In August 1945, the Japanese Kuantung army was retreating in total collapse, pursued by Soviet gunfire. Civilian Japanese who had relocated to China's border area joined the evacuations. The following account is by one of the retreating Japanese soldiers.
We came across a middle-aged woman sitting alone on the roadside. She was burning some dried grass she had piled up. Four little legs were sticking out from under the grass. I went over to her and asked, "What happened?"
"They couldn't walk anymore. I've killed them and I'm burning them," she replied. Forced to flee the fighting at the border, she had managed to get this far. Having reached her limit, physically and mentally, she had killed her two young children, who were a hindrance.
一九四五年八月，日本關東軍潰敗，在蘇軍追擊之下，倉皇撤退。移居中國邊境的日本平民，也隨軍逃竄。一個敗走的日本士兵有以下記述。
我們見到一個中年女人坐在路旁。她堆起了些枯草，正在焚燒，枯草下露出四條小腿。我走過去，問道：「發生了什麼事？」
她回答說：「孩子再也走不動了，我就殺了他們，給他們火葬。」她為了逃避邊境的戰鬥，走到這裏，肉體上、精神上再也支持不住，見兩個小孩子是負累，就把他們殺死。