Hajime Toyoshima

March 20, 1920 (age 24)

Kagawa Prefecture, Japan

His A6M Zero was the first of that type (after those recovered after the Attack on Pearl Harbor) to be recovered relatively intact on Allied territory when he crash landed on Melville Island, Northern Territory, Australia. Toyoshima was the first Japanese Prisoner of War to be captured in Australia. While a Prisoner of War, Toyoshima was one of the instigators of the Breakout from the Prisoner of War Camp located in Cowra, New South Wales, Australia, sounding a bugle to signal the commencement of the escape and died during the escape attempt. Little is known of Toyoshima"s early life. Toyoshima took part of the 19 February 1942 Japanese air-raid on Darwin, Australia. His Zero, tail code BII-124, was launched from the IJS Hiryu. His Zero crash-landed on Melville Island, where he was taken prisoner by local islander Matthias Ulungura. Toyoshima was the first Japanese Prisoner of War to be captured in Australian territorial jurisdiction. Toyoshima suffered only superficial injuries in the crash-landing. He strove to move as far away from his Zero on foot, understanding that the aircraft would aid Allied Military intelligence. Before Toyoshima"s crash, only nine Zeros had been shot down in the Pearl Harbor attack, 74 days before the first Air. Their pilots had died, and the badly damaged wrecks were of little use. By the time Toyoshima had arrived at the Cowra Prisoner Of War camp, he had adopted the alias "Tadao Minami" (南忠男, Minami Tadao). Toyoshima signaled the 1:45 am start of the mass escape of Japanese Prisoners of War from the Cowra Prisoner Of War Camp with a bugle call. He died at some time later in the breakout.

Hajime Toyoshima Edit Profile

豊嶋一

military corporal

Career

His A6M Zero was the first of that type (after those recovered after the Attack on Pearl Harbor) to be recovered relatively intact on Allied territory when he crash landed on Melville Island, Northern Territory, Australia. Toyoshima was the first Japanese Prisoner of War to be captured in Australia. While a Prisoner of War, Toyoshima was one of the instigators of the Breakout from the Prisoner of War Camp located in Cowra, New South Wales, Australia, sounding a bugle to signal the commencement of the escape and died during the escape attempt.

Little is known of Toyoshima"s early life.

Toyoshima took part of the 19 February 1942 Japanese air-raid on Darwin, Australia. His Zero, tail code BII-124, was launched from the IJS Hiryu.

His Zero crash-landed on Melville Island, where he was taken prisoner by local islander Matthias Ulungura. Toyoshima was the first Japanese Prisoner of War to be captured in Australian territorial jurisdiction.

Toyoshima suffered only superficial injuries in the crash-landing.

He strove to move as far away from his Zero on foot, understanding that the aircraft would aid Allied Military intelligence. Before Toyoshima"s crash, only nine Zeros had been shot down in the Pearl Harbor attack, 74 days before the first Air. Their pilots had died, and the badly damaged wrecks were of little use.

By the time Toyoshima had arrived at the Cowra Prisoner Of War camp, he had adopted the alias "Tadao Minami" (南忠男, Minami Tadao).

Toyoshima signaled the 1:45 am start of the mass escape of Japanese Prisoners of War from the Cowra Prisoner Of War Camp with a bugle call. He died at some time later in the breakout.

Main Photo