Takuma Nishimura
Encyclopedia
was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army
in World War II
. He was later tried by the Allies
for war crime
s, and was executed
. Nishimura was a native of Fukuoka prefecture
.
in 1920. He served most of his career in various staff and administrative posts within the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff.
Nishimura served as presiding judge at the court-martial
of army officers responsible for the assassination of Prime Minister
Inukai Tsuyoshi
in 1932 (the 15 May Incident). The defendants all received light sentences. (For this he was apparently rewarded later with command of the Imperial Guards Division, a prestigious posting.)
From 1936-1938, Nishimura was commander of the 9th Infantry Regiment, and from 1938-1939 commanded the 1st Heavy Field Artillery Brigade. He became Chief of Staff of the Eastern Defense Army from 1939-1940.
Promoted to Major General
in 1940, Nishimura was commander of the Indochina Expeditionary Army
in the invasion of French Indochina in 1940. Nishimura was promoted to Lieutenant General
in 1941.
during the Malayan campaign
. During the Battle of Muar
, the Imperial Guards killed 155 Australian and Indian prisoners of war, in an event known as the Parit Sulong Massacre
.
Following the surrender of Allied forces in Singapore
, Nishimura was in charge of the eastern half of Singapore Island, during the period in which the Sook Ching massacre
took place.
Nishimura himself was often at odds with the commander of the 25th Army, General Tomoyuki Yamashita
, at times engaging in conduct that seemed deliberately insulting. As a result, his division was denied the Emperor's Victory Citation, and he was recalled to Japan and forced to retire in April 1942.
From June 1943-February 1944, Nishimura was appointed governor of the Shan States
in northern Burma. From February 1944, Nishimura was appointed Japanese military Governor of Sumatra
, a post he held until the end of the war.
in Singapore
for the events related to the Sook Ching massacre. He was found guilty of war crimes, and was sentenced to life imprisonment
, of which he served four years in Singapore before being sent back to Tokyo to complete his sentence.
As he was being repatriated to Japan, Nishimura was forcibly removed from a ship at Hong Kong, by Australian military police
and brought before an Australian military tribunal on Manus Island
, where he was charged with events on connection to the Parit Sulong massacre. Evidence was presented stating that Nishimura had ordered the shootings at Parit Sulong and the destruction of bodies. Nishimura was found guilty and was executed by hanging on 11 June 1951.
In 1996, Australian journalist Ian Ward suggested that the Australian Army
prosecutor, Captain James Godwin — a former Royal New Zealand Navy
pilot, who had been ill-treated as a POW in Sumatra — had "manipulated" evidence to implicate Nishimura. Ward also claimed that Godwin took no action on the testimony of Lieutenant Fujita Seizaburo, who reportedly stated that he was responsible for the Parit Sulong massacre. Fujita was not charged and his fate is unknown.
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He was later tried by the Allies
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
for war crime
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
s, and was executed
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
. Nishimura was a native of Fukuoka prefecture
Fukuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka.- History :Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen....
.
Early military career
Nishimura was a graduate of the 22nd class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1910, and subsequently attended Army Engineering School. He graduated from the 32nd class of the Army Staff CollegeArmy War College (Japan)
The ; Short form: of the Empire of Japan was founded in 1882 in Minato, Tokyo to modernize and Westernize the Imperial Japanese Army. Much of the empire's elite including prime ministers during the period of Japanese militarism were graduates of the college....
in 1920. He served most of his career in various staff and administrative posts within the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff.
Nishimura served as presiding judge at the court-martial
Court-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
of army officers responsible for the assassination of Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Japan
The is the head of government of Japan. He is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members, and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office...
Inukai Tsuyoshi
Inukai Tsuyoshi
was a Japanese politician and the 29th Prime Minister of Japan from 13 December 1931 to 15 May 1932.-Early life:Inukai was born to a former samurai family of the Niwase Domain, in Niwase village, Bizen Province , and was a graduate of Keio Gijuku in Tokyo. In his early career, he worked as a...
in 1932 (the 15 May Incident). The defendants all received light sentences. (For this he was apparently rewarded later with command of the Imperial Guards Division, a prestigious posting.)
From 1936-1938, Nishimura was commander of the 9th Infantry Regiment, and from 1938-1939 commanded the 1st Heavy Field Artillery Brigade. He became Chief of Staff of the Eastern Defense Army from 1939-1940.
Promoted to Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
in 1940, Nishimura was commander of the Indochina Expeditionary Army
Indochina Expeditionary Army
The ' was an amphibious army corps of the Imperial Japanese Army formed on September 7, 1940 to coordinate the invasion and occupation of French Indochina during the Second Sino-Japanese War...
in the invasion of French Indochina in 1940. Nishimura was promoted to Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
in 1941.
World War II
During 1941, Nishimura commanded the 21st Independent Mixed Brigade, and then the Imperial Guard DivisionImperial Guard of Japan
The Japanese is an organization which is dedicated to protection of the Emperor of Japan and his family, palaces and other imperial properties. Following the end of World War II the traditional Guard, which also served as a unit in the Imperial Japanese Army, was dissolved and in 1947 a civil...
during the Malayan campaign
Battle of Malaya
The Malayan Campaign was a campaign fought by Allied and Japanese forces in Malaya, from 8 December 1941 – 31 January 1942 during the Second World War. The campaign was dominated by land battles between British Commonwealth army units, and the Imperial Japanese Army...
. During the Battle of Muar
Battle of Muar
The Battle of Muar was the last major battle of the Malayan campaign. It took place from 14–22 January 1942 around Gemensah Bridge and on the Muar River...
, the Imperial Guards killed 155 Australian and Indian prisoners of war, in an event known as the Parit Sulong Massacre
Parit Sulong Massacre
On January 23, 1942, the Parit Sulong Massacre was committed against Allied soldiers by members of the Imperial Guards Division of the Imperial Japanese Army...
.
Following the surrender of Allied forces in Singapore
Battle of Singapore
The Battle of Singapore was fought in the South-East Asian theatre of the Second World War when the Empire of Japan invaded the Allied stronghold of Singapore. Singapore was the major British military base in Southeast Asia and nicknamed the "Gibraltar of the East"...
, Nishimura was in charge of the eastern half of Singapore Island, during the period in which the Sook Ching massacre
Sook Ching massacre
The Sook Ching massacre was a systematic extermination of perceived hostile elements among the Chinese in Singapore by the Japanese military during the Japanese Occupation of Singapore, after the British colony surrendered on 15 February 1942 during the Second World War. Sook Ching was later...
took place.
Nishimura himself was often at odds with the commander of the 25th Army, General Tomoyuki Yamashita
Tomoyuki Yamashita
General was a general of the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II. He was most famous for conquering the British colonies of Malaya and Singapore, earning the nickname "The Tiger of Malaya".- Biography :...
, at times engaging in conduct that seemed deliberately insulting. As a result, his division was denied the Emperor's Victory Citation, and he was recalled to Japan and forced to retire in April 1942.
From June 1943-February 1944, Nishimura was appointed governor of the Shan States
Shan States
The Shan States were the princely states that ruled large areas of today's Burma , Yunnan Province in China, Laos and Thailand from the late 13th century until mid-20th century...
in northern Burma. From February 1944, Nishimura was appointed Japanese military Governor of Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
, a post he held until the end of the war.
Trials for war crimes
After the end of the war, Nishimura was tried by a British military tribunalMilitary tribunal
A military tribunal is a kind of military court designed to try members of enemy forces during wartime, operating outside the scope of conventional criminal and civil proceedings. The judges are military officers and fulfill the role of jurors...
in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
for the events related to the Sook Ching massacre. He was found guilty of war crimes, and was sentenced to life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
, of which he served four years in Singapore before being sent back to Tokyo to complete his sentence.
As he was being repatriated to Japan, Nishimura was forcibly removed from a ship at Hong Kong, by Australian military police
Military police
Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
and brought before an Australian military tribunal on Manus Island
Manus Island
Manus Island is part of Manus Province in northern Papua New Guinea and is the largest island of the Admiralty Islands. It is the fifth largest island in Papua New Guinea with an area of 2,100 km², measuring around 100 km × 30 km. According to the 2000 census, Manus Island had a...
, where he was charged with events on connection to the Parit Sulong massacre. Evidence was presented stating that Nishimura had ordered the shootings at Parit Sulong and the destruction of bodies. Nishimura was found guilty and was executed by hanging on 11 June 1951.
In 1996, Australian journalist Ian Ward suggested that the Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
prosecutor, Captain James Godwin — a former Royal New Zealand Navy
Royal New Zealand Navy
The Royal New Zealand Navy is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force...
pilot, who had been ill-treated as a POW in Sumatra — had "manipulated" evidence to implicate Nishimura. Ward also claimed that Godwin took no action on the testimony of Lieutenant Fujita Seizaburo, who reportedly stated that he was responsible for the Parit Sulong massacre. Fujita was not charged and his fate is unknown.