ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO. 4018 12 March 1951
The following information was obtained from recovered American military personnel, who were interrogated upon arrival in JAPAN from KOREA by Central Interrogation Center, TIS. The interrogation was conducted at Tokyo Army Hospital by Capt SHAPPELL.
Subject was released with the group which attended a Communist Indoctrination School but, being wounded, arrived at the school late and attended only 30% of the course. This report will cover only events occurring before subject reached the site of the school. (Ref. ATIS Interrogation Report No. 3602.)
During a battle with Chinese forces on 3 Jan 51 approximately 10 miles N of SEOUL, subject was wounded and captured. A Chinese soldier applied field dressing and left. A squad then appeared and took him to what they said was their Bn Hq. Here twelve other American soldiers were seen. Source did not enter Bn Hq, which was a village house. After resting one hour, the Americans were marched two miles to another site where an interpreter was waiting to speak to them. He said that the group would go to a camp in MANCHURIA, stay there until the war was over and then be sent home. Since the interpreter did not look Chinese, one of the prisoners asked him who he was. The man replied that he was a Japanese who had come to KOREA with the 2nd Div as the interpreter for the Executive Officer of the Division Commander. He said he was captured near the YALU river and had volunteered his services to the Chinese. He was dressed in a Chinese uniform.
The Chinese, 1200 in number stayed in the same vicinity until 10 Jan 51, with more American prisoners brought in from time to time. On 11 Jan 51, the Chinese moved to a nearby village and stayed about ten days. At the end of this period, the American prisoners numbered about one hundred. The entire group then marched three days and reached the site of the Communist school.
Like COLLINS, subject was wounded and arrived at the Communist school late. Since his wound was serious, he was not forced to attend the school.
Events were difficult for the subject to recall since he suffered much pain during his capture and was under the influence of morphine and codine which he obtained from a US first aid field kit. The Chinese never attempted to take this and the source, as he described it, kept himself doped up.
He does recall that the Chinese treated his wound twice, using merthiolate. They also applied a grease to his scratched hands. This grease was melted and applied with swabs. After several days a scale formed which was peeled off and new skin found beneath. The grease was golden in color and smelled like lard.
One other fact subject recalls is that the Chinese guards boasted several times that thousands of UN prisoners were being held in PYONGYANG, but never mentioned location.
For the CO, TIS:
WEELDREYER
