WHAT a load of tripe from Roger Westmorland (Letters, August 9).

The only war crimes in the pacific were perpetrated by the Japanese. For example, after the bombing of Pearl Harbour, without warning, on December 9, 1941, General Doolittle led a small force of Mitchell bombers against Japan, to "fly the flag" as it were.

In retaliation, Hirohito, the Emporer, signed a declaration that any captured Allied aircrew were to be summarily executed, i.e. decapitated, and their heads and bodies were to be thrown into the sea, as happened to the husband of a friend of mine, together with eight other Fleet Air Arm aircrew, murdered after Japan surrendered.

So there were very few Allied aircrew prisoners of war.

Hirohito also decreed that in the event of Japan being invaded, all Allied prisoners of war should be executed. Thankfully, after two atom bombs were dropped, Japan surrendered, saving the lives of untold Allied servicemen plus Japanese civilians and servicemen.

Hiroshima was not a war crime, but together with Nagasaki saved many lives on both sides.

A G Reeson,

Huntington Road, York.

Updated: 10:54 Wednesday, August 17, 2005