CIVILIANASSEMBLY CAMP WEIHSIEN,
CHINA
7September 1945
SUBJECT : Chronological Report on Duck Mission.
TO :Mr. Roland Dulin, Chief MO/OSS, China Theatre.
SUMMARY
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On August 17 the Duck Team proceeded by air to Weihsien, China andafter reconnaissance from, their plane located the Civilian Assembly Camp andjumped to begin their mission.
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They were greeted by the civilian internees who rushedout past the Japanese guards to welcome the parachuting men. Major Staigerimmediately made contact with the governing authorities in the camp - theCommittee of Nine administrating the local affairs of the internees and theJapanese Consular and Police authorities representing the Japanese Government.
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At the conferences with these authorities Major Staiger arrangedfor the Duck team to take over control of the Civilian Assembly Camp on behalfof the Theatre Commander. Internal affairs were to be jointly controlled byMajor Staiger's group and the Camp's Committee of Nine. The Japanese were toremain responsible for guarding the camp walls and for provisioning andsupplying the camp.
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From 17 August to 30 August Major Staiger and the Duckteam consolidated their position in the camp and fulfilled other objectives of theirmission - such as opening up the airfield for relief planes, caring for healthand morale conditions in the camp and negotiating with the Japanese Authorities.On 30 August, Lt. Col. H. Weinberg arrived from the Theaterwith a processing team to take over command of the Civilian Assembly Camp, thusending the first phase of the Duck team's
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In subsequent paragraphs there follows a more detailedaccount of the Duck team's achievements from 17 August to 30 August.
17 AUGUST.
TheDuck team in a B-24 arrived over the target of Weihsien at approximately 0930hours. Owing to the very scanty photographic and other information with whichthey had been provided, they could not immediately locate the Civilian AssemblyCamp where the 1500 Allied civilians were interned. A sweep was made over thearea at approximately 2000 feet and, as no fire was drawn, subsequent flightswere made around the area at lower altitudes. Major Staiger, commanding theDuck team, knew only that the internees were held in a compound some wayoutside of Weihsien, but from the air several locations would have answered tothis description. Finally when the B-24 was down to around 500 feet, a compoundwas located in which hundreds of people were collected, waving up at the plane.It could therefore be presumed that this was the objective sought.
Inthe course of the circling an air-strip had been noted below located not farfrom the internment camp. A conference now took place between Major Staiger andthe pilot of the plans as to whether a landing should be attempted. Major Staigerfinally decided against this course owing to the danger that the field might bemined. Also as the reception of the mission by the Japanese was far from sure, MajorStaiger decided to go through with the original plan of jumping. Thus, if theworst came to the worst, the loss in men and equipment would be minimized.Accordingly the B-24 dropped down to about 450 feet and the Duck team bailedout.
Thenames of the men composing the Duck team and their functions in the mission aregiven below in the order in which they jumped from the plane:
1.Major Stanley A. Staiger, team leader.
2.Sgt. Tadash T. Nagaki, Japanese interpreter.
3.Ensign James W. Moore USNR, S.I.
4.T/5 Peter C. Orlich, radio operator.
5.Eddie Wang, Chinese interpreter from F.A.B.
6.Lst Lt. James J. Hannon, AGAS.
7.T/4 Raymond N. Hanchulak, medic.
Themen left the plane in good order. There was little opening shock, but a stiffground wind and the low altitude of the jump made the landing difficult. Therewas no open or plowed ground near the objective so mostof the men came down in high growing corn fields. Lt. Hannon, whose parachutewas swinging, sustained a shoulder injury on landing which caused himconsiderable discomfort. Nevertheless in subsequent weeks he continued to performhis duties efficiently despite bandaging.
Theplan had been that major Staiger alone of the team should leave his parachuteunfurled as a check point for subsequent drops the airplane was to make.However, by the time the men had recovered from their landings and had begun toroll up their chutes, the crowds of internees from the camp had rushed out togreet them. In the general rejoicing and confusion that followed there was theever present danger that containers dropped from the plane would injure thepeople below. Fortunately this happened in only one case. A small Chinese boy(a local spectator, not a member of the camp) sustained a skull fracture from afalling container. He is now recovering satisfactorily in the Camp hospital.Otherwise the drops of supplies and equipment were effected without incidentand the members of the internment camp assisted team members in collecting thecontainers and carrying them to the camp
Fromthe confused and often hysterical account of the internees, Major Staiger wasable to form a picture of what had taken place when the B-24 began circling theinternment compound. The people within had gone wild with joy, and when theysaw the team parachuting, had burst out past the Japanese guards at the gate -the first time they had been outside the compound walls during two and a half years of captivity.
MajorStaiger credits this spontaneous action on the part of the civilian interneeswith easing to a considerable extent his subsequent negotiations with theJapanese. This defiance of the guards apparently threw the authorities into suchan uncertain state that all idea of resisting the Duck team by force seemed todisappear. It was possible subsequently for Major Staiger to take a firm linewith the camp commandant who had lost face to such an extent that he had noalternative but to accept the terms dictated to him.
MajorStaiger's immediate concern after landing however was to determine who thegoverning bodies were at the camp. He was soon informed that Committee of Nine,composed of delegates from the interned population, administered the internalaffairs of the camp, while Japanese control was represented by the dual authorityof the Consular service and the Consular police. (For a full discussion of thiscontrol see Appendix 1). It happened that at the time the B-24 was circling thecamp a meeting was under way between the Committee of Nine and the Japanesecontrolling authorities. Major Staiger asked to be taken directly to thismeeting. As his party approached the walls of the compound the camp band hadorganized and was playing "Happy Days are Here Again”.
Onthe way to, the meeting with the authorities Major Staiger had met severalmembers of the Committee of Nine who had streamed out with the other members ofthe camp to greet him. Thus the first informal conference took place as theparty walked to the interview with the Japanese authorities. Major Staigerasked the committee members for their recommendations in the situation. Heexplained that the purpose of his mission was humanitarian. Its objective wasto contact the Japanese authorities and to take care of the health and welfareof the internees until more substantial aid could be forthcoming. He explainedfurther first with only 7 men in his team the task of completely taking over allresponsibilities for the camp was out of the question. In this situation it wasdecided between Major Staiger and the committee members that the Japaneseshould be asked to retain responsibility for provisioning the camp and guardingit against external forces while Major Staiger's group and the Committee ofNine would be charged with joint responsibility for administrating all internalaffairs. At the Japanese headquarters building Major Staiger met the Chief ofConsular Police, Koyanagi. Major Staiger showed Koyanagi his letter ofauthorization from General Wedemeyer for the Duck mission and was then taken tosee Mr. Izu of the Japanese Consular Service, Commandant of the camp. Aconference was immediately held between Major Staiger and his officers, theCommittee of Nine from the camp, and Mr. Izu and Koyanagi and their staffs.
Atthis meeting Major Staiger put forward the proposals already decided uponbetween himself and the Committee of Nine - namely, that the Japaneseauthorities be responsible for guarding and provisioning the camp, while the Duckteam and the Committee of Nine be responsible for administrating its internalaffairs. The Japanese authorities appeared confused by the situation and felt themselvesunable to make a binding decision but agreed to accept the arrangementtemporarily. Major Staiger then stated that he and his men proposed to take upresidence at the camp and asked that suitable quarters be provided. As the onlysuitable quarters were those that the Japanese authorities were occupying, theyagreed to move out. At Major Staiger's insistence, they moved out during thedinner hour, and by the afternoon OSS headquarters had been established.
Duringthe conference Mr. IZU, the consular commandant had obviously pried around tofind out what courses of action were open to him. He had inquired repeatedlywhat would have happened if the Duck mission had failed. Major Staiger hadinformed him that in that case a second and larger expedition would have beensent which certainly would not have failed. Mr. Izu appeared convinced that theAmericans were there to stay and subsequent conferences with the Japaneseauthorities, though often dilatory, were never openly hostile.
Duringthe afternoon of August 17, Lt. Hannon and Ensign Moore went out to theairfield to examine its safety for subsequent plane, landings. Sgt. Hanchulakexamined the camp for a. report on the medical conditions. Corporal Orlich setup his radio equipment to be ready for his first scheduled contact in theevening. Major Staiger held conferences with the camp committee on the variousproblems brought about by the new situation.
Duringthe early afternoon a visit was made by Mr. Koga, vice-Consul at Tsingtao, who happened to be inWeihsien at the time the Duck team landed. Mr. Koga had higher authority thaneither the Commandant of the Camp or the camp Chief-of-Police, so the whole purpose of the Duck mission had to be explained againand the agreement reached that morning was renegotiated. Mr. Koga wished MajorStaiger to take over full control of the camp, allowing the Japanese to withdrawaltogether, but Major Staiger insisted on the original agreement standing.
18 AUGUST
MajorStaiger made a general inspection of the camp. It was decided that 12 patientsin the hospital were in such a condition mentally or physically that theirimmediate transference to Hsian was advisable. It was decided to send them back on the B-24 thatwas expected to land at the airfield the same day. However, when the B-24arrived over the airfield the actions of the 200 Japanese guards surroundingthe field were so suspicious, (they had taken up combat positions surroundingthe strip) that panels were put out warning the plane not to land. The planeflew back to Hsian and the patients intended for evacuation were taken back to thehospital.
MajorStaiger called a conference with the Japanese authorities to ask for anexplanation of the happenings at the airfield. Izu, the Consular Commandant, statedthat the airfield was the concern of the Japanese Army and that he couldn't beresponsible for the Army's activities. Major Staiger then requested that a messagebe sent from him to the Japanese Army authorities, through the proper channels.His message was that he could have no respect for an army organization thatcould not enforce orders. This apparently touched the local commander's prideas he sent word that the incident at the airfield would not be repeated andthat American planes could land freely in the future.
19 AUGUST
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Forthe first time the Japanese army entered the picture. Lt. Col. Jimbo and hisstaff came to call on the Duck mission. That their authority was on a differentplane altogether from the Consular authority was attested to by the fact thatboth Mr. Koga and Mr. Izu were asked by Col. Jimbo to withdraw when be settleddown to a conference with Major Staiger. Col. Jimbo was pained that the U.S.Government had not notified the Japanese Government of the intended descent onthe Civilian Assembly Camp at Weihsien. He asked that Major Staiger now requestGeneral Wedemeyer to inform the Japanese Government that the Duck mission wasat Weihsien. The protocol having been thus disposed of, the conference was ableto get down to business. Major Staiger informed Col. Jimbo that it wasnecessary the proper execution of his mission that traffic of American planesat the air-strip be not interfered with. Col. Jimbo agreed that in futureAmerican planes would be given full permission to land.
20 AUGUST
MajorStaiger received word that the Eagle Mission had arrived in Weihsien theprevious day and was staying in town under the protection of General Li Wen Li.Major Staiger established contact with Col. Byrd and the Eagle Mission (a partyof 20) came out to the Civilian AssemblyCamp. They subsequently spent the day inspecting the work that had been doneand taking photographs of the internees.
Inthe afternoon a B-24 appeared over the camp and dropped OWI leaflets givinginstructions to the internees on how to conduct themselves when the war ended.(See Appendix 2) Later still another B-24 appeared and dropped more leaflets,telling the people of the camp not to loose heart as a humanitarian mission wason the way to attend to their needs.
2l AUGUST;
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TheC-47 that had originally brought the Eagle Mission to Weihsien left for Chungking with Col. Byrdaboard. Other members or the mission remained behind in Weihsien temporarily.
22 - 26 AUGUST
Snarlswere straightened out in the administration of the camp. The first joy of theinternees had evaporated somewhat by this time and most of them were eager toknow when their evacuation for home would start. On this subject Major Staigerhad no information, but the rumors that were flying about the camp provideddifficult morale problems.
Conferencewith the Japanese continued. Particularly hard to solve was the transportationsituation. The Japanese have only 4 charcoal burning trucks in this area andtwo are always out of commission. There are also a couple of old model sedansin town. Negotiations were under way to obtain one, the Americans providing thefuel to run it.
2 7 AUGUST
At0730 hours an unannounced B-29 arrived (from Okinawa) and dropped leafletsannouncing that in an hour more B-29s would arrive to drop supplies (seeAppendix 3).
Anhour later a B-17 arrived overhead and effected a landing on the short run-wayof the airfield. It was full of reporters and photographers from the 20thBomber Group who wanted to come to the Civilian Assembly Centre for photographsand news-stories. Major Staiger did not permit them to come in, however, as “visitingfiremen" were raising problems between himself and the Japanese and disquietingthe Camp population. When later a group of 10 B-29s appeared overhead, the B-17took off to photograph the drop mission that was about to take place.
Theten B-29s dropped huge quantities of supplies (for full listing see Appendix 3)Unfortunately much of it was poorly packed in gasoline drums too heavy for theirparachutes end a loss of about 25% was sustained. Major Staiger sent a messageto Hsianrequesting that the 20th Bomber Group be asked to send down lighter drops inthe future. Actually while the B-29s were dropping a B-24 came in from Hsian and made a perfectdemonstration of how a dropping operation should be effected. Many of itscontainers were dropped squarely on the marking panel. The civilian interneesand members of the Duck mission spent the rest of the day carrying in thedropped supplies and sorting them out for issue.
28 AUGUST
TwoC-47 which had arrived the day before left for Hsian. One evacuated the 12invalids from the Civilian Assembly Centre hospital. The other transported themembers of the Eagle Mission who had been left behind when Col. Byrd departedfor Chungking. One member of the Eagle Mission, however, stayed behind to becomeattached to the Duck mission. This was Tech. Rep. Willis S. Georgia, acommunications man.
30 AUGUST
At0700 hours an SOS team of 7 officers and 12 enlisted men headed by Lt. Col. H. Weinberg,arrived at the Civilian Assembly Camp to take over administrative control onorders from the Theater.
Thus the first phase of the Duck Missionended.
William G. Norwood
2nd Lt. AUS
APPENDIX 1
JAPANESE ADMINISTRATIONAT CIVILIAN ASSEMBLY CAMP WEIHSIEN
Becausethis was a civilian internment camp it was under the control of the TsingtaoJapanese Consulate. Administration was carried out by the consular service.Executive control was an the hands of the Consular Police
Thusthere were at the Camp two Japanese authorities - the Consular administratorsand the Police executives. Commandant of the camp at the time of the Duck mission's,arrival was Mr. Izu of the Consular Service. Head of the policing and executiveauthority was chief of Police Koyanagi.