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WWII 31st INFANTRY OFFICER POW GROUP + HIS GEAR FROM BATAAN ! Walter J. Hinkle


KASTAUFFER
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This is an amazing time capsule that survived the fighting on Bataan and in POW camps in the Philippines.

Part of this has been shown on the forum before, but since I bought the group, I have added more items to it from a separate individual who obtained part of the group as well. The only part of the entire group that I do not own are his POW diaries and they are amazing. Here is the thread on the diaries : http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/175448-amazing-japanese-pow-handwritten-diary/?hl=hinkle&do=findComment&comment=1340666

 

The officer who owned this group was a 1st LT who served with the 31st Infantry and 63rd Infantry PA in the Philippines when the war broke out. On December 18th, 1941 we was badly wounded and was evacuated to Mindanao. This is the reason his mussette bag, and gear survived. The soldiers captured on Mindanao did not have to participate in the Death March and many of them were able to keep things the men on Bataan could not.

While a POW in Davao on Mindanao, he had his leg removed in Sept 1943, almost 2 years after his initial wound.

In 1944 he was transferred to Bilibid and was liberated there in Feb 1945.

His Canteen and Mess Kit are a diary of his time on Bataan and as a POW . If you just read what is engraved on them, you get a good idea of his experiences.


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This hat was either made in the Philippines before the war or in the POW camp itself. In this photo taken of him after he was released in Feb 1945, it appears to be the same hat.

 

 

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These are the objects I find the most interesting, his messkit and canteen. He turned them into a visual diary of his experiences.

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I loved these items to an Illinois veteran when they were originally posted. Glad to see you got the group reunited and glad it is in great hands

thanks for showing

Brandyn

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This next item took me a while to figure out what it was. It is basically a piece of a khaki shirt sewn to a chop stick. I thought it was odd until I realized it was made out of necessity.

 

After he was wounded in Dec 1941, it was 2 years until he had his leg amputated. This is basically a fly swatter to keep them away from his wound. It is stained, and I have no doubt that is what he used it for.

 

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This is the peg leg he made himself in the POW camp and another of him taken in 1945 wearing it. He hid his diary in his leg.

 

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