Japanese WWII sub sailors remembered

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West-Front

Japanese WWII sub sailors remembered

Post by West-Front »

Japanese WWII sub sailors remembered

Monday Aug 6 12:27 AEST

The younger brother of one of the Japanese sailors who died when their M24 midget submarine was lost off Sydney during World War II says he feels honoured to attend Monday's memorial service.

The submarine disappeared after an attack on Sydney Harbour in 1942 and was found late last year by a group of amateur divers about five kilometres off Sydney's northern beaches.Kazutomo Ban, 74, the younger brother of Sub-Lieutenant Katsuhisa Ban, the commander and navigator of the midget sub, said he was touched by the service.

"I am very honoured to know that the Australian people remember him even today," he said.

Mr Ban was one of 19 relatives of the two Japanese submariners who gathered alongside dignitaries from Australia and Japan at Sydney's Garden Island naval base for the memorial service.

Senior Chaplain Stuart Hall led the service, which consisted of prayers for the dead men and prayers for peace.

The ceremony included a parade by 150 members of the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force Training Squadron and the laying of wreaths.

Japan's Ambassador to Australia, Hideaki Ueda, said World War II had been a "dark period" for both countries but that the improvements in the nations' relationship had been inspirational.

"This memorial is a solemn reminder not to repeat the mistakes of the past," Mr Ueda said.

An Australian sailor played the Last Post and Reveille, and Japanese sailors sang Umi Yukaba (the anthemof the Imperial Japanese Navy), which noticeably moved the Japanese families.One elderly man closed his eyes and bowed his head with emotion during the song, while others dabbed their eyes with handkerchiefs.

During the wreath laying ceremony, Kazuko Matsuo, the niece of one of the dead sailors, almost broke down as she laid her wreath.The relatives will now have a private viewing of Japanese midget submarine artefacts.

An at-sea ceremony will be held on Monday at the site of the largely intact wreck, off Bungan Head, which is believed to still contain the remains of Sub-Lieutenant Ban and Petty Officer Ashibe.During the attack, the M24 fired two torpedoes at USS Chicago in Sydney Harbour.

The torpedoes missed their intended target and detonated under the converted ferry Kuttabul, which was moored as sailor's quarters at Garden Island.

The ferry sank, killing 19 Royal Australian Navy and two Royal Navy sailors.Also at the ceremony was Neil Roberts, 83, the only living Australian survivor of the attack who said he greatly admired the bravery of the fallen submariners.

"I admire what they've done," Mr Roberts said.

"If you think about what they did, travelling in those midget submarines was an incredible feat."
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Post by Tanaka »

Thanks for posting this Jager very interesting :D

Great to see this sort of thing happening as it shows how even those involved are able these days to get along.
Now if we could only get those that actually have no connection with the war to drop there out dated bigoted views things would be so much better.

Well done to the Australians :D
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Post by West-Front »

G'day, no problem whenever I see things that are topical, I like to try and post them, if they create geuine discussion all the better.

I once heard a quote from a WW2 Australian veteran from the SWPA talking about the Japanese (tourism in Queensland , road signs translated into Japanese and how that made him feel etc), and he said that " He had nothing against the young Japanese it was the Japanese grandfathers he had a problem with ....."

Meaning of course that the 1940's prejudices that you speak of are part of that generation of people that saw it first hand.

Personally I can't help but feel that the ill feeling you speak of is slowly being "watered down" in our PC world.

If you look at the last mainstream Australian film to deal with the Pacific campaign, "Kokoda", the Japanese are never directly seen in the film, its more referred to in terms of shadowy figures, (glimpes of dark shapes / figures etc). I'm not sure if that was deliberate or not, it certainly lent itself to the claustrophobia (sic) of the jungle....which was of course the Gold Cost hinterland !!!.

Have you ever seen or heard of another Australian film called "Blood Oath " ?. Released about 1990 it dealt with the war crime trials on Ambon island. Its a good solid film, with a very sympathic treatment of the Japanese. George Takei was in it.

I also found it interesting to see how it , the IJA was treated in "Letters from Iwo Jima" as well. But thats another thread.

Thanks for the discussion !
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Post by Tanaka »

I have no problem what so ever with veterens hating the Japanese they fought, how can you not hate someone whos out to kill you, i know if i had been there i would really hate the Japanese.
But alot of people these days who have no connection with the war or the Japanese don't see any difference with the Japanese you fought in WW2 and the Japanese youth of today so they just hate Japan as a whole which i think is very narrow minded as there basing there opinion on nothing more than stories and rumour.


instead you get comments like this for the guys who were there
The ferry sank, killing 19 Royal Australian Navy and two Royal Navy sailors.Also at the ceremony was Neil Roberts, 83, the only living Australian survivor of the attack who said he greatly admired the bravery of the fallen submariners.

"I admire what they've done," Mr Roberts said.

"If you think about what they did, travelling in those midget submarines was an incredible feat."
No i haven't seen Blood Oath, but then im still waiting to see Kokoda and Letters, probaly the only person not to have but really should have been one of the first :lol:
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