Entire Picture of Volunteer Citizen Corps Casualties

It is estimated that there were around 350,000 people in Hiroshima when the A-bomb exploded on August 6, 1945. These people were residents, military personnel, and people who had been mobilized for building demolition from neighboring towns and villages. People from the Korean Peninsula and mainland China were also included among them.

Then, among these people, how many were dispatched as volunteer citizen corps on the day of the bombing? The answer is not known because very few records remain regarding the damage and the mobilization status in the destroyed city, Hiroshima. Although there is a theory that approximately 50,000 members were dispatched from Community and Workplace Volunteer Citizen Corps and that nearly 40,000 of them died, it is not proven. The most serious problem concerning the casualties due to the A-bombing is that not every individual A-bomb victim has been identified yet, even today, 65 years later.

Walking the city in search of missing members

Artist’s comments:
People sighed miserably, some walking around in search of missing mobilized volunteer citizen corps members and others checking bulletin boards.

August 12, 1945 Near cherry tree-lined bank in east Ujina-machi
Drawn by Gunichi Shimotani (42 at the time of the bombing, 72 when he drew this picture)

Law for Relief of War Victims and Survivors

In 1952, the Law for Relief of War Victims and Survivors was enacted. This law allows the government to pay pensions and condolence money to military personnel and military civilian employees who were injured, became ill or died while on duty, and to their bereaved families. Volunteer citizen corps members, who were regarded as paramilitary personnel, were eligible for the relief.

To identify who should be covered by such relief, each prefecture conducted investigations through municipalities.

Lists of Atomic Bomb Victims in Community Volunteer Citizen Corps and Workplace Volunteer Citizen Corps

According to the Law for Relief of War Victims and Survivors, persons who were dispatched as volunteer citizen corps members and experienced the A-bombing were categorized as paramilitary personnel. They or their bereaved families were entitled to receive relief. To identify eligible persons, the lists of atomic bomb victims in community volunteer citizen corps and workplace volunteer citizen corps were created.

According to these lists, 11,633 workplace and community volunteer citizen corps members in total were mobilized on August 6, 1945, and 4,632 of these people were fatalities. However, these are not definite numbers.

Collection of and cooperation by the Hiroshima Prefecture Social Welfare and War Victims Support and Pension Division

Number of mobilized Members and Fatalities of Volunteer Citizen Corps