Hiroshima as Seen by Relief Workers

The damage caused by the atomic bomb instantly engulfed the entire city. Old and young, male and female alike were killed indiscriminately. Screams of agony from the injured, cries for water, calls for loved ones reverberated through the city, echoing even through outlying cities, towns and villages. The prefectural government offices were destroyed, as was City Hall and the police station. Nearly all government agencies were obliterated, their functions lost. Communication and transportation were paralyzed. The city plunged into mad turmoil. The Army Marine Headquarters (called Akatsuki Corps) was stationed in Ujina, an area that was relatively undamaged. Without waiting for orders, they began rescue and relief activities immediatelyﾑfighting the fire and transporting and treating the injured. On the 7th, a Hiroshima Security Regiment, consisting primarily of the Akatsuki Corps was established to integrate and manage rescue activities by the military, government, and private citizens. Volunteer Citizens Corps from around the prefecture came to Hiroshima, as did medical relief teams and military units from in and out of the prefecture. Here, we will present pictures drawn and memoirs that depict the situation in Hiroshima immediately after the bombing written by doctors, nurses, and military personnel who engaged in relief activities.

Toshifumi Goto (Army, engaged in relief activities on Hijiyama Hill and Ninoshima Island) Toshifumi Goto (then 19) was assigned to the Quarantine of the Army Transport Division headquartered on this island. Not knowing what had happened to his family who were exposed in the city, Toshifumi continued to treat the injured and prevent the spread of infectious disease. It was the end of August before he learned that his house had been burned to the ground. Killed were his older sister and niece, who was almost one.

28 Boats carrying the injured to Ninoshima Island August 6, 1945 Around 8:45 a.m. / Approx. 7km from the hypocenter, Offshore from Ujina "On the boats, clusters of blackened people waved their arms listlessly. For some reason, I couldn't hear their voices. Their clothes were red and black, torn to shreds. Nearly all were naked from the waist up. Their faces, hands, and bodies were reddish black, as if covered with soot. Some figures appeared to be mothers with terribly dishevelled hair holding blackened children, but most all looked the same. I couldn't even tell the men from the women. They seemed to have black rags hanging from their hands. It was some time before I realized that the rags were actually their own skin burned and peeling off." Excerpt from his memoir

29 Burned junior high school students seeking help August 6, 1945 / Approx. 2,300m from the hypocenter, Hijiyama Hill "The entire area from the yard behind signal unit station to the top of Hijiyama Hill was crawling with victims. Reddish-black faces in the shade of a tree gazed in our direction and approached slowly. Wave of people rolled back and forth in mass movements, as if the hillside itself were swaying. Their faces looked frightened. They struck me as acting purely from instinct, trying desperately to survive. Especially painful was seeing all the junior high boys and girls who had been mobilized for building demolition with white headbands burned into their foreheads." Excerpt from his memoir

30 Victim burned over his entire body by the heat rays August 7, 1945 / Approx. 9km from the hypocenter, Ninoshima Quarantine Beginning the day of the bombing, ships carried thousands of the injured to Ninoshima for treatment. In less than 20 days, the total number exceeded 10,000. Many others visited Ninoshima searching for family members. Though the quarantine personnel provided care without sleep or respite, victims died one after the next, too many to cremate.

31 Medical supplies Approx. 1,200m from the hypocenter, Yamaguchi-cho (now Kanayama-cho)

Midori Harada (Nurse, engaged in relief activities at the Army Ordnance Supply Depot) Midori Harada (then 33) was a chief nurse in the relief corps at the Army Ordnance Supply Depot in Kasumi-cho (now Kasumi 1-chome). After the bombing, the Depot building was accepted the injured. The sun went down, but Midori kept treating patients until she couldn't see at all. At night, she slept in the air-raid shelter, getting up at dawn to start again. That pattern continued day after day. Midori and her crew hardly took time to eat.

32 Boy enduring an operation without anesthesia Around 10 a.m., August 7, 1945 / Approx. 2,700m from the hypocenter Kasumi-cho (now Kasumi 1-chome) "A boy of five or six rode in on someone's back, a glass fragment stuck deep in his right shinbone. If not removed, the injury would fester and he would lose his leg. There was no anesthesia available. We kept telling him, ﾔHold on, it'll be over soon,' but the glass was very deep and hard to remove. ﾔJust leave the glass in! ' ﾔIf we don't take it out, we'll lose the war.' ﾔI don't care! ' The young boy's desperate cries brought tears to all involved in the operation" Excerpt from the explanation in the drawing

33 Injured lying on the warehouse floor waiting for treatment Afternoon, August 6, 1945 / Approx. 2,700m from the hypocenter, Kasumi-cho (now Kasumi 1-chome) "We accommodated the injured, many of whom had barely made it to our door, in the warehouse. Soon, the sun was setting. At night, we had no light and could offer no treatment. All personnel in the medical division were ordered to withdraw. I continued to give treatment because some injured people begged me for help. ﾔI couldn't get anything yesterday. Please take care of me today.' Then I was loudly scolded by the team leader. ﾔThe medical staff are now the top priority. What will happen if you harm your health?' I left, plugging my ears, feeling as if I were leaving my hearts behind." Excerpt from the explanation in the drawing

Akito Takeda (Civil defence team, engaged in relief activities at Sumiyoshi Shrine) On the 7th, the civil defense team from Kure loaded four trucks and headed for Hiroshima. Dentist Akito Takeda (then 43) participated in relief activities as a member of that team. Akito, who had experienced numerous bombing raids in Kure, was standing around stunned by the overwhelming situation in Hiroshima.

32 Shouting woman trying to stop the rescue truck Around 7:15 a.m., August 7, 1945 / Approx. 5,250m from the hypocenter, Near Mukainada "When we passed Mukainada Station, a woman of 22 or 23 suddenly approached from the side. Her hair was disheveled, her pants were torn, and her face was black, as if it had been painted. She ran alongside the truck yelling incoherently. We shouted at her to get back for her own safety, but she ignored us. We were forced to stop the truck. We asked her what she was doing, but got no clear answer. She just kept shouting and was completely insane." Excerpt from his memoir "What Happened before and after August 6, 1945" (Witnesses of the Flash, Hiroshima Prefecture Dental Association)

35 People entering the city to help August 9, 1945 / Approx. 250m from the hypocenter, Near the Kamiya-cho intersection Immediately after the bombing, military units, medical teams and civil defence teams from other places within and even beyond the prefecture entered Hiroshima. Throughout the city they attended to the injured, disposed of the dead, and tidied up the burned remains. They played a major role in the recovery.

Fumiko Yamaoka (Nurse, engaged in relief activities on the Funairi Streetcar street) Emergency relief stations in the city were opened not only in hospitals and schools but also beneath bridges, in gutted buildings, and wherever large numbers of injured gathered. Fumiko Yamaoka (then 18) entered Hiroshima with a Yamaguchi Prefecture Emergency Rescue Team. They were put in charge of a relief station on the Funairi streetcar street. For beds, they lay doors across the rails and placed straw mats on them. Smoke from cremation fires rose day and night.

36 Injured people lying on the streetcar street August 9 to 14, 1945 / Approx. 1,300m from the hypocenter, Funairi-naka-machi "Nearly everyone developed a fever. Lacking ice, armed with only Mercurochrome or zinc oxide oil, we could provide little treatment beyond consoling and protecting. Every day dozens of people came looking for family members. I will never forget how it felt to show them the name lists, then, when they finally found a name, leading them to their loved one. Some of the injured died with family members hovering over them, but most died with no one at their side but us." Excerpt from her memoir

37 People searching for family in the patient list August 10, 1945 / Approx. 260m from the hypocenter, Kamiya-cho (now Kamiya-cho 1-chome) Seeking family members who failed to come home, people walked from one relief station to the next. Most returned home without finding even a body, nor did they ever receive any ashes or belongings. The fate of their family members was forever unknown.	38 War casualties inquest report Kaita-cho and Funakoshi-cho were close to southeast Hiroshima. Immediately after the bombing, they were besieged by victims. The injured were accommodated and provided treatment in shrines and schools, but many died.

Tsuneichi Araki (Navy, engaged in relief activities near Hiroshima Station) During the war, the railroad was the primary means of transportation for vast numbers of military personnel and military supplies. Restoring it was the highest priority. Tsuneichi Araki (then 20) was in the 23rd Battalion of the Navy Special Land Forces in Kure. From the 7th, Tsuneichi and his battalion worked around the clock to restore the station and tidy up the area. They worked in the building only after pouring water on the glowing embers.

39 Toppled engine, dolls in a blackened obi, the greatly swollen corpse of a child August 7, 1945 / Approx. 1,900m from the hypocenter, Hiroshima Station "No head, no chest. No pelvic area or legs. Nothing left but a waist covered by a wide obi (kimono belt). Burned body parts like this were scattered among smoldering ashes. Pulling on one obi made it unravel. Two or three paper dolls fell out. I shouted involuntarily. "What in the world?" I wondered. I couldn't speak. The tears came and would not stop." Excerpt from his memoir

Hiroshima Testimony -The City Obliterated, the Aftermath Nostalgic Scenes of Hiroshima Dropping the Atomic Bomb - Mushroom Cloud Climbing into the Sky August 6, 1945 - Hiroshima Testimony Hiroshima as Seen by Relief Workers Things Left for Families (1) Things Left for Families (2) Conclusion Individuals and Groups Contributors to This Exhibition Return to TOP