Rank and Name, Major Charles H. Wilson.
Unit/Placed in, Medical Corps.
Major Charles H. Wilson become a POW when the Japanese concurred the Philippines in 1942, he walked the Death march to be send to POW Camp Cabanatuan and went om transport to a POW Camp in Japan with Oryoko Maru, after the bombing at Subic Bay which he survived the POW were put in the Enoura Maru for transport where he died on.
Camp Cabanatuan(Pangatian)
(former HQ 91st Philippine army Division)
After the Japanese occupation in 1942, the camp was converted by the Imperial Japanese Army into the Cabanatuan POW Camp. At its height, 8,000 prisoners were detained at this location. The prisoners also included some civilians including one British and one Norwegian citizen. This POW Camp detained prisoners until liberated during the night of January 30, 1945.
The rectangular camp spanned roughly 25 acres and was 800 yards deep by 600 yards wide, divided by a road in the center. The camp consisted of a barracks for Japanese guards, barracks for prisoners, a hospital and water tower enclosed by barbed wire with guard towers.
Oryoku Maru
Thomas Austin was one of 1619 prisoners of War onboard the Oryoku Maru at Manila. The ship sailed on December 13, 1944, for Japan and when It arrived at Subic Bay, the same day, it was bombed by American planes from the USS Hornet, while it was picking up Japanese personnel. When dusk came, the planes broke off the attack. Next the planes returned and resumed the attack. On Dec. 15, 1944 and sunk the Ship. The Japanese abandoned ship, even ordered the POWs to abandon ship during the air raid when the American pilots saw the large number of men climbing from the ship’s holds, they stopped their attack. As the POWs swam to shore, the POWs were shot at by Japanese soldiers with machine guns.
Enoura Maru
The Eunoura Maru was a Hell Ship for POW Transport.
After the “Hellship Oryoku Maru” was bombed at Fernando, Philippines (15 dec. 1944) The POWs were embarked to the “Hellships Enoura and Brazil Maru.
The “Hellship Enuora Maru arrived at Takao Harbor at 31 Dec. 1944 and was
attacked by Fighters from the USS Hornet (CV12), the one Bomb killed about 330 POW’s, (about 900 survived it), the ship was severe damaged but not sunk.
Charles is born approx. on 11 Feb. 1889 in New York.
Charles enlisted the service in New York with service number # 0-137206.
Charles died onboard the “Hellship” Enoura Maru on 9 Jan. 1945, he is honored with a Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, Army Presidential Unit Citation, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, WW II Victory Medal.
Charles is buried/mentioned at Manila American Cemetery and Memorial Manila, Metro Manila, National Capital Region, Philippines.
Walls of the missing.
Thanks to,
Jean Louis Vijgen, ww2-Pacific.com
Air Force Info, Rolland Swank.
ABMC Website, https://abmc.gov
Marines Info, https://missingmarines.com/ Geoffrey Roecker
Seabees History Bob Smith https://seabeehf.org/
Navy Info, http://navylog.navymemorial.org
POW Info, http://www.mansell.com Dwight Rider and Wes injerd.
Philippine Info, http://www.philippine-scouts.org/ Robert Capistrano
National Historian
Navy Seal Memorial, http://www.navysealmemorials.com
Family Info, https://www.familysearch.org
Info, https://www.pacificwrecks.com/
Medals Info, https://www.honorstates.org
Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com
Tank Destroyers, http://www.bensavelkoul.nl/
RANK: MAJOR. JAPANESE PRISONER OF WAR FOR 32 MONTHS. SERVED WITH THE U.S. ARMY, MEDICAL CORPS ON LUZON ISLAND, PHILIPPINES. WHILE ENGAGED IN COMBAT DURING THE DEFENSE OF LUZON AND RETREATING TO THE BATAAN PENINSULA, THE JAPANESE INVADING FORCES CAPTURED HIM APRIL 9, 1942 DURING THE INVASION OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. FORCED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE BATAAN DEATH MARCH AND WAS HELD CAPTIVE AT THE PRISONER OF WAR CAMP #1 CABANATUAN NUEVA PROVINCE, LUZON. ON DECEMBER 13, 1944 HE BOARDED THE JAPANESE ‘HELL SHIP’ ORYOKU MARU ALONG WITH HUNDREDS OF OTHER PRISONERS DESTINED FOR JAPAN VIA FORMOSA. WHILE ANCHORED IN THE SUBIC BAY HARBOR, IT WAS ATTACKED AND SUNK DECEMBER 15, 1944 BY U.S. NAVAL AIRCRAFT FIGHTERS FROM THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER, USS HORNET. HE SURVIVED THE ATTACK AND WAS LATER TRANSFERRED THE ENOURA MARU ANOTHER ‘HELL SHIP’ ON CHRISTMAS DAY. HE WAS BURIED AT SEA WHEN HE DIED JANUARY 9, 1945 WHILE EN-ROUTE TO JAPAN AND IS MEMORIALIZED AT THE MANILA AMERICAN CEMETERY, FORT BONIFACIO, MANILA, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART FOR HIS SUPREME SACRIFICE IN DEFENSE OF HIS COUNTRY.
