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Post by David Hull on Jun 12, 2009 7:48:35 GMT 8
EXO
I work with the Kirkpatrick Family Archives. We are currently uploading information into a web site which chronicles through pictures and documents the history of the Kirkpatrick family, including Lewis Spencer Kirkpatrick who, as you already know, served at Fort Drum until his being taken prisoner by the Japanese and dying in a prison camp.
I was trying to understand his assignments art for drum, and I wanted to ask you if you had information regarding Lt. Col. Kirkpatrick. You may view what we have posted online at our web site-Kirkpatrick Family Archive.com <blockedhttp://www.kirkpatrickfamilyarchive.com/> .
Please help me to understand. We thought the Lt. Col. Kirkpatrick assumed command of Fort Drum sometime in 1941, possibly March. The information posted on your web site shows the following:
NOTES: 2nd Bn. C.O.: Lt.Col Lewis S. Kirkpatrick (concurrent Ft. Drum Fort Commander located at Ft. Mills). H.Q. Ft. Drum C.O.: Capt. Ben E. King (after reassignment from Btry Geary on Ft. Mills)"
Could you help me understand when he likely assumed command, what "Lt.Col Lewis S. Kirkpatrick (concurrent Ft. Drum Fort Commander located at Ft. Mills" means, and whether his service could have been split actually between Fort Mills and Fort Drum.
Thanks so much for your help!
David Hull Associate Archive/Historian Kirkpatrick Family Archive
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Post by EXO on Jun 12, 2009 8:00:25 GMT 8
Dear David, I assume your info is from corregidor.org/btty_histories/control/order_battle_59.htmThe info on my site is like an index, wide in scope and limited in nature - I started with very little, none of it from original documents, so I can't go back to those documents and see if there are any references which will clarify issues. I don't have any of the promotion lists. I will bring your enquiry to the attention of two colleagues who might be able to assist. Drum, being so small and essentially an outpost, presumably did not need the peacetime presence of a Lt. Col at all times, so I think it highly likely he split his time between Corregidor and Drum. About the surrender we have: corregidor.org/chs_moorerpt/war_damage.htmThe Statement of BOUDREAU, Col. , Napoleon, 91st CA (PS).Before noon 6 May I had received a message which read in part as follows: "Destroy equipment, raise white flag at noon and notify Forts Drum and Hughes." The decoded message was telephoned in full to Lt. Col. Kirkpatrick of Fort Drum . Repeated efforts to reach Fort Hughes failed. During the trip from Corregidor to Manila 123-24 May 1942 I talked to Lt. Col. Kirkpatrick, commander of Fort Drum. He said he emptied all recoil cylinders of all guns, placed sandbags in the muzzles and fired them with full charges. The muzzle of one of the 14-inch guns was split and another 14-inch jumped from its carriage with the breech resting against the rear of the turret. He flooded the powder magazines with salt water and threw everything the men could handle into the sea except rations and medical supplies. The Statement of RUTHERFORD, Col. , Dorsey J. CAC Lt. Col. Kirkpatrick told me at the surrender he drained the oil from the recoil cylinders of the 14-inch guns at Fort Drum, placed sand bags in the muzzles and fired them. My recollection is that he said all the guns jumped out of their carriages. He considered the batteries beyond repair. Post-surrender Work Detailcorregidor.org/archive/QM%20Building%20Audit/htm/pca_02_01.htmOn 25 July 1942, all POW's remaining on the island (approx 316, under the command of Lt. Col. Lewis S. Kirkpatrick) were moved to the Hospital. The men were placed on work details scavenging scrap metal, weapons, and ammunition. The prisoners suffered no significant abuse, nor shortage of food. Regards EXO
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Post by George D Munson on Jun 12, 2009 8:05:28 GMT 8
From: Munson, George D Mr CIV USA IMCOM Sent: Thursday, June 11, 2009 3:46 PM
Subject: RE: Lewis Spencer Kirkpatrick (UNCLASSIFIED)
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED Caveats: NONE
David,
I went through part of my archives and found the following about LTC Kirkpatrick:
1. He was the CO of the 2nd Battalion, 59th Coast Artillery Regiment. It consisted of E/59th, which manned Ft. Drum, a small HQ element, and a few people from other organizations.
2. The 14" guns on Ft. Drum had to be swabbed after several rounds were fired. LTC Kirkpatrick would not let the soldiers do this unless either he or the CO of E/59th was topside with them. This was the SOP even when the Fort was under fire.
3. Instead of surrendering, LTC Kirkpatrick proposed that they fight to the last man like the Alamo.
I will try to find some more information on him, as soon as I get a chance.
George D. Munson
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Post by David Hull on Jun 12, 2009 8:08:25 GMT 8
George:
Thank you very much. I appreciate your time and research. It is especially helpful to have both the information regarding Lewis Spencer Kirkpatrick AND his time on the Philippines. We have a couple of articles regarding the challenges of those soldiers during that time, and we have reviewed John McNair Wright's Captured on Corregidor who details his experiences with LTC Kirkpatrick.
Looking forward to whatever you turn up,
David Hull
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Post by batteryboy on Jun 12, 2009 8:53:46 GMT 8
Here are some additional info that I have on Lt. Col Lewis Kirkpatrick:
Somewhere in July-Aug, 1940 Lewis Kirkpatrick, then a Capt, was assigned at Battery D 59th CA (at Battery Cheney). The 59th CA was commended with excellent performance during the war condition exercises. On that same period, after the drills, Capt Kirkpatrick took advantage of the lifting on the travel ban to Shanghai. He left together with Lieutenants, Lund, Hauck (Herman Hauck) and McLain.
When he was assigned at Fort Drum, he was the Fort Commander and concurrently CO of the 2nd Battalion, 59th CA while Capt. Sam Madison was in charge of the gun batteries. Capt Ben King’s transfer to Drum from Geary meant that King was either he became the CO of the 2nd Battalion or the CO of the batteries at Drum but Kirkpatrick was still the overall Fort Commander. Maybe another confusion that arose was during the USAFFE debriefing at Fort Sam Houston in 1947, Ben King (who was already a major) was the senior surviving officer of the Fort Drum after the war and thought he was the overall fort commander.
Cheers,
Tony aka Battery Boy
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Post by The Phantom on Jun 13, 2009 3:48:48 GMT 8
Is Mary, his daughter, involved in your research?
"Captured on Corregidor" by Wright Jr., had information in it that Mary had not known about. A terrible end for a brave man, as happened to so many of his time.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 30, 2010 0:26:48 GMT 8
Dear Sir, I just found your posting. Much news. My father was Capt. Ben King. He was transferred to Ft. Drum from Battery Geary following the shoot from Jan. 26-29, '42 on Longos Kawayan Point. I suppose Col Bunker wasn't too happy. Dad served with Col. Kirkpatrick until the surrender as Battery Commander of HQ Battery. He was on the work party after capture where Col. Kirkpatrick was essentially worked to death. I have seen it in his notes. Dad was the only surviving officer of Ft. Drum. He wrote a report which is called The Wainwright Papers, and hence will be posted on this website as The King Report. Until recently I had posted dad's photos and documents on another website. That webmaster has passed away and that site will go away shortly. I have spoken to his daughter Mary a few years ago to say hello and to advise of the posting of dad's things. If I can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to let me know. Just drop me a note. Not all of dad's documents and photos are on-line and I'd be willing to share them with you. Went on a WWII History Tour including Corregidor last year ('09). My nephew made a book of it on shutterfly, which we hardbound and distributed to family and to the tour host. That book can be viewed here: community.shutterfly.com/gallery/search/start.sfly?term=binkowskiWarm regards, Richard H. King rking81@comcast.net
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Post by Richard King on Jul 17, 2017 18:48:22 GMT 8
Dear Sir, I just found your posting. Much news. My father was Capt. Ben King. He was transferred to Ft. Drum from Battery Geary following the shoot from Jan. 26-29, '42 on Longos Kawayan Point. I suppose Col Bunker wasn't too happy. Dad served with Col. Kirkpatrick until the surrender as Battery Commander of HQ Battery. He was on the work party after capture where Col. Kirkpatrick was essentially worked to death. I have seen it in his notes. Dad was the only surviving officer of Ft. Drum. He wrote a report which is called The Wainwright Papers, and hence will be posted on this website as The King Report. Until recently I had posted dad's photos and documents on another website. That webmaster has passed away and that site will go away shortly. I have spoken to his daughter Mary a few years ago to say hello and to advise of the posting of dad's things. If I can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to let me know. Just drop me a note. Not all of dad's documents and photos are on-line and I'd be willing to share them with you. Went on a WWII History Tour including Corregidor last year ('09). My nephew made a book of it on shutterfly, which we hardbound and distributed to family and to the tour host. That book can be viewed here: community.shutterfly.com/gallery/search/start.sfly?term=binkowskiThe above listed link is no longer functional. Sorry. I have updated my email address to the current one. Warm regards, Richard H. King rhkin75@gmail.com
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Post by Richard King on Aug 11, 2021 22:00:19 GMT 8
Dear Sir, I just found your posting. Much news. My father was Capt. Ben King. He was transferred to Ft. Drum from Battery Geary following the shoot from Jan. 26-29, '42 on Longos Kawayan Point. I suppose Col Bunker wasn't too happy. Dad served with Col. Kirkpatrick until the surrender as Battery Commander of HQ Battery. He was on the work party after capture where Col. Kirkpatrick was essentially worked to death. I have seen it in his notes. Dad was the only surviving officer of Ft. Drum. He wrote a report which is called The Wainwright Papers, and hence will be posted on this website as The King Report. Until recently I had posted dad's photos and documents on another website. That webmaster has passed away and that site will go away shortly. I have spoken to his daughter Mary a few years ago to say hello and to advise of the posting of dad's things. If I can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to let me know. Just drop me a note. Not all of dad's documents and photos are on-line and I'd be willing to share them with you. Went on a WWII History Tour including Corregidor last year ('09). My nephew made a book of it on shutterfly, which we hardbound and distributed to family and to the tour host. That book can be viewed here: community.shutterfly.com/gallery/search/start.sfly?term=binkowskiWarm regards, Richard H. King rking81@comcast.net
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Post by Richard King on Aug 11, 2021 22:01:02 GMT 8
My email has been changed to:
rhking75@gmail.com
Richard King
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