Hajime Toyoshima

Sergeant Hajime Toyoshima (豊嶋一) (died August 5, 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. He died at some time later in the breakout.

Early life
Little is known of Toyoshima's early life.

Raid on Darwin
Toyoshima took part of the 19 February 1942 Japanese air-raid on Darwin, Australia. His Zero, tail code BII-124, was launched from the IJS Hiryu. His Zero crash-landed on Melville Island. Toyoshima was the first Japanese Prisoner of War to be captured in Australian territorial jurisdiction. Toyoshima suffered only superficial injuries in the crash-landing. He strove to move as far away from his Zero on foot, understanding that the aircraft would aid Allied Military intelligence. Before Toyoshima's crash, only nine Zeros had been shot down in the Pearl Harbor attack, 74 days before the first Air Raid on Darwin; their pilots had died, and the badly damaged wrecks were of little use.

Cowra breakout
By the time Toyoshima arrived at the Cowra POW camp, had adopted the alias "Tadao Minami" (南忠男). Toyoshima signaled the 1:45 am start of the mass escape of Japanese Prisoners of War from the Cowra POW Camp with a bugle call. He died at some time later in the breakout.