Camp O'Donnell Burial Detail
Camp O'Donnell Burial Detail
bigpigeon.us webpage WWII-Japan  > Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost, © 2023 by Robert A. Christiansen​, updated by RAC 15 Aug 2023.
The 1942 loss of the Philippines was at the time the worst military defeat in US history.
​This webpage is incomplete; need to add a timeline.

The loss of the Philippines in April and May of 1942 resulted in an estimated 53,000 emaciated prisoners of war, of whom 20,000 were American, 12,000 Filipino Scouts (Filipino members of the United States Army), and 21,000 members of the Filipino Commonwealth Army, mostly untrained reservists. 

US Ground combat forces in the Philippines were concentrated in the Philippines Division, a mixture of American troops and Filipino Scouts. For use elsewhere in my website, I am interested in the following data.
Unit (as of Jul 1941) Dead (as reported by the American Battle Monument Commission
HQ & HQ Co.
HQ, Special Troops
12th MP Co., 40 dead.
12th Ordnance Co., 45 dead.
12th Signal Co, 77 dead.
31st Inf. Regt. (US), 936 dead.
45th Inf. Regt. (PS), 1039 dead.
57th Inf. Regt. (PS), 983 dead.
1st Bn, 43rd Inf. Regt., 31 dead.
26th Cavalry Regt. (PS), 301 dead.
23rd FA Regt. (PS), 159 + 1 = 160 dead.
24th FA Regt. (PS), 309 dead.
14th Eng. Regt., 324 + 4 = 328 dead.
12th Med. Regt., 121 + 13 = 135 dead.
12th QM Regt., 90 + 70 + 3 = 163 dead.
4th Veterinary Co.
Fall of the Philippines, 1941-42.

After the main force of over 30,000 surrendered to the Japanese on Bataan Peninsula in April 1942, the Filipino and American captives were transferred under brutal conditions to Camp O'Donnell, with thousands dying en route. Later many of the American captives were sent to prison camps near Cabanatuan, where they continued to die by the hundreds.
Central Luzon
Central Luzon
In October 1944, the United States Army returned to the Philippines, landing first on the island of Leyte.
Sources for Big Pigeon's Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost webpage:
  • The webpage header photo, Camp O'Donnell Burial Detail, is courtesy of the National Archives.
  • The Central Luzon map is courtesy of American Experience.

​03-05 - Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost: (26 dead, updated 5 Oct 2023)
  • Most dead were prisoners of the Japanese from the 1942 Fall of the Philippines.
  • Seven died from friendly fire while being transported on Japanese vessels
† Andersen, Harold Martin (served as Anderson Harold M), SN 37-037-894, US Army, Shelby Co.
  • 200th Coast Artillery Regt. (actually an anti-aircraft unit  armed with 3" 75mm guns & 50 caliber machine guns); stationed at Fort Stotsenburg N of Manila, Philippines to protect nearby Clark Army Air Base; POW captured with the fall of the Bataan Peninsula; DNB 7 May 1942 at Camp O'Donnell, N of Manila, Luzon, dysentery; Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost.
† Bach, Paul Leonard, SN 0-311-373, US Army, Pott. Co.
  • 43rd Inf. Regt., Philippine Scouts, Philippine Division; POW Philippines 1942; DNB 21 Nov 1942 at Cabanatuan POW Camp, Nueva Ecija Prov., Luzon, Philippines, amoebic dysentery; Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost.
† Blizzard, Howard Leslie, SN 0-355-479, US Army, Pott. Co. & Ray Co., MO
  • Signal Air Warning Co., Philippines; POW Philippines 1942; KIA 9 Jan 1945, on Japanese Hell Ship Enoura Maru, Takao Harbor, southern Formosa from attack by planes from the USS Hornet (CV-12); ~ 400 POWs died; Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost.
† Bostedt, Glen Charles, SN 17-011-361, US Army Air Force, Pott. & Mills Cos.
  • 3rd Pursuit Sqdn., 24th Pursuit Gp., Philippines; POW Philippines 1942; DNB 11 Oct 1942 at Cabanatuan POW Camp, Nueva Ecija Prov., Luzon, Philippines; Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost; status of body unknown.​
† Bostedt, John Bernard, SN 17-011-358, US Army Air Force, Pott. & Mills Cos.
  • 3rd Pursuit Sqdn., 24th Pursuit Gp., Philippines; POW Philippines 1942; DNB 7 Jul 1942 at Cabanatuan POW Camp, Nueva Ecija Prov., Luzon, Philippines; Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost; BNR.
† Bostedt, Joseph William, SN 17-011-348, US Army Air Force, Pott. & Mills Cos.
  • 3rd Pursuit Sqdn., 24th Pursuit Gp., Philippines; POW Philippines 1942; DNB 20 Sep 1942 at Cabanatuan POW Camp, Nueva Ecija Prov., Luzon, Philippines; Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost; BNR.​
† Briggs, Earl Eddie, SN 17-011-280, US Army, Pott. Co.
  • HQ, Coast Artillery, Manila & Subic Bay harbor defenses, Luzon, Philippines; POW Philippines 1942; DNB 9 Mar 1944, Osaka Main Camp, Chikko, Osaka, Honshu, Japan; Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost; BNR.
† Brown, Ralph Ray, SN 17-019-024, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • Hq. Sqdn. 27th Bomb Gp. (medium), Philippines (their planes never arrived); POW Philippines 1942; DNB 11 May 1942, POW Camp #4, O’Donnell, Tarlac, Luzon, Philippines, malaria; Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost.​
† Cavanaugh, James Bernard, SN 17-017-247, US Army, Pott. Co.
  • G2 (intelligence), HQ, 2nd Philippine Corps; POW captured on Bataan, Luzon, Philippines 1942; Master Sergeant kept with high-level captives; DNB 10 Feb 1943, Formosa POW Camp #4, Karenko, northern Formosa, malaria; Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost.​
​† Cocklin, Harold John, SN 19-000-746, US Army Air Force, Cass Co. & Alameda Co., CA
  • 34th Pursuit Sqdn., 24th Pursuit Gp.; POW; DNB 29 Apr 1942 Camp O'Donnell, Tarlac Province, Central Luzon, Philippines; Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost.
† Collett, Albert Henry, SN 6-580-825, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co. & Los Angeles Co., CA
  • 93rd Bomb. Sqdn., 93rd Bomb. Gp., Clark Field, Luzon, Philippines; POW Philippines 1942; DNB 20 May 1942, POW camp, Luzon, Philippines, declared dead 8 May 1944; Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost.
† Dammrow, Stanley Arnold, SN 17-030-323, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • Hq. Sqdn., V Interceptor Cmd., Luzon, Philippines; POW Philippines 1942; DNB Nov 1942, Cabanatuan POW Camp, Nueva Ecija Prov., Luzon, Philippines, dysentery; Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost; BNR. 
† Fader, Walter D., SN 17-011-491, US Army Air Force, Mills Co.
  • ​2nd Quartermaster Co. (Aviation), 5th Air Base Gp.; POW Philippines 1942; KIA 7 Sep 1944, Sulu Sea, off Sindangen Bay, NW Mindinao, Philippines, torpedoing of Japanese Hell Ship Shinyo Maru by USS Paddle (SS 263), ~668 US POWs died, ~82 survived; Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost; BNR.
† Hartje, Lamar Hugo, SN 316-57-45, US Navy, Pott. Co.
  • Submarine Tender USS Canopus (AS-9), Asiatic Fleet; scuttled in Mariveles Bay, Bataan, Philippines 10 Apr 1942; crew went ashore to Corregidor Is.; KIA 6 May 1942 near the water tower on Monkey Pt., Corregidor Is., Manila Bay, Philippines; Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost; BNR.
† Johnson, Arthur Burdick, US Merchant Marine, Shelby Co.
  • Stranded in Manila, Luzon, Philippines when WW II began; interned in civilian POW camp at San Tomas University, Manila; d. 23 Nov 1944 Manila from beri-beri; Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost.​
† Juhl, William David, SN 8-863-628, US Army, Shelby Co.
  • Co. G, 31st Inf. Regt., Philippine Div.; POW Philippines 1942; DNB 8 Aug 1942 at Cabanatuan POW Camp, Nueva Ecija Prov., Luzon, Philippines from malaria; Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost; BNR.
† McCauley, Leon Harrold, SN 0-890-103, US Army, Pott. Co.
  • Quartermaster Corps, Philippines assigned to 74th Inf. Div., Philippines Commonwealth Army; POW Philippines 1942; DOW 9 Jul 1942, POW Camp #4 O’Donnell, Tarlac, Luzon, Philippines; Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost.
† McCuen, Walter Rea, SN 321-29-61, US Navy, Audubon & Shelby Cos.
  • Submarine Tender USS Canopus (AS-9), Asiatic Fleet; scuttled in Mariveles Bay, Bataan, Philippines 10 Apr 1942; crew went ashore to Corregidor Is.; captured at Corregidor, Manila Bay, Philippines May 1942; KIA 24 Oct 1944 on Hell Ship Arisan Maru in Bashi Channel, S of Formosa; Arisan Maru sunk by submarine USS Shark (SS-314); ~1773 US POWs and ~100 international civilians died; nine POWs survived; Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost; BNR.
† Newman, Shelby Fearn, SN 0-351-381, US Army, Pott. Co.
  • Assigned to 11th Inf. Regt., Philippines Commonwealth Army; POW Philippines; KIA 15 Dec 1944, Subic Bay, Luzon, Philippines; escape attempt from grounded Japanese Hell Ship Oryoku Maru; Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost; BNR.
† Nugent, Donald Thomas, SN 17-018-650, US Army, Pott. Co. & Douglas Co., NE
  • 75th Ordnance Co. (Depot), Philippines; POW Philippines 1942; KIA 7 Sep 1944, Sulu Sea, off Sindangen Bay, NW Mindanao, Philippines, torpedoing of Japanese Hell Ship Shinyo Maru by USS Paddle (SS 263), ~668 US POWs died, ~82 survived; Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost; BNR.
† Pierce, Robert Clark, SN 6-825-221, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • 7th Material Sqdn., 19th Bomb. Gp., Philippines; POW Philippines 1942; DNB 22 Nov 1942, Cabanatuan POW Camp, Nueva Ecija Prov., Luzon, Philippines; beriberi; Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost; BNR.
† ​Pigg, Ronald Orville, SN 0-890-057, US Army, Douglas Co., NE & Los Angeles Co., CA
  • captured with the fall of Corregidor 6 May 1942; KIA 28 Jan 1945 on Japanese hell ship Brazil Maru en route from Okinawa to Japan; Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost; BNR.
† Seitz, Charles Raymond Jr, SN 0-387-504, US Army, Mills Co.
  • 2nd Engr. Bn., 2nd Inf. Div. -> 14th Engr. Bn., Philippine Scouts; KIA 7 Sep 1944 off west coast of Mindanao; Japanese Hell Ship Shinyo Maru torpedoed by USS Paddle (SS 263); of ~750 US POWs, 667 died & 82 swam to shore and were saved by Filipino guerrillas; Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost; BNR.
† Spencer, George Raymond, SN 316-31-56, US Navy, Harrison Co.
  • Gunboat USS Oahu (PR-6), repositioned from Shanghai, China to Manila Bay, Luzon, Philippines Nov 1941, sunk off Corregidor 5 May 1942; POW on Luzon; KIA 24 Oct 1944 on Hell Ship Arisan Maru in Bashi Channel, S of Formosa; Arisan Maru sunk by submarine USS Shark (SS-314); ~1773 US POWs and ~100 international civilians died; nine POWs survived; Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost; BNR.
† Wilson, John Robert, SN 6-208-886, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • 34th Pursuit Sqdn., 24th Pursuit Gp., Philippines; POW Philippines 1942; DNB 22 Jul 1942 Cabanatuan POW Camp, Nueva Ecija Prov., Luzon, Philippines; malaria; Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost.
† Uballe, Joseph J., SN 6-935-989, US Army Air Force, Boone Co.
  • 28th Material Sqdn., 20th Air Base Gp., Nichols Field, Luzon, Philippines; POW from the 1942 Fall of the Philippines; d. 14 Dec 1944 Puerto Princessa, Palawan, Philippines; one of about 139 POWs burned to death in the Palawan Massacre; Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost.