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"Next day, i.e., on the 19th August, the Formosan Army
Headquarters received a telegram form the Imperial General
Headquarters that the body should be flown to Tokyo by plane.
Accordingly, Major Nagatomo instructed Dr. Yoshimi to inject
Formalence into the body to preserve it. On the same day,
the body was put in a coffin which, according to Col. Habibur
Rehman, was made of camphor-wood. Major Nagatomo says that
he had lifted the lid of the coffin and seen Netaji's face.
"He says:
I saw Mr. Bose's face . It was a big round face. Col.
Habibur Rehman also saw the body being put in the coffin.
"Meanwhile, Col. Habibur Rehman had been pressing the
local Japanese Military authorities to 'arrange for the 'transport
of the body, preferably to Singapore, or alternatively to
Tokyo. On that day, i.e., on the 19th, some senior Military
officers came to the Hospital, and expressed their regrets
for the unfortunate accident and Netaji's demise.
"But the body was not transported by plane either to
Singapore, or to Tokyo. According to Major Nagatomo, the first
telegram from the Imperial General Headquarters was followed
by a second telegram, asking them not to send the 'body to
Tokyo, but to cremate it at Taihoku'. No reason was given
for this change of orders.
"Col. Habibur Rehman was told, on the 20th, that the
body could not be transported by plane, because the coffin
was too big to be carried in the small plane which the Japanese
had. Formosa was hot in August, and it was the third day after
the death. Finding no alternative, he had to agree to the
date of cremation.
"In his statement before us, Col. Habibur Rehman had
given the date of cremation as 20th of August, but in a statement
signed by him dated 24th August 1945 and handed to Mr. Murti,
the date was given as 22nd August. Mr. J.Nakamura definitely
gives the date as 20th August. Dr. Yoshimi says that so far
as he could remember, it was the 20th, but he was not very
sure.
Major Nagatomo has not mentioned any definite date, but
says that the cremation was done 'on the same day, on receipt
of the second telegram from the Imperial General Headquarters'
- which appears to have been received on the 19th of August.
It is unlikely that with so much argument, and change of orders,
the body was cremated on the 19th, i.e., the date following
the death. The cremation is more likely to have taken place
sometime later.
" Major Nagatomo, who had been detailed by the Military
Headquarters to make all necessary arrangements for the cremation
and funeral of Netaji's body, says that the coffin was placed
on a truck, with twelve soldiers, and ahead of it he went
along in a car with the Indian Adjutant (Col. Habibur Rehman)
and the Interpreter (Mr.Nakamura).
"The Interpreter, Mr.Nakamura, has given a detailed
description as to what had happened at the crematorium, as
we could not go to Formosa.
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