On
this date, 7 August 1947, Lieutenant General Masao Baba, was executed by
hanging. He was charged with command responsibility for the Sandakan Death
Marches, during which over 2200 Australian prisoners of war perished. This
doctrine was similar to the Yamashita Standard.
INTERNET SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masao_Baba
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Lieutenant-General Masao Baba [PHOTO SOURCE: http://www.generals.dk/general/Baba/Masao/Japan.html]
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Born
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7 January 1892
Kumamoto prefecture, Japan |
Died
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7 August 1947 (aged 55)
Rabaul, Territory of New Guinea |
Allegiance
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Empire of Japan
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Service/branch
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Imperial Japanese Army
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Years of service
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1909–1945
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Rank
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Lieutenant General
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Commands held
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Battles/wars
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Second Sino-Japanese War
World War II |
Masao Baba (馬場 正郎 Baba Masao, 7 January 1892 – 7 August 1947) was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, commanding the Japanese ground forces of the Borneo Campaign of 1945 in the closing months of the war.
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LABUAN ISLAND, NORTH BORNEO. 1945-09-10.
SUPREME JAPANESE COMMANDER IN BORNEO, LIEUTENANT GENERAL MASAO BABA, SEATED IN
A JEEP AT LABUAN AIRSTRIP ON HIS WAY TO SIGN THE OFFICIAL SURRENDER DOCUMENT AT
9TH DIVISION HEADQUARTERS.
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Biography
Baba
was born in Kumamoto prefecture, as the son of Lieutenant Baba Masayuki, a
career officer in the Imperial Japanese Army, and his wife. He attended
military preparatory schools from childhood, starting with the Army Cadet
School in Hiroshima, whose curriculum was based on Prussian models. He
graduated from the 24th class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in December
1912, specializing in cavalry. As a second lieutenant, he was assigned to the
IJA 5th Cavalry Regiment.
Baba
studied as part of the 33rd class of the Army War College, graduating in
November 1921. He remained in the cavalry throughout his career, and was
attached to the Inspectorate of Cavalry from 1933-1935, where he served as an
instructor at the cavalry school. In 1935, Baba was promoted to colonel and
subsequently given command of the IJA 2nd Cavalry Regiment from 1935 to 1938.
In
July 1938, Baba was promoted to major general, and served as commanding officer
of the IJA 3rd Cavalry Brigade to 1939. From 1939 to 1940, he served as a staff
officer with the Inspectorate of Cavalry. He became the commander-in-chief of
all cavalry operations from 2 December 1940 to 1 October 1941. During the
Second Sino-Japanese war, he was assigned to Inner Mongolia to develop cavalry
operations. In August 1941, Baba was promoted to lieutenant general.
With
the start of World War II, Baba was assigned command of the IJA 53rd Division,
a post which he held to 25 September 1943, when he was appointed commander of
the IJA 4th Division in Sumatra. He subsequently became commander in chief of
the IJA 37th Army based in Borneo.
While
in Borneo, Baba organized anti-guerrilla operation in the interior of the
island. He was also military governor of Sabah from 26 December 1944 until 10
September 1945. The Allied reconquest of Borneo began on 1 May 1945 with the
landing of the Australian Army at Tarakan, and with landings at Brunei and
Labuan on 10 June. Japanese forces surrendered on 9 September, with General
Baba formally turning over his sword to Major General George Wootten of the
Australian 9th Division at Labuan on 10 September. Baba was officially
discharged from the Imperial Japanese Army in April 1946.
Baba
was arrested in January 1947 on suspicion of involvement in war crimes and
brought to Rabaul for trial. Baba was charged with command responsibility for
the Sandakan Death Marches, during which over
2200 Australian prisoners of war perished. Evidence was presented at the trial
that Baba was aware of the weakened condition of the prisoners, yet gave direct
orders for the second march. The trial began on 28 May 1947 and was concluded
eight days later on 5 June 1947 with a death sentence. Baba was executed by
hanging on 7 August 1947.
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