Current Auction
This public auction is closed.
| Images | Description | Current Bid |
| Lot #702 JAPAN Prisoner of War Camps 1915-18 After Germany and its allies were defeated in Tsingtao, more than 4,600 POWs were interned in temporary camps in cities throughout Japan. When it became clear that the war would last longer than originally expected, Japanese military authorities constructed permanent POW camps in Kurume, Narashino, Aonogahara, Osaka, Ninoshima and Nagoya. In 1917, a POW camp Ninoshima (off Hiroshima) was established in order to absorb prisoners from Camp Osaka, and the POW camp Bando was created in order to integrate the camps of Marugame, Matsuyama and Tokushima. The POW camps of Shizuoka and Oita remained untouched until the last year of war, when prisoners there were deported to Narashino. Camp Kurume was the largest in Japan, with 1,308 German prisoners, of which 59 were officers, and 47 Austro-Hungarians. Camp Ninoshima, with 536 Germans and 9 Austro-Hungarians, was isolated from the Japanese inhabitants because the island was situated off of Hiroshima and surrounded by high walls lest anyone see the naval port nearby. Camp Aonogahara, near Kobe, held 255 German and 230 Austro-Hungarian prisoners, constituting some 80 percent of Austro-Hungarians interned in Japan. Camp Bando, with 918 soldiers and 20 officers, was the second largest POW camp in Japan. Camp Bando prisoners issued a newspaper "Baracke". Camp Nagoya, housing 494 German soldiers and 12 officers, was situated in a city center. Camp Narashino was located close to Tokyo, with 546 Germans and 2 Austro-Hungarians interned there. Collection of 45+ covers or cards from Aonogahara POW Camp in Japan, some incoming mail, different destinations, including a Registered cover to New York, others to Shanghai, Germany, Honolulu, Austria, Russia (cover addressed to a POW camp in Samara), Japan, Tsingtao, China, etc. There is a good showing of censor marks (different colors, some very rare), mostly well described on pages, plus others purchased individually at auction, some still with the original descriptions, Camp stationery entire envelopes, exhibition postcards, Money Orders, locally produced lettersheet, visitor permit, preprinted greetings cards, etc.  | $2,500.00 Bidding Closed |
