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Casualty Info
Home Town Baltimore
Last Address 2210 Essex Street, Baltimore, Maryland
Casualty Date Jul 01, 1943
Cause KIA-Killed in Action
Reason Unknown, Not Reported
Location Solomon Islands
Location of Interment Baltimore National Cemetery (VA) - Baltimore, Maryland
Wall/Plot Coordinates Section E, Row 0, Grave 4212
New Georgia Group Operation /Battle of Wickham Anchorage
From Month/Year
June / 1943
To Month/Year
July / 1943
Description The Battle of Wickham Anchorage took place during the New Georgia Campaign in the Solomon Islands during the Pacific War from 30 June -3 July 1943. In the battle, a force of United States Marine Corps Raiders and United States Army soldiers landed by ship in Wickham Anchorage on Vangunu Island and attacked a garrison of Imperial Japanese Navy and Army troops. The purpose of the attack by the U.S. was to secure the lines of communication and supply between Allied forces involved in the New Georgia Campaign and Allied bases in the southern Solomons. The U.S. forces were successful in driving the Japanese garrison from the area and securing the anchorage.
4th Raider Battalion (Companies N and Q) received its baptism of fire during this same period. This unit was under command of the battalion executive officer, Major James R. Clark. It was assigned to assist the Army's 2d Battalion, 103d Infantry (Lieutenant Colonel Lester E. Brown) in seizing Vangunu and the approaches to Wickham Anchorage on 30 June. Intelligence from the coastwatchers indicated that there were about 100 Japanese occupying the island. The plan called for the raiders to make a pre-dawn landing at undefended Oloana Bay. The Army would follow them ashore after daylight, establish a beachhead, and then deal with the enemy, thought to be located in a village along the coast several miles to the east.
