Allan M. Cory, Colonel, U.S. Army, WWII Japanese Prisoner of War – Part 2

Lt. Col. Allan Murray Cory was a survivor of the Bataan Death March, and had been held in two Japanese prison camps before he was transferred to Japan. Cory was one of 1,500 American POWs that were taken aboard the Hell Ship Nagata maru at Manila, Philippines on November 7, 1942 for their transfer to Japan. They arrived in Osaka on November 25th and were transferred to the Mitsushima jail camp the following day. This camp was the most brutal in Japan.

Cory was transferred to Zentsuji prison near Osaka on July 28, 1943. The camp’s ranking officer was Lt. Col. Cory. Later, he was transferred to Rokuroshi prison camp in June 1945 and would stay there until his liberation on September 7, 1945. He was 32 years of age at the time.

Lt. Col. Allan M. Cory returned to the States and married Martha Virginia Baker, Dothan, Alabama, on August 13, 1946. Miss Baker was born to Dr. and Mrs. S. M. Baker, Dothan, Alabama. Foster Street Methodist Church was where Dr. Baker performed this ceremony. It is important to note that Dr. Baker served as the pastor of First Methodist Church in Andalusia (Alabama) from 1947-1953.

After a short trip to California Lt. Col. Cory was recalled back to Japan to testify at the War Crimes Tribunal in Yokohama. Cory was a witness at the trial for Tatsuo Tsuchiya, also known by the prisoners as “Little Glass Eye”.

Tatsuo Tsuchiya, a tiny, unblinking Japanese prison guard, was charged with beating to death PFC Robert Teas, an American prisoner-of-war from Streator, Illinois. Teas survived the Bataan Death March, and was held in the notorious Mitsushima prison cell. Tsuchiya was one of the 300 “minor war criminals” to be tried by the war crimes tribunal.

At the trial, David Grant, Leader of Royal Air Force [RAF] Squadron, gave a deposition. He was the top RAF officer at camp. He stated that he had discussed the matter with Major Allan M. Cory, an American senior officer. We came to the conclusion that the Teas story is true.”

Another deposition was taken by PFC Charles B. Gavord, Deming, New Mexico. He testified that “Little Glass Eye took Teas out into the open field, threw water over him [March temperatures were extremely cold] and beat him using hardwood canes shaped as swords.”

First Sgt. Clifton O. Snodgrass, First Sgt. Teas fell to his death on March 5, 1943, after he became too weak to stand.

Tatsuo Tsuchiya (or Little Eye) was convicted and sentenced for the beating death PFC Teas. He was cleared of all charges related to beating Lt. Colonel Allan M. Murray, and stealing Red Cross supplies.

Nine guards from the camp were executed and sentenced at the War Crimes Tribunal of Yokohama. Cory’s testimony was crucial in the prosecutions of many war criminals .

Cory was promoted from Lieutenant Colonel after his return from Japan and assigned to Fort Benning in Georgia. The Cory family was stationed in Puerto Rico, Greece, Amarillo, Texas, Washington, D.C., and Montgomery, Alabama. While his family was living in Montgomery, Colonel Cory served one tour of duty in Vietnam. Before his retirement, Colonel Cory was the Alabama National Guard’s senior Army advisor in Montgomery.

Colonel Allan M. Cory Sr., died December 1975 at the ripe old age of 62. Funeral services were held in Fort Benning National Cemetery, Georgia. Burial was also done. His survivors included his wife, Mrs. Martha Baker Cory, a daughter Mrs. Anne Alden Godfrey, and a son, Allan Murray Cory Jr., as well as two grandchildren.

Mr. and Mrs. Allan Murray Cory, Jr., currently reside in Andalusia, Alabama.

John Vick

Sources: T the Montgomery Journalarticle Sep. 17, 1968, by Camille Wallace; Article Aug. 21, 1946; San Antonio Lightarticle Dec. 21, 1946. www.mansell.co/pow.

Roger Mansell, Palo Alto, California, established the Center for Research, Allied POWs under the Japanese. The results of his research over many years are available in files that can be searched online. Anybody who has done research on POWs held in Japan during WW II owes Mr. Mansell an debt of gratitude. He died at Palo Alto in 2010].

Cory kept a journal during his imprisonment. It was also used in the war crimes trials. It is not known if the diary exists or whereabouts.

The post Allan M. Cory Colonel, U.S Army, WWII Japanese Prisoner of War – Part 2 was first published on The AndalusiaStar-News.