Tojo's son killed on Guadalcanal?

GIs pose at the supposed grave of Hideki Tojo's son on Guadalcanal. Photo Source: 585 Raids and Counting.

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While recently reading a Pacific War memoir written by a GI who fought on Guadalcanal, I came across a rather curious and intriguing mention in the caption of a photograph: ‘…at the grave of General Tojo’s son, killed on Guadalcanal, 1942.’ [1]  What!?!? How had I never heard about this before! The photograph (above) that goes along with the caption features a grave marker erected by the Japanese (perhaps, someone reading this can attempt a translation of the Japanese kanji?). Unfortunately, that is all the memoir has to offer – just the photo and caption – and does not provide any further information. So, I did some digging… I did not find anything official or conclusive, just anecdotes and rumors… but even if this proves to just be a wartime tall tale, nonetheless, it is an interesting anecdote to come out of the Guadalcanal Campaign.

Hideki Tojo had seven children, four daughters – Mitsue, Makie, Sachie and Kimie, and three sons – Hidetake, Teruo, and Toshio. Teruo designed aircraft during and after the war, and he eventually served as an executive at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. I could not narrow down if it was Hidetake or Toshio who supposedly served on Guadalcanal. You would think that if Tojo did indeed have a son who served (and died) on Guadalcanal that there would be more written in the English language about this fact. The scant information I could find indicates Tojo’s son was killed supposedly on Guadalcanal 13 August 1942. The first major clash between US Marines and Japanese forces on Guadalcanal occurred 21 August 1942 at Alligator Creek. Prior to this, patrolling and sporadic skirmishing occurred.

A US Marine, Howard Landis of Philadelphia, was a guest-speaker at a convention of the Pennsylvania Industrial Union Council in 1943. He was introduced to the convention as, 'one of the first men to land on Guadalcanal.' [2]  Landis regaled the audience with stories about his experiences on Guadalcanal. One such stating: 'On August 18 we were hit by the Imperial Tokio Regiment of Marines, of which Tojo's son was a member. We had about 57 casualties - about 26 killed and 31 wounded. The Japs weren't quite so fortunate. They had 1400 killed. Most folks back here have the idea that the Japs are small and skinny and scrawny with slant-eyes, but I would like to tell you about this particular regiment. They were tough boys - all around six feet or bigger. 180 to 200 pounds, and as I said before, tough fighters. Unfortunately for Tojo's son while I am speaking to you here he is probably...' [3]  {need full quote & citation} It should be noted, in all other accounts where a date is mentioned, 13 August is stated as the day Tojo's son was killed.

Portrait photograph of Hideki Tojo published on the cover of the 2 December 1942 issue of Shashin Shuho. This particular issue of the weekly propaganda magazine celebrated the "First Anniversary of the Great East Asia War". Photo Source: Public Domain.

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The "X Newspaper" reported on "X Date": 'One unconfirmed report circulating here today was that the Japanese were desperately trying to retake Guadalcanal and that one reason was that a son of Premier Tojo had lost his life there and the Japanese did not want him to rest on enemy soil...' [4] {need full quote & citation}

A wartime account written by the commander of the 1st Marine Regiment, General Clifton B. Cates, provides no details about the death of “Tojo’s son”, but does prove rumors of Tojo’s son being on Guadalcanal were rife amongst the Marines serving on the island. It should be noted that Cates’ account does not jibe with Landis’ account. Cates recounts: ‘As is always the case in circumstances like these, we had no shortage of scuttlebutt. One recurrent rumor was to the effect that Premier Tojo’s son, an aviator, had been missing in action on a flight over Guadalcanal. About this time some of our patrols captured a Jap pilot who had been shot down south of Red Ridge. He was undoubtedly an officer, although he was dressed only in new Marine Corps underwear. God only knows where he got it. He was a very belligerent type and refused to answer any questions, but he kept repeating that he was the son of a very high-ranking official in Japan. We have all since wondered if it could have been Mr. Tojo, Jr.’ [5]

According to the official history of a New Zealand unit stationed on Guadalcanal: ‘Legend had it that Tojo’s son lost his life in the fighting on Guadalcanal, and to avenge his death an air attack-was consistently made on the thirteenth of each month—the date of his death. As if to prove this legend, 13 September 1943 proved no exception, and during the night enemy bombers endeavoured to attack the Henderson airfield.’ [6]

In a similar vein, a 1944 issue of Collier's (a weekly American magazine) stated the Japanese liked to bomb Guadalcanal on the 13th of each month because, 'the 13th being a favorite bombing date for the Japs because that's the day Tojo's son was killed.' [7] {need full quote & citation}

Peter M. Leaming served in the Royal New Zealand Air Force and was stationed on Guadalcanal. In his memoir he states he urinated on the supposed grave of Tojo's son: 'After clearing through Espiritu Santo, our first layover was Guadalcanal, the scene of heavy fighting between American and Japanese forces. The carnage of the fierce battles for supremacy of the island was very evident. Japanese General Tojo's son was reportedly killed there and is buried on this island, which may have accounted to some degree to the bitterness of the Japanese defense and efforts to retake the island. He was reportedly buried under about ten feet of dirt with a two-inch pipe inserted into his rib cage. A steel helmet was welded to the top of the pipe, was used as a urinal, was called a "Gonophone," and there was a sign inviting all to participate. I did.' [8]

The jury is still out as to whether Hideki Tojo’s son was really killed and buried on Guadalcanal. Is the notion fact, rumor, propaganda, morale booster, pure bollocks, or a mixture of all? As the saying goes, “where there's smoke there's fire”. I suspect a translation of the kanji on the marker in the above photograph would greatly add to this discussion, as would diving into Japanese records. This article presents anecdotal evidence; the purpose of it is not to prove or disprove if Tojo’s son was killed on Guadalcanal, instead it presents an interesting, thought-provoking, and forgotten wartime anecdote of the Guadalcanal Campaign.

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Notes:

1. Kunevicius, Alex. 585 Raids and Counting: Memoir of an American Soldier in the Solomon Islands, 1942-1945. McFarland, 2011. (p. 144).
2. Annual Convention Proceedings and Year Book of the Pennsylvania CIO Council, Volume 6, Part 1943. (p.42).
3. Ibid.
4. Hopkins, John Appleton Haven. Diary of World Events, Being a Chronological Record of the Second World War Photographically Reproduced from the American and Foreign Newspaper Dispatches as Reported Day by Day: Including Maps, Pictures, Cartoons, Anecdotes, Official Messages, Reports and Declarations, and Congressional Acts, Volumes 31-33. National Advertising Co., 1942. (p. ?).
5. Metcalf, Clyde H. The Marine Corps Reader. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1944. (p. 429).
6. Nicol, F. Headquarters: A Brief Outline of the Activities of Headquarters of the Third Division and the 8th and 14th Brigades During Their Service in the Pacific. Reed Publishing Ltd, 1947. (p. 183).
7. Collier's, Volume 113. Crowell-Collier Publishing Company, 1944. (p. 83).
8. Leaming, Peter M. Colonel Pete's Korner: A Collection of Stories, Articles, & Poems. Tate Publishing, 2010. (p. 162).

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This article was written by:

Bryan T. Stefancyk

Founder/Owner
War Historian, LLC
Battlefield Expeditions