Kamikaze pilot the link to a shared grief

David Hinkins meets Muneyoshi Kurose

A FORMER Saddleworth man has met the brother of the Japanese kamikaze pilot who killed his father in World War II.

David Hinkins (70), was a baby when he lost his father on May 9, 1945. His father George was a petty officer on HMS Formidable in the Pacific. The vessel was hit by kamikaze pilot Yoshinari Kurose.

Growing up, David always wondered if the pilot had any family and researched for years to unearth the details.

In retirement he contacted the Japanese Embassy in London and with the help of Japanese media managed to find the pilot’s brother, 80-year-old Muneyoshi Kurose, who made a video message asking to meet.

The message was shown on BBC TV’s Songs of Praise and broadcast on radio before the two met in Japan last month.

Mr Hinkins, who now lives in Northwich, told BBC radio: “It was very emotional. I was in a foreign land where the people had previously been enemies and this guy’s brother had killed my father - though admittedly, my father was trying to kill him as well.

“It was strange for both of us. Gradually we realised we were both on the same wavelength. He began by apologising for the death of my father and I had to say they were two brave men, they were doing what they had to do. You can’t really put blame on the pilot, the father or on you.”

A letter written by Yoshinari Kurose to his parents before he crashed into the ship was read out - and all 15 people in the room burst into tears.

Mr Hinkins added: “That was a moment I am always going to remember.”