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Parent Circumstances surrounding the "confessions" of the Doolittle flyers
Date 16 September 1947
Language English
Collection Tavenner Papers & IMTFE Official Records
Box Box 5
Folder General Memoranda and Reports from September 1947
Repository University of Virginia Law Library
MEMORANDUM 16 September 1947 To: Mr. David N. Sutton From: Kurt Steiner Subj: Circumstances surrounding the ?Ç£confessions?Ç¥ of the Doolittle flyers according to evidence in the trial of the United States of America vs. Shigeru Sawada, et al. On p. 27,901 of the record of the present trial, Defense offered in evidence Defense Document 1027, which is a report on the investigation of the eight Doolittle flyers. Only the letter of transmittal was read into the record. (This letter is identical with Exhibit 2245, p. 16,176, introduced by the Prosecution.) At that time Mr. Tavenner stated ?Ç£that the Prosecution at the proper time will introduce evidence showing the circumstances and manner in which the statements referred to in this report were obtained?Ç¥ and that ?Ç£it is the position of the Prosecution that these statements were obtained as a result of duress and coercion.?Ç¥ I. The Commission trying Shigeru Sawada and others in Shanghai stated in its conclusions: ?Ç£As for Yusei Wako: He, as Judge and law member of the Military Tribunal, had before him purported confessions of the American fliers and other evidence obtained and furnished by the Military Police Headquarters in Tokyo. Although he held this position and was legally trained, he accepted the evidence without question and tried and adjudged the prisoners on this evidence which was false and fraudulent.?Ç¥ (P. 549) (The confessions and report of damages of the raid constituted the only evidence introduced in the court martial of the fliers.) II. The Commission found Shigeru Sawada guilty of Specification 2 (p. 550). Specification 2 reads: ?Ç£SP 2: That on or about the month of August 1942, and the month of October 1942, a Japanese Military Tribunal constituted and appointed by SHIGERU SAWADA, in his official capacity as Commanding General of the Japanese Imperial 13th Expeditionary Army in China, did at Shanghai, China try Lieutenant Dean E. Hallmark, Lieutenant William G. Farrow,