This html article is produced from an uncorrected text file through optical character recognition. Prior to 1940 articles all text has been corrected, but from 1940 to the present most still remain uncorrected. Artifacts of the scans are misspellings, out-of-context footnotes and sidebars, and other inconsistencies. Adjacent to each text file is a PDF of the article, which accurately and fully conveys the content as it appeared in the issue. The uncorrected text files have been included to enhance the searchability of our content, on our site and in search engines, for our membership, the research community and media organizations. We are working now to provide clean text files for the entire collection.
------------------------------- By Sam Falle _____________________
The author, right, and Shunzo Tagami visit in Sweden in 1988.
They first met on the deck of a Japanese destroyer in 1942.
Your bosom friend S. Tagam1 K. Tagami
Some months after Proceedings published “Chivalry” (January 1987)—a personal account of a Japanese destroyer rescuing British survivors during World War II—I received a letter from the Japanese defense attache in London. He wrote:
“I read your contribution to the Naval Institute’s Proceedings and found it very interesting.
“The Japanese destroyer you mention was called Ika- zuchi, which means “Thunder” in English. The Captain of the destroyer is now dead, but some officers are still alive. One of these, Sub-Lieutenant Tagami, also read your contribution and asked if I could give your current address. He is eagerly hoping to contact you. I would be most appreciative if you could give me permission to inform Sub-Lieutenant Tagami of your address.”
I was delighted to receive this letter and of course told the defense attache that I would be happy to hear from Shunzo Tagami.
Soon afterward, I received the first of many letters from Tagami. Part of this letter is worth quoting. Forty-five years had elapsed since the events described in “Chivalry.”
Shunzo wrote in English, as follows:
‘ 7 have been very much impressed to read your description. At the Battle off Java 1942, I was the gunnery officer [same as me] of IJNS Ikazuchi when I was Lt. JG, 23 years old [same as me], [Tagami graduated Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1938.]
“On the 2nd March 1942 Ikazuchi was proceeding to SE off Java. At about seven o’clock the sea came to be dotted. When we approached the drift we found many people who lost their ships on the battle of previous day.
They were calling for help with a wave of their hands. Ikazuchi stopped immediately and began rescue operation, lowered the boats, prepared rope ladders, medical supplies, water, food and clothes. I remembered the wind of six to eight knots rippled the surface of the sea. After one or two hours we picked up about four hundred people.
They were tired and some of them were wounded, naked. We felt the distress of war. We cleaned the oil off them, treated wounds, gave food, water and clothes. After this work I invited the gunnery officer of HMNS Encounter to my room, served tea and consoled for his misfortune. I was very much impressed by his serene, disinterested and gentlemanlike attitude in spite of his misfortunes. The - crew of HMNS Encounter spent only one day on my ship, but l have been attached to this officer and I have never forgotten him. Forty five years have passed after 1 met this refined officer, but I have always remembered him. I have had a hunch to see him again. Recently I read your description and watched your picture. I have become to believe that you are this officer. [I would like to believe that it was me, but I think it was my friend and shipmate,
318
Robin Conibear, the torpedo officer. He remembers being invited to join Tagami on the bridge and being presented with a large cigar.]
‘ 7 would be most grateful for any information you can give me in this matter.
‘ 7 am very sorry to say that the Commanding Officer of IJNS Ikazuchi Lt Cdr Shunsaku Kudo passed away.
‘ 7 have turned to the Christian of the Anglican Church after WW II and now I am the owner of fisheries processing industry of Wakkanaishi. I am very happy now. I am looking forward to your letter.' ’
A long correspondence began, which culminated in Shun- zo’s visit to Europe in June 1988. I met him and his sweet wife at Copenhagen Airport on 21 June. It was an extraordinary moment of instant recognition and mutual empathy. Shunzo is tiny, alert, youthful, and sparkling. We were joined by the London representative of the Hokkaido Shimbun Press, Mr. Sakai. He spoke fluent English and interpreted for us, since Shunzo had some difficulty with spoken English.
The long nonstop flight from Tokyo seemed not to have affected Shunzo or his wife. We embarked on a full day of hectic sightseeing in Copenhagen. When we finally returned to our flat, jet lag caught up with them, and they slept until morning.
The next day we drove to our cottage in the Swedish forest, where their tight schedule allowed 24 hours. Then on to Stockholm and a boat trip to the Finnish island of Aland. On this trip a Japanese businessman, based in Stockholm, acted as interpreter, and we talked a great deal. We discussed rationally, unemotionally, and at length the atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the possibility of an earlier ending to the war without the bombs.
It was an extraordinary and memorable visit, one of the highlights of which was Shunzo turning cartwheels on our lawn. We are still in touch, and my wife and I hope to visit them someday.
Just before we drove them to the Stockholm Airport,
Shunzo wrote a little farewell note. He wrote English better than he spoke it.
“We thank you very much for your kindness. We are overwhelmed with gratitude. We had various important experiences. We’ll tell this splendid friendship to all Japanese people.”
Sam Falle joined the British Navy in 1937. He served in HMS Royal Oak,
HMS Kent, and HMS Encounter. From 1942 to 1945, he was a Japanese prisoner of war in Celebes and Java. In 1948, he retired from the navy and joined the Foreign Service. Sam Falle retired from the Foreign Service in 1979 and joined the European Economic Community (EEC). From 1979 to 1982, he was an EEC representative in Algeria. In 1983, he worked for the EEC as a devel- i opment consultant in Zambia. He retired in 1984.
Proceedings / Naval Review 199®