Bataan POW 75mm Shell.

[tdogchristy90]

George Augustus Reed was a 29yo second lieutenant in the Army, enlisting in the service in 1940 from Springfield, MO.

 

 

He was placed in charge of Battery E of the 24th Field Artillery, Philippine Scouts and was sent to the Philippine Islands where he served.

 

 

Being stationed in the Philippines, George Reed was present when the Japanese attacked in December of 1941. George tried to take a boat from Bataan to Corregidor but was picked up by a Japanese vessel and officially became a POW when the Philippines fell in April, 1942.

 

 

He was sent to Bilibad Prison in the Philippines. Due to his officer status, George was made leader of his prison group and was consequently punished regularly.

 

Was later transferred to Mindinao in the Philippines and spent two and a half years their.

 

 

After these two years, George was sent to Manila and placed on the Oryoku Maru "hell ship" which sent him to Kyushu, Japan and Camp Fukuoka #3 and then onto Camp Hoten in Mukden, Manchuria. It is from Mukden that George was liberated in August, 1945.

 

 

The lot came with the paper work associated with him, newspaper detailing his capture, his picture, a 16 page autobiography of his time as a POW, and an artillery shell that is dated 1940 and inscribed with his name and unit. The 75mm shell appears to have been given to him before the fall of the Philippines and was shipped back home to his family. The shell and autobiography are the highlights of this grouping.

 

 

Like the posthumous Silver Star bible that I posted earlier in field gear, this listing comes from ourboysof98 and Keith's personal collection. Thanks again Keith for all your help and assistance.

 

As with the bible, I'm happy to add this to my collection and keep these Missouri memories alive.

 

Thanks again for everything.

 

 

...

[copper252]

Can you post additional pictures of the ribbon bars, I have been hoping to find a Philippines defender grouping from Missouri. Amazing grouping, I love that shell.

[tdogchristy90]

Can you post additional pictures of the ribbon bars, I have been hoping to find a Philippines defender grouping from Missouri. Amazing grouping, I love that shell.

I'm not all that up on my ribbons but Keith said they came with the estate sale but isn't too sure if the bars belonged to Reeds brother who also served, or himself. Either way they came with the lot so he wanted to keep everything intact. Hope this photo will do. Thanks.

[copper252]

i'd bet the bottom left one is his.

[tdogchristy90]

I thought I'd bump this and show the engraving examples. Thanks and enjoy.

[tdogchristy90]

I’m updating this with some info transcribed from an autobiography...

 

George Augustus Reed was born in Missouri July 25, 1912, to his parents Frank and Mildred Reed. Following his childhood, Reed went to college where he earned a bachelor’s degree in forestry from Colorado State University. In 1938 he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in artillery at Fort Sill, Oklahoma and was enlisted into the Army out of Springfield, Missouri on March 28, 1940. Marrying his wife Sylvia, Reed was stationed as the Provost Marshall of Fort Des Moines, Iowa when he was approached in November 1940 about going to the Philippines.

 

On January 1, 1941 they sailed from New York to San Francisco to begin their journey to the Philippines. Once in the Philippines, Reed’s first duty was to train new Philippine Scout recruits. After six weeks of training Reed was placed second in command of Battery E, 24th Field Artillery, Philippine Scouts. In May 1941, Reed’s Wife Sylvia was sent back to the United States and he was made the Adjutant of American Instructors for the 21st Field Artillery, Philippine Army. On December 6th, Reed was placed in command of a battery of 75mm guns. On December 8, Reed was checking equipment for his 75mm guns when he received a message at 10AM, “Japanese planes have been sighted over Lingayen Gulf. Put your guns under cover.”

 

Three days after war began, Reed was to take his guns and place them where the highway bridge crossed the Agno. By April 9, 1942, Bataan had fallen. Reed sat on Mariveles Point until sailing away with a colonel before being picked up off Mindoro by a Japanese sub chaser. Taken to Nasugbu and then by truck to Tagaytay Ridge, where he was placed in the constabulary jail. Being the highest ranking combat officer, Reed was made leader of the group and first commander of Bilibid Prison under the Japanese. As a leader, Reed was beaten often by the Japanese guards at Bilibid Prison until being transferred to Cabanatuan and placed on a burial detail. 

 

In November 1942 Reed was sent to the Davao Penal Colony in Mindanao. After two and a half years in Mindanao, Reed was placed on a freighter and sent back to Bilibid in Manila, Philippines. Once back at Bilibid, the prisoners received personal packages before being shipped out to Cabanatuan. In November 1944 Reed was trucked to Manila and on December 13, boarded the Oryoku Maru. On December 14th the Oryoku Maru was attacked off Bataan by American planes and ran into Subic Bay. 

 

On the 15th, American planes dropped bombs on the ship, the prisoners were let out of the hold, swam ashore, and were pinned in a tennis court before being trucked to San Fernando, Pampanga, to the Provincial Jail. On December 24, 1944, the prisoners were put on a train for San Fernando, La Union and spent Christmas there before being placed aboard the Enoura Maru on December 26th. They were shipped to the Takao harbor, Taiwan, where they sat. 

 

When the Enoura Maru was attacked, killing many prisoners, Reed and his fellow survivors boarded the Brazil Maru headed for Moji, Japan on the island of Kyushu. About 200 out of 1683 survived the trip from the Philippines to Japan. As part of a group of officers, Reed was first sent to Fukuoka #3 before being sent on April 5, 1945 to Mukden, Manchuria.

 

By now, American forces had landed on Okinawa and on August 17th, 1945, all work detail in the Mukden camp stopped. When the Russians showed up, they took charge of the camp. Reed and his fellow prisoners then spent a month in the city of Mukden before boarding a train for Port Arthur, China. Once they arrived in port, they were greeted by the hospital ship “Relief” with its American flag flying. 

 

George A. Reed

February 8, 1978.

 

After the war, George A. Reed settled back into Missouri where he worked for the Defense Mapping Agency, Aerospace Center in St. Louis. He died December 30, 1993 at the age of 81 and is buried in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, St. Louis, Missouri. 

[Alamo]

Very interesting, thanks for sharing.