Reel 1: Footage of the courtroom with sound, including testimony from Colonel Maguire regarding the conditions onboard the Thames Maru, the reading of affidavits (probably by Captain Hibbert, the prosecutor's assistant), and Lieutenant-Colonel Lazarus addressing the court before the opening of the prosecution, and opening his case.

Reel 2: Further sound footage: Corporals Masoto and Tomotsu plead not guilty. Lazarus addressing the court: 'We do not punish men without just trial'. The President, Lieutenant-Colonel Colman, addressing Okusawa, Kajino and Ono: 'You are charged with committing a war crime'. Okusawa, Kajino and Nakamura plead not guilty. Colman addressing the court. Colman and other members of the panel being sworn in. Charges being read. Ono pleading not guilty. The charge of murder of Sepoy Shafi is read out. Gozawa, Nakamura and Chiba plead not guilty. To the final charge of maltreatment Tanno shouts not guilty. Yabi pleads not guilty.

Reel 3: A Japanese soldier, Staff Sergeant Tomiyana, who served in the same platoon as the accused, gives evidence via an interpreter.

Footage shot with live sound from the trial of Gozawa Sadaichi and nine other Japanese soldiers; the opening of the Singapore War Crimes Trials.

Notes

In areas that fell under the responsibility of South East Asia Command, tribunals such as that seen in this film were convened under the authority of the Supreme Allied Commander. From January 1946 to December 1948 the British brought 304 cases against 919 defendants which resulted in 280 death sentences (of which 222 executions), 53 life sentences, 477 other prison sentences, and 105 acquitals. Three of the remaining 4 cases were withdrawn.

The dopesheet names the President as Lieutenant-Colonel Colman, Royal Army Ordnance Corps, the senior member as Major Gay of the Cameronians, and the third as Captain Koli, Indian Army. The prosecutor is named as Lieutenant-Colonel Lazarus and his assistant as Captain Hibbert, both of the Royal Army Service Corps. The counsel for the defence was Lieutenant-Colonel Sleeman of the 15th/6th Lancers, assisted by Major Fairburn of the Rifle Brigade. A Mr Harano is also named as a Japanese civilian interpreter.

This trial lasted until 1 February 1946. The three charges against the defendants related to the maltreatment of Indian prisoners of war and the beheading of Sepoy Mohammed Shafi. Nakamura was found guilty of the beheading and was sentenced to death by hanging. All except Kajino and Ono (who were acquitted) were found guilty and sentenced to terms of up to 12 years.

Colin Sleeman died in June 2006 aged 92. His service to these Japanese soldiers was praised by Colman: You have been defended, powerfully defended, by two officers who were lately your bitter enemies. They have defended you with great skill and zeal. In 1948 he published an account of this trial, a copy of which is held by the Imperial War Museum's Department of Printed Books. See references below.

The dopesheet for the film identifies the defendants, all of the Imperial Japanese Army, as:

Captain Gozawa Sadaichi (wearing '1')

Lieutenant Kaniyuki Nakamura (2)

Captain Okusawa Ken (3).

Lieutenant Kajino Ryuichi (4)

Sergeant-Major Tanno Shozo (5).

Sergeant-Major Ono Tadasu (6).

Sergeant Yabi Jinichiro (7).

Corporal Osaki Makoto (8).

Corporal Ashiya Tomotsu (9).

Lance Corporal Chiba Masami (10).

More information can be found on the University of California Berkeley's War Crimes Studies Centre website. See reference below.

Photographically a rather poor film due to inadequate lighting, and while the soundtrack is non-continuous and fragmented, it is still very valuable.