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Cpl Richard Campfield (gyrene79)
to remember
Marine Capt Paul Armstrong Brown.
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Contact Info
Home Town Blanco
Last Address Blanco
MIA Date Oct 24, 1944
Cause MIA-Died in Captivity
Reason Drowned, Suffocated
Location Philippines
Location of Memorial Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial - Honolulu, Hawaii
The sinking of the Arisan Maru
On October 11, 1944, about 1800 POWs boarded the Arisan Maru hoping they would be better off than in the camps they were leaving. They would soon find out differently. The Arisan Maru was a rather new freighter and the men were led to the holds. These contained three levels of wooden shelves with about three feet between shelves. They could barely stand or move in the space. After dark the ship left the harbor, and the men discovered the ship was heading south and not towards Japan. It had joined a convoy accompanied by a destroyer. The ships were about 200 miles south of Manila and went into coves in the islands. They were trying to elude American forces in the area. The ship then returned to Manila, arriving there around October 20. The next day they joined a convoy heading towards Japan. The men received scant amounts of rice and water while on board. The heat proved unbearable, and about a third of the men suffered from dysentery and malaria. The stench grew steadily in the confined quarters. The Japanese dispensed no medicine. They did however issue life preservers which served to increase the fear of them. Many men lost their spirit and will to live and had fits. The other men had to hold them down. On the 24th of October, some of the POWs saw Japanese running toward the rear of the ship and they witnessed the wake of a torpedo heading towards the ship. It barely missed the ship. A second torpedo also misfired. Then a torpedo successfully hit mid-ship on the starboard side. The ship buckled in the middle, but the forward part of the ship stayed level. This was where the Americans were. They Japanese cut the rope ladder to the forward hold, and closed the latches on the second hold. They boarded life boats and headed for two destroyers. Some of the Americans managed to get on deck and threw rope ladders down to the men below them. Some of the men jumped overboard once on deck. Some attempted to swim toward the destroyers, but were then struck with long poles from the Japanese. Some of the men who had remained on board went to the galley and hit the food supplies. The ship began to break into two pieces and sunk. According to the Japanese Prisoners of War Information Bureau listed 1,778 of the 1,782 prisoner as deceased. However, a few were picked by the Haro Maru and taken to Taiwan. Five survived in the sea and a Chinese junk ship took them aboard and they were helped by the Chinese to an American air strip.
Other Comments:
Body Not Recovered
Silver Star
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star (Army Award) to Captain Paul Armstrong Brown (MCSN: 0-6078), United States Marine Corps Reserve, for gallantry in action while serving with Company B, First Battalion, Fourth Marine Regiment, at Fort Hills, Philippine Islands, March 25, 1942. When the barracks of the 92nd Coast Artillery (Philippine Scouts) were set on fire by a hostile bombing attack, Captain Brown without regard for personal danger and while hostile planes were overhead, directed members of his company in getting the fire under control thus preventing complete destruction of buildings and defense installations in the area. The explosion of small arms and other ammunition stored in the area greatly increased the hazardous fire fighting operations. Action Date: March 25, 1942
Prisoner of War Medal
Captain Paul Armstrong Brown (MCSN: 0-6078), United States Marine Corps Reserve, was captured by the Japanese after the fall of Corregidor, Philippine Islands, on 6 May 1942, and was held as a Prisoner of War until his death while still in captivity. Action Date: May 6, 1942 - Died in Captivity on the Arisan Maru Oct 24, 1944
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