Hajime Toyoshima


Hajime Toyoshima was a Japanese airman in World War II. His A6M Zero was the first of that type 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.

Early life

Toyoshima was born on March 29, 1920. Little is known of Toyoshima's early life.

Raid on Darwin

Toyoshima took part of the 19 February 1942, Japanese air-raid on Darwin, Australia. His Zero, tail code BII-124, was launched from the Japanese aircraft carrier Hiryū. 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 raid on Darwin; their pilots had died, and the badly damaged wrecks were of little use.

Cowra breakout

By the time Toyoshima had arrived at the Cowra POW camp, he had adopted the alias
"Tadao Minami". Toyoshima signaled the 1:45 am start of the mass escape of Japanese prisoners of war from the Cowra POW camp with a bugle call. He died at some time later in the breakout.