The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1945-09-20
Grantsville Sailor
Freed From Japanese
Prison, Is Now Home
George Verle Edwards Was Cap
tured At COrregidOr in
May, 1912

Storekeeper SIC George Verle Ed
wards, "a, who had been held prison.
er of the Japanese for over three
years, has arrived at his home in
Grantsville. He was interned forty
months in Hoten Camp, Mukden, Man
chukuo, about 100 miles from the
camp at which General Wainwright
was held.
He has lost some weight, but is in
good health.
Edwards turned soldier after Pearl
Harbor and fought with the infantry
at Bataan, retreated with them to
Corregidor and was captured in May,
1912, when the rock fell.
He enlisted in the Navy in Septem-
ber 1910, and was sent overseas in
1871 and stationed aboard a sub
marine tender at Cavite naval base,
the Philippines when the japanese at
tackled Pearl Harbor
Assigned to Infantry
lllIce SUCCESSIVE cIeIllE DOHlDlllSH
SO badly damaged his ship that the
crew scuttled her and Edwards was
assigned to the infantry.
Following his capture Edwards was
held in the Philippines for six months
before he was sent to the Manchukuo
camp.
His life at the camp as he told it in
bits to the Cumberland Red Cross
office and friends at Grantsville, in
volved a main diet of corn meal and
soybeans, friendly Chinese, daily work
in the grain fields, a few Red Cross
packages and two "decent" japanese
the camp doctor and the labor
officer.
Edwards said that the camps
prison population numbered LOO and
that there were no chaplains stationed
there until last April when four were
sent in from Tokyo.
The prisoners knew that Red Cross
packages which they were supposed to
receive once a week had arrived at
the camp but they received only
| twelve in the forty -month internment
period Even those few were not de-
| livered before whatever was wanted
| by the Japanese had been removed.
The camp had hospital, the sailor
said, but a complete dental outfit sent
in by the Red Cross had never been
unpacked.
The first winter the prisoners were
supplied with warm clothing since the
winters there are very cold. Asked
what the prisoners did in the evenings,
Edwards said they hadn't much to do
but sleep or play cards until the Red
Cross managed to get a few books
through to them.
| Prisoners were searched, he said, as
they went to work and when they re-
turned.
Edwards, a 1910 graduate of the
Grantsville High school, was flown to
Washington after his release and was
met there last Thursday by his par
ents, Mr.. and Mrs. George Edwards.
He was home by Friday. His parents
were informed the first of the month
that he had been released.
William Kahl U. S. Marine corps,
who was captured in China at the out
break of the war, December, 1911, is
the only other Garrett county person
known to be prisoner of the Japs.
He is a son of Albert Kahl and Mrs.
Ruth Kahl, Oakland. Members of his
family have heard no word from him
since hostilities ceased but recently
his wife received a card from him,
dated in June, 1914.
The Grantsville sailor has three
brothers in the service, Clayton Ed
wards, RIM SIC, serving at Pearl Har-
Dor; Pfc Kenneth Edwards, who ar
rived home August 80 from II months
with the infantry Of the Fifth army
in Italy; and Pvt. James Edwards,
Camp Blanding, Fla.