Private Tadashi (Tow) Inouye

1. Private, 47th Battalion, Infantry (Army). 1917-01-02 ?
2. Private (Army). 1916-10-31 to 1917-01-01
3. Private (Army). 1916-07-19 to 1916-10-31

Military Medal (Cambrai)
Date of award: 1918-12-04
Date of award: 1918-09-29
Source: London Gazette 31338 Corp Order 1989 W.
Comment: Awarded for actions September 27 & 29, 1918 on Cambrai front.

One who was a successful enlistee in a BC battalion was Tow Inouye. He was born in Yokahama in 1883, came to British Columbia in 1905 and had worked at The Arrow Lakes Lumber Company for 10 years. He enlisted with the 172nd Battalion at Vernon, British Columbia in 1916. He served overseas with the 47th Battalion and was awarded the Military Medal in September, 1918. He was severely wounded November 3, 1918.

Tadashi Inouye, first attested to the 172nd Battalion and later served in the 131st Battalion and won the Military Medal. Returned to Canada after the war and became a naturalized citizen, died October 10, 1926.

His son was tried for war crimes for his actions while in the Japanses Army in WWII Kanao Inouye, AKA the "Kamloops Kid" was the only son of Tow Inouye. Born about 1916, he was 10 when is father died in 1926 and was sent to live in Japan, but was returned to Canada shortly after. In 1935 he returned to Japan and by 1938 was serving in the Japanese army. He left Canada allegedly to escape the racism he endured in Canada, only to find rejection in Japan as foreign born. Even though he was bilingual he only rose to the rank of honourary Corporal, at which position he served at Sham Shui Poi Camp, Hong Kong as an interpretor. It was here that he dealt many cruelties to Canadian prisoners. Later in the war he joined the Kempe Tai(secret police) and was involved in the arrest and torture of many of Hong Kong's foreign residents. At war's end he was brought before a War Crimes Tribunal, convicted and sentenced to death. His lawyer protested, noting that as a Canadian citizen, Inouye couldn't be tried for war crimes. A second trial was held in the Hong Kong Supreme Court, this time for treason where he was found guilty a second time and executed at Stanley Gaol, Hong Kong, Aug 27, 1947. Inouye not only hurt Canadian soldiers by his actions, but also the Japanese-Canadian community in Canada, who had enough problems already with property seizures and internment.

131st Battalion Nominal Roll