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Post by dmether on Jan 21, 2011 16:38:06 GMT 8
This is pretty horrible stuff, but it happened:
I came across a report in the National Archives about the 503rd at Noemfoor.
These guys: Pvt Williams Pvt Novachuck PFC Geyer Pvt Shaw PFC Marion
They were killed in action on 10 Aug 1944 then partially eaten by the Japanese.
Basically, the flesh of the lower extremities and buttocks, both arms, and lower back and chest were cut off. One had the heart and liver removed. One of the paratroopers found about a pound of fresh meat stuffed in a cut out pocket of a herring bone twill fatigue suit.
On 11 Aug 1944, members of the same unit found a container with cooked human fingers in it. A couple of Japanese soldiers were captured by the 503rd and admitted to eating not only American but Japanese bodies as well.
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Post by dmether on Jan 21, 2011 16:14:08 GMT 8
Unfortunately, the documents a little too large to post. Here is what it says:
"This report covers search areas 18-A which includes Corregidor (Fort Mills) and the outlying islands of Caballo (Fort Hughes), El Fraile (Fort Drum) and Carabao (Fort Frank).
The detachment arrived in Corregidor on 14 August, 1947 with three (3) officers, one (1) American enlisted man, and five (5) Philippine Scouts with the mission 'To close the islands in one month.' This job and time estimate was based on what little information was then available about a few isolated burials and on our ignorance of the true condition of the place and nature of work to be done.
After a week of reconnoitering, clearing and test digging we became convinced that if the job was to be done in one month, we would need at least a company of about a hundred men. After five years from the surrender, the islands have been covered with trees, and under brush so that in order to make any recovery it was necessary to clear not only the spot indicated in our leads but a wider area, since the places indicated were not accurate. The area at the end of Malinta Tunnel alone which was covered by debris twenty feet deep, would require more than a month if dug by hand by a hundred men."
Report goes on to talk about leads:
"Brief summary of action taken to follow up leads or information obtained:
(1) Denver Hill area where last stand was made was search four times. Found twenty (20) remains. (2) The Beach Defense area from North Point to Malinta Point was searched four times. Found twenty-five (25) remains. (3) Area around 92nd Garage, supposedly the site of a mass burial, was searched four times with negative results. (4) Area around Kindley Field wsa searched three times. Found three (3) remains. (5) Area south between Camp Point and Monkey Point and Battery Point were searched twice with negative results. (6) The rest of islands including Caballo, Carabao, and El Fraile were searched only once for lack of positive information and found no remains. (7) The following places were dug by the bulldozer with results indicated: (a) East of Malinta Tunnel-found one or more remains. (b) Around two water towers on Denver Hill found no remains. (c) Post Cemetery-No remains found; probably all were previously disinterred. (d) Some places along the road that were indicated as possible burial place-no recoveries."
To answer your questions, no, unfortunately it doesn't tell where they were found.
Thanks for enlarging the map, much clearer.
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Post by dmether on Jan 21, 2011 14:35:06 GMT 8
I have a copy of a dispostiton from a Ernest J. Chavez, 20842697, who was in the 515th Provisional Coast Artillery.
He states that he was captured on 9 April 1942, along with 300 other Americans, they were made to sit down in front of 5 heavy artillery guns while the Japanese shelled Corregidor. When Corregidor returned fire they Americans ran for cover. He was suprised to have not been shot by the Japanese, who then gathered them up in trucks and drove them to O'Donnell.
He wasn't the first to get to O'Donnell, but at least he missed the Death March. He ended up in Japan
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Post by dmether on Jan 21, 2011 13:19:35 GMT 8
[/urlhttp://s1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd480/dmether/] I loaded the map in photobucket.
I have a copy of the 22 March 1948 Termination of search area, island of Corregidor, Fort Mills, Fort Drum, and Fort Hughes.
The search was made with 3 officers, 1 enlistedman, 33 Philippine Scout enlistedmen, 1 US civil service employee, and 4 non-US employees.
In it, the ARGS searched from 14 Aug 1947 to 28 Feb 1948 in a final effort to locate all MIAs on those locations.
48 total remains and one group of probably 8 unseperatable remains were recovered with 33 being identified. All are believed to have died in May 1942, not in the retaking of Corregidor.
The location of the isolated burials were all on Bottomside, except the group of 8 which were located east of Malinta Tunnel. The 48 dead were all located in foxholes, the Japanese did not allow them to be buried properly.
Those identified were: Branchen, William J. Biddle, John C. Davis, Leon Pierome, Joseph A Quey, Mario Bullaro, Charles J Suyat, Jose A (Scout) Pack, Leslie O. Monticello, D (Scout) Wederbrook, Roy A Ford, Norman C Dirain, Horminigildo (Scout) Bernardo, Manuel (Scout) Smetana, Pete A McCormack, Nicholas J Duck, James E Aarhaus, David L Pulley, Woodrow W Irgram, Ernest D Smith, James Prokash, Clarence H Haskin, John E Pelayo, Jesus (Scout) Fairchild, D D Thomson, Burton G Booth, Ralph H Wolfe, Carl Stoos, John Otter, Bethel V Gage, Charles S Compton, Harold W De Costa, Thomas
Its kind of hard to see on this map, but it is the location of were they were found. Attachments:
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Post by dmether on Jan 21, 2011 9:22:31 GMT 8
I think these are the same guys, this picture is out of the book "Collier's photographic history of World War II" a 1946 book my dad gave me. Attachments:
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Post by dmether on Jan 21, 2011 9:04:49 GMT 8
I scanned the photo's from the National Archives last year, heading back in Feb for another visit.
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Post by dmether on Jan 20, 2011 20:14:59 GMT 8
This is supose to have been one of the last photo's sent from Bataan to the US before the surrender. It show's BG. Clinton A. Pierce questioning Japanese POWs. Attachments:
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Post by dmether on Jan 20, 2011 19:47:17 GMT 8
Passenger; this is the helicoper we used. Was in a military unit looking for American MIAs from WWII. Attachments:
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Post by dmether on Jan 20, 2011 19:29:26 GMT 8
Not sure, might be from the engines of two boats pulling away from Ft. Drum. It was a 30 minute fuze and they wanted to get away ASAP in case the Japanese set the charges off early.
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Post by dmether on Jan 20, 2011 19:26:34 GMT 8
Here they are pumping oil into Ft. Drum in preparation of blowing it. Attachments:
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