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Post by EXO on May 11, 2009 7:48:53 GMT 8
During the course of my research, I found two references to there being a large ammunition dump exploding on Topside - not unusual of itself, but the two references placed the explosion on different days. So I wrote to Bill Calhoun and Jim Mullaney whether there might have been two explosions, or just whether the Company Histories may have gotten it wrong. (The recurring theme in Bless 'em All, if one could call it that, is how the official records so often "get it wrong.") The "F" Co History records there being an explosion occurring on 4 March - a Sunday. This is the explosion in which the two 2d Platoon Pfc’s Whall and Pierce are almost killed. There is also an entry in the "E" Co History, Don Abbott’s account of it, which says:- "3/06/45 A large Ammo dump approximate 100 yards from the Company C.P. caught fire. The C.P. was moved to a safe position. The dump exploded but caused no casualties.” I opined whether there were two dumps burned in 3 days, or whether it might have been the result of Don Abbott having to rewrite the history after he got back to Mindoro, sometimes from hearsay. Abbott had been was suffering hepatitis sufficiently seriously to be withdrawn and withdrawn from Corregidor and placed in hospital a while, prior to returning to Mindoro.
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Post by Jim Mullaney on May 11, 2009 8:04:58 GMT 8
I made no entry in my diary in reference to the explosion around March 4, 1945.
I do note that "H" had returned to Kindley Field and apparently wasn't doing too much as things had calmed down. "I" Company did manage to kill eight more Japs but I don't recall where "I" was located.
On this date one of "H" men camed Campbell entered a cave near the strip just to see what was in it. He was welcomed with a grenade and got shrapnel in his eyebrow.
Joe Conway had gone to Mariveles with about seven men for a ceremony at the burial ground there. He stayed overnight.
On March 2nd Mac and his top brass had arrived on the island for a flag raising ceremony.
After the ceremony I stayed on topside in a building that had been hit by one of our aerial bombs which didn't explode but went through the roof, fell three floors down and lodged underneath the building.
During the night Major Mitchell fell through the bomb hole and was badly cut. I thought he was going to bleed to death before we could get medical people. At that time it was still very dangerous to move after dark and generally no one did.
But the aid men did when we radioed Major Mitchell's condition.
On March 4th my group of men who had attended the Mac ceremony returned to the strip and later in the day went back to topside and spent the night in the mile long barracks - Rats still there.
On Thursday 8th "H" and "I" boarded LCI #607 and headed back to Mindoro.
Jim Mullaney
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