New Guinea Battlefield found

[Mike Steele]

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/06/07/lost-wwii-battlefield-found-war-dead-included/?hpt=C1

 

Lost WWII battlefield found -– war dead included An Australian trekker said he has discovered the site of a significant World War II battle in the jungles of Papua New Guinea, complete with the remains of Japanese soldiers right where they fell almost 70 years ago.

 

Former army Capt. Brian Freeman, an expert on the Kokoda Trail – a 60-mile trek through rugged mountainous country and rainforest of the island – said Monday he was led to the Eora Creek battle site where he found the remains of the soldiers.

 

The site about half a mile from the village of Eora Creek was believed to be the location of the last major battle that was pivotal in Australia’s campaign against the Japanese in Papau New Guinea.

 

Although the site was known to local villages, jungles reclaimed it after the battle of Eora Creek. Although locals hunted on the plateau surrounding the site, they avoided the 600-square-meter battle ground because of a belief that spirits of the dead were still present in the "lost battlefield."

 

What this means is that the site has apparently remained untouched since 1942.

 

“On our inaugural trek, we were hoping to find the remnants of a make-shift Japanese hospital and, potentially, relics of guns and ammunition. I never anticipated that we would find war dead,” Freeman said in a statement.

 

Freeman trekked to the site for the first time on April 23.

 

“It was as if time has stood still. We found ammunition running out in a line from the rifle that was dropped as the Japanese advanced to the rear,” Freeman said.

 

Freeman said extensive research on battle maps and diaries led them to believe that the Japanese had a medical facility in the area during the Japanese advance and its location had remained a mystery until now.

 

The team found kidney-shaped medical dishes at the site, pointing to evidence that the find was indeed the site of a Japanese hospital.

 

The presence of large rectangular pits, referred to as rifle pits, also indicated that the location was also a significant Japanese defensive position.

 

“However, it was the discovery of a Japanese soldier sitting up against a tree, only centimeters from the surface still in his helmet, with his boots nearby that began to tell the human story,” Freeman said.

 

The battle of Eora Creek is said to be the single most costly clash of the Kokoda campaign, although different sources cite different casualty figures.

 

Freeman's group says 79 Australians died and 145 were wounded, while the Australian War Memorial website says 99 were killed and 192 wounded.

 

Freeman said they are working with respective governments to repatriate the fallen solders and preserve the site in its “current pristine condition." Until then, no groups will be permitted to trek the site.

 

 

[Paul in Qatar]

Graves in the news.

 

Stalin-era mass grave discovered. May they have Peace.

[Ken Estes]

Good work Mike, thanks for the discovery. Most interesting.

[Mike Steele]

More Battlefield Discovery

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MIA_RESEARCHER?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US

[Archie Pellagio]

Japanese pilot wasn't it?

The story was he was wrapped in vines, seemed odd to me too at the time given how fast the jungle consumes dead animals.

[capt_starlight]

I believe that it was a combination of moss and vines that made it look like the remains of someone hanging from a tree and they assumed that they saw parachute shrouds (more vines).

 

In regard to the differing casualty figures - it depends on your source. Even within the military, war diaries and returns can have different figures at different levels of the conflict. As rich found out (with at least his book on D-Day) battalion returns are not always consolidated by brigades, and brigades by divisions and so up the tree, with any form of accuracy....

[Mike Steele]

Another one comes home...

WWI MARINE VETERAN GEORGE H. HUMPHREY BURIED AT ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY Susan Bainbridge, Bainbridge News Published 06/24/2010 - 7:36 a.m. CST Slide Show

Before a small group of family and friends, the remains of World War I United States Marine First Sergeant George H. Humphrey were buried at Arlington National Cemetery on June 23, 2010. He received full military honors.

 

 

 

Humphrey went Missing In Action on September 15, 1918, while leading the first United States attack of the war against the Germans, under the direction of General John J. Pershing. The battle was later recognized as the St. Mihiel Offensive. During this combat, 7,000 allies died. Consequently, this war coined the phrase "D-Day," and was the first time American units used tanks.

 

 

 

First Sergeant George H. Humphrey was a member of the United States 6th Marine Regiment, which at that time, was part of the Army's 2nd Infantry Division. Following his death in battle, he was buried by his Marine comrades. In 1919, a Marine who saw First Sgt. Humphrey die near the Village of Rembercourt, wrote Humphrey's brother. Enclosed in his letter were the poignant accounts of the battle and a map, which outlined where First Sgt. Humphrey had been buried.

 

At the war's conclusion, several attempts to locate Humphrey's remains through the United States Army Graves Registration personnel were uneventful. Then, in September 2009, while looking for war souvenirs near Rembercourt, where Humphrey was believed to be buried, French nationals stumbled upon several war items. They were believed to belong to a World War I American soldier. The items were turned over to the United States military.

 

Upon further investigation of that area from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, they recovered remains, along with additional military items, including a marksman's badge with First Sgt. George H. Humphrey's name.

 

An exhausting forensic investigation, along with countless evidence, backed up by dental comparisons from the scientists of JPAC laboratory, cemented the identification of First Sgt. George H. Humphrey's remains. JPAC is the Joint Prisoners of War, Missing in Action Accounting Command.

 

First Sergeant Humphrey is a native of Utica, New York. He is survived by cousins. He did not marry and had no children.

 

http://thecypresstimes.com/article/News/Honoring_Our_Military_Comrades/WWI_MARINE_VETERAN_GEORGE_H_HUMPHREY_BURIED_AT_ARLINGTON_NATIONAL_CEMETERY/31186