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"On the morning of August 17, Bose, accompanied by 6
members of his staff and some Japanese officers, travelled
to Saigon in two bomber planes, provided by the Japanese.
Planes had to be changed here and Bose wished his entire
party to accompany him on his journey beyond Saigon, and when
the Army officers at the airport expressed their inability
to accede to this request he insisted that the matter be referred
to Field Marshal Terauchi.
The party waited while messengers were sent to obtain instructions
from Terauchi, who was at Delta about a hundred miles away.
(i) The planes in which Bose and his party had traveled to
Saigon had to go back, and fresh arrangements had to be made
for the next stage of the journey. Bose was informed that
one seat could be given to him in a Japanese bomber which
had come from Manila and was going to Dairen in Manchuria.
The plane, Bose was informed, had, on board, a number of Japanese
army officers who had been posted to Manchuria and who could
not be left behind.
Bose was very upset on hearing this, because he wanted to
carry all the members of his party with him. Ishoda and Hachia
were sent to Dalat where Field Marshal Tarauchi was camping.
These two emissaries could not see Tarauchi personally, but
his Adjutant told them that it might be possible to make available
two or three seats in all for Bose.
Ishoda and Hachia returned to Saigon and conferred with the
pilot of the plane and the Japanese military authorities there.
The conclusion was that two seats were placed at the disposal
of Bose.
After some discussion, Bose decided to avail himself of the
two seats, and asked Habibur Rahman to accompany him.
The plane landed at Taipei in Formosa for refueling on August
18. What happened subsequently is a matter of dispute, and
it was at this stage that Bose could be said to have disappeared.
The plane arrived at Touraine at 7.45 P.M. and the party
spent the night there. On the morning of 18.8.1945 the bomber
left Touraine carrying the previous complement of crew and
passengers and arrived at Taipei in Formosa at 2 p.m..
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