Yamashita War Crimes Trial

[siege1863]

This 2-Peso Philippines "Victory" note is a recent pick-up. It is signed by Generals Tomoyuki Yamashita (in Kanji and English), Shizuo Yokoyama, and Akira Muto, and dates to the time of Yamashita's trial. Yokoyama and Muto were defense witnesses. In later trials, the two were also convicted of war crimes and sentenced to death. Muto was hanged in December 1948. Yokoyama sentence was reduced to life and he was later pardoned by the president of the Philippines.

 

 

[siege1863]

Yamashita and Muto seen at the trial.

 

 

 

 

 

[automatic]

I love currency with ties to military history, as it combines both of my hobbies!

[Kadet]

Neat. My Dad served in the occupation army in the Philippines as an MP. He was assigned to guard the defendants at these trials

[pchepurko]

That photo is very surprising to me in that American solders would be hanging out and smoking with Japanese officer on trial for war crimes.

[tarbridge]

Not trying to normalize this at all...but being in contact daily can make you familiar with people...so it takes off the edge.

[Kadet]

My Dad would have been like the guard in the background with the pith helmet. He said he was friendly with them as well. He had lied about his age to get in the Army and was only a 17 year old kid at the time. He had a rough time in the PI. He contracted a tropical disease and was sent back to San Francisco on a hospital ship. When he came in, the Army trained him as an artilleryman. They needed MPs more than artillerymen, so he ended up doing that instead. While at Fort Sill though, he was in a horrible training accident that involved the crash of a spotter plane

[Bill Scott]

I think interacting every day with a prisoner does form some kind of a bond with people in captivity.Herman Goering's fatal cyanide pill death was directly related to a friendly relationship he started with a young U.S. Lieutenant.The Lieutenant allowed Goering to go to his locker unattended where Goering retrieved his hidden pill and then took it.There are many books out that say Yamashita by todays standards could not have been hung for War Crimes.He was a very interesting Japanese General and a very complex human being.Scotty

[tarbridge]

It is like your in-laws. ..you did not pick them but are stuck spending time with them. ..

[Usa1918]

What I find more surprising, is that when you compare these defendants with those at Nuremberg, they are wearing their ribbons and insignia of rank. Were the rules different at different trial sites?

 

Keith

[pathfinder505]

I am not trying to highjack your post but I also have a note signed by yamashita and given to a guard. I was able to obtain a grouping from one of his guards which contains pictures and his badge.

 

Also, I asked about the uniform he wore as a guard. He said they only wore the khaki shirts and pants.

[willysmb44]

I think the Japanese military was allowed to still exist in it's postwar form, with the same uniforms and insignia. The Germans were quite different in that they were ordered to change a great deal of their military uniforms and insignia for obvious reasons, immediately after the war.

As for Yamashita himself, you can argue his role in the massacres in Manila and Sook Ching for a very long time with no clear result...

[manayunkman]

The 784th MP batallion guarded Yamashita.

[Growler]

I have these bills collected by my Aunt who was in the USO entertaining the troops.

Japanese bills.pdf