical sites, many of which residents pass by everyday with scant recollection of what went on there. One such place in Taipei is the old north wall of the former Taipei Prison. Located beside the Chunghwa Telecom Building on Chinshan South Road about a block south of Hsinyi Road, this prison served heavy duty during the Japanese period and the subsequent Kuomintang (KMT) White Terror period. Nearby residents still recall hearing the gun shots of executions within the...