Hajime Toyoshima

In August 1944, Toyoshima signaled the 1:45 am start of the mass escape of Japanese prisoners of war from the camp with a bugle call. He died alongside 230 other Japanese in the breakout.

Toyoshima took part of the 19 February 1942, Japanese air-raid on Darwin, Australia. His Zero, tail code BII-124, was launched from the Japanese aircraft carrier Hiryū. After running out of fuel due to bullet damage to its tanks, his Zero crash-landed on Melville Island, where he was taken prisoner by local islander Matthias Ulungura.

By the time Toyoshima had arrived at the Cowra POW camp, in December 1942, he had adopted the alias "Tadao Minami" (南忠男, Minami Tadao). He actively sought to learn English, both from local internees and friendly guards. allowing him to eventually act as a prisoner leader and translator. One guard also gave him a bugle to practice with.

Petty Officer Hajime Toyoshima (豊嶋一, Toyoshima Hajime, 29 March 1920 – 5 August 1944) was a Japanese airman in World War II. His A6M Zero was the first of that type (after those recovered after the attack on Pearl Harbor) to be recovered relatively intact on Allied territory when he crash landed on Melville Island, Northern Territory, Australia. Toyoshima was the first Japanese prisoner of war to be captured in Australia. While a prisoner of war, Toyoshima was one of the instigators of the breakout from the prisoner of war camp located in Cowra, New South Wales, Australia, sounding a bugle to signal the commencement of the escape, and died during the escape attempt.

Toyoshima was born on March 29, 1920. Little is known of Toyoshima's early life.