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Japanese and Allied Air Forces in the Far East Please use this forum to discuss the Air War in the Far East. |
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Major William Horrigan USAAF Java PoW 1942
Major William Horrigan USAAF Java PoW 1942
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi guys USAAF Major Bill Horrigan (0-20678), a former 19th BG pilot, attempted to fly a C-46 (or converted B-18?) from Java to Australia in early March 1942 (with two sick RAAF officers included as passengers), but was forced to ditch off the coast of Bali. All survived and were captured. Is there an account by Horrigan in any American book/magazine/website? Cheers Brian |
#2
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Re: Major William Horrigan USAAF Java PoW 1942
Can't have been a C-46. None in service in that area at that time
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#3
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Re: Major William Horrigan USAAF Java PoW 1942
Not the loss account you seek but a little more about Major Horrigan (later Col. retired). Captured date is recorded as 24 Feb 1942.
Full name William Kienle Horrigan. He has passed 16 Oct 1992 (aged 79): https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...ienle-horrigan Noted here departing Bandoeng Java (as a passenger) 7 Feb 1942 (rank Capt.) http://www.lanbob.com/lanbob/FP-19BG...2-02JA-Feb.htm POW Citation with limited personal data: https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/98622 Initial PoW internment: Kyushu Island. Fukuoka POW Camp #2, Nagasaki. He was camp commander. http://mansell.com/pow_resources/cam...01/Reports.htm Major Horrigan, Fukuoka POW Camp #2; minor notation here; search Horrigan http://www.axpow.org/bulletins/feb2008.pdf There are two NARA POW records for Major Horrigan. Final POW internment at Hoten POW Camp (Mukden) Manchuria. 1) https://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-...pg=1&rid=12857 2) https://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-...g=1&rid=132436 Liberated: On August 16, 1945, a six-man American OSS (Office of Strategic Services) team parachuted into Mukden to liberate the camp. Soviet troops entered Mukden a few days later and helped the evacuation of POWs. Two members of the OSS team also rescued high ranking Allied officers, including General Wainwright, held in Hsian about 150 miles northeast of Mukden. Source http://www.us-japandialogueonpows.org/MukdenPOWcamp.htm Newspapers.com was searched, finding no articles with content not already known.
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Scott M "I am become death, the destroyer of worlds."- referenced - J. Robert Oppenheimer |
#4
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Re: Major William Horrigan USAAF Java PoW 1942
A little more info here. I think that possibly his plane went down at the end of February, 1942 and he may have been captured the beginning of March. Too bad we can't seem to find his account, if it exists.
1st Half of article https://www.newspapers.com/clip/21512679/ 2nd Half of article https://www.newspapers.com/clip/21512537/ |
#5
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Re: Major William Horrigan USAAF Java PoW 1942
Hi guys
Great response - many thanks. If not C-46, what was it? Keep it coming, please. Cheers Brian |
#6
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Re: Major William Horrigan USAAF Java PoW 1942
Quote:
__________________
Scott M "I am become death, the destroyer of worlds."- referenced - J. Robert Oppenheimer |
#7
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Re: Major William Horrigan USAAF Java PoW 1942
Found this account. (The flight path as described seems a little confusing.)
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/theo...ava-t1615.html "MAJ Horrigan with CIV Gaylord Buchanan, my Father - FLT LT Val Morehouse RAAF, FLT LT Frank Wright RAAF, and 7 USAAC NCOs repaired a Bolo B-18 bomber (rigged as a transport) at Bandoeng on 6 Mar and tried to fly to Australia. They were seduced by the planet Venus having passed Surabaya, thinking it was a Japanese night fighter searchlight, tried to evade and ran out of fuel and landed on a beach near Semarang, were captured by two Dutch KNIL officers and turned over to the Japanese. It took my father 6 months to join the rest of 1 Sqn RAAF in bicycle camp, with no record of where he was. Does the LB docs have any mention of a RAAF FLT LT who may have been the guest of the Kempai Tai because he was the RAAF Operations Officer for the 1 and 8 Sqns for the retreat from Kota Baru?" |
#8
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Re: Major William Horrigan USAAF Java PoW 1942
Brian,
Just to add to the confusion there is a 53 page file on A454 F/Lt Valdemar Morehouse, RAAF: https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/Sear...aspx?B=1074676 Regards, Dave |
#9
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Re: Major William Horrigan USAAF Java PoW 1942
Wow!
I'll need some time to assimilate all this information Many thanks Brian |
#10
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Re: Major William Horrigan USAAF Java PoW 1942
Here is the obit of Gaylord A Buchanan, who was mentioned as the civilian on the flight in post #7. It states the plane was a B-18.
https://www.deseretnews.com/article/...CHANAN-JR.html Also an interesting story about him while a POW. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/21526845/ Last edited by RSwank; 4th July 2018 at 03:28. |
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