Remains of Taipei prison walls
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The remains of Taipei prison walls (台北監獄) are located in Zhongzheng District, Taipei, Taiwan at the end of Aiguo Road and Jinshan South Road adjacent to the current Taipei operations center for Chunghwa Telecom. Approximately 100 meters of wall exist on both sides of the Chunghwa Telecom property. The walls were built during Japanese rule.
Background
In response to continuous anti-Japanese uprisings throughout the early period of Japanese rule (1895–1945), the Japanese colonial government built large-scale prisons in Taipei and Tainan to hold political prisoners. The Taipei Prison serves as a tangible witness to modern Taiwanese prison history.
The Taipei Prison was based on a radial floor plan, a standard prison design of the 19th century. Although only the north face and portions of the south face survive, one may still perceive the heavy atmosphere of the punishments meted out here. The prison walls were made with stones from the Old Taipei City Wall, built by the Qing Dynasty at the end of the 19th century. The stones were carved completely by hand from the quartzose sandstone quarries in the Dazhi (大直) and Neihu areas of Taipei.
World War II Allied prisoners
During the period of 1944–1945, Allied airmen who had been shot down or crashed while on patrols over Taiwan were held in the Taipei Prison by the Japanese Army. On May 29, 1945, 14 of these allied airmen were given a 'mock trial' and sentenced to death. The execution took place inside the prison courtyard only 58 days before the end of World War II. When the war ended, the rest of the men were released and returned home.
| Name | Rank/Unit | Home |
|---|---|---|
| J.C. Buchanan | ARM 3c USN | Guntersville, Alabama |
| Delbert H. Carter | AOM 3c USN | Eureka, California |
| Donald K. Hathaway | AMM 3c USN | Jackson Heights, New York |
| John R. Parker | AMM 3c USN | Dunedin, Florida |
| Wayne W. Wilson | ARM 3c USN | |
| Harry H. Aldro | PO 2c USN | San Francisco, California |
| James R. Langiotti | PO 1c USN | Orlando, Florida |
| Freddy McCreary | ARM 1c USN | Barber Hill, Kentucky |
| Charles E. McVay | PO 2c USN | Pine Bluff, Arkansas |
| Ralph R. Hartley | Lieutenant USAAC | Bridgewater, Maine |
| Bobby L. Lawrance | Sgt USAAC | Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
| Merlin W. Riggs | Sgt USAAC | Three Rivers, Michigan |
| Harwood S. Sharp | Lieutenant (JG) USAAC | Oakland, California |
| Harry U. Spivey | Sgt USAAC | Atlanta, Georgia |
