Dear Yuichi:

Thank you for your endorsement of my book. Your approval is very important to me. I have rewitten is as you requested and I hope it meets with your approval. I tried to keep as much of your wording as possible so that it would reflect your personality and style of expression and not mine. I did not put your rank and the word "Retire" after your signature because this indicated that you had made the military your career and had stayed in the army after the war until you had served the required number of years for retirement and a pension. Here it is usually at least 15-20 years. Since you stated you were in the army from 1942-45, it was necessary to clarify this point. I thank you for the kind words about me in the first sentence. I was very glad to read your comment about the staff not knowing about the stealing. This is an important statement. It explains in a few words why the POWs were able to do what they did. I failed to give a concise or brief explanation in the book. I hinted or gave an indication for the reason when the guards were told to search for stolen tins of sardines and they ignored the other contraband items they found during their search.Now, I wished I had included a better explanation because it would be of help to the reader. I am enclosing a copy of your endorsement and a copy of my rewrite.

I have mixed feelings about seeing the British video on Tojo because I am afraid they will misuse some of my statements.

I agree with your presumptions about Tojo visiting the other camps and the visits not being reported. I have not yet heard any confirmation about his visits to the other camps. It will be interesting to know if the British TV people were able to find out anything on this subject.

Your proposed visit to Norway should be enjoyable. I regret I was not able to visit Bergen and the area north of there because I understand it is the most beautiful and interesting area. Oslo is not a pretty city, but there are some interesting things to see there. The location is nice. Unfortunately, there are only five X-POWs (Omori) still alive in Norway. Three of them live away from the cities and and apparently are not in good health. Captain Karlsen , who lives near Oslo, had a stroke soon after I saw him and is now in bad health. I do not know if he is able to see visitors now. Johan Johansen ( Oslo ) is the only one you would be able to see with any degree of certainnty. His time will be very limited if his wife is at home. She had a stroke, plus some other problems, and was in a nursing home when I was there. Although I understand she is better, I do not know if she is at home. I will write him. His English is very good. Captain Karlsen is not able to remember his English. My conversations were translated.

It must have been Kristian Ottosen who was trying to contact some Japanese staff people, who had been Omori, in 1968-70. He had gone there to gather material for his book about the Norwegians captured by the Japanese. The book was published ( in Norwegian ) in 1996. He was a POWs of the Germans and is a well known Norwegian writer. His newest book about the release of Norwegians from German camps has recently been published. I will write him after I finish this letter and see if he would like to meet with you. It is rather hard to make contact with himbecause he does a lot of traveling. I was fortunate to see him the day he had just finished doing the final editing of the galley proof of his last book. I would have missed him if I had been there a week later.

The most important thing I want to do in this letter is to express my most sincere apology about returning the Y10.000 note to you. I did not know about this Japanese custom. I simply assumed it was a payment for some additional copies of the book which was not necessary because I was going to send you some extra copies. Please pardon my ignorance and consider the thoughts of the gift accepted. Thank you.

Sincerely
Bob
Robert R. Martindale


Comments and Endorsement
of The 13tn Mission by Robert R.Martindale

I am taken by the personality and character of Mr.Robert R. Martindale. I approve and am assured of what he has written in his book is correct; especially as far as Omori POW camp is concerned.

I was in the Japanese Army for three years and rose to the rank of Second Lieutenant (Accountant). Fourteen months ( February 1944 to April 1945 ) were spent at Omori POW Camp as the Pay Sergeant in the accounting section of the Tokyo Area POW Headquarters. I knew what happened in our offices, but very little about what occurred in the POW barracks . Bob Martindale knows more about what happened there. His detailed descriptions are very clear and vivid.

The most impressive and interesting story in the book, for me, was about the stealing and smuggling done by the POWs. None of the Japanese staff, from the commandant to the mere privates, did not know about it because of the rigid bureaucracy of the Japanese Army and the POW's dexterity in stealing.

All of the other stories in the book are dependable and recommendable.

Signed.
Yuichi Hatto