Names of 2/30 Battalion men in this Cemetery

Five Australians lost their lives, when a United States Army Air Force plane crashed in Taiwan's Central Mountains (then known as Formosa), on 10/9/1945. Among those killed was L/Sgt R.T. Noble of the 2/30 Battalion, and Sgt. Albert Arthur James, father of Australian and UK TV presenter, Clive James.

US, Dutch and Australian POWs who had been in camps in Japan, were being transported in converted Liberator bombers from Okinawa to Manila, so that they could join ships returning to their homelands. Each plane had 20 passengers and 5 crew. During the journey, the plane struck trouble when flying through the tail end of a cyclone, was blown off course, and crashed on Karzan Mountain, North of Taito, Formosa. The plane involved in the accident was a B-24 M Liberator, Serial Number 44-42052, with the nickname "Liquidator". It was part of 494th Bomb Group (Heavy), 866th Bomb Squadron.

A recovery mission, which included Japanese military, police, local Taiwanese, and native tribes, was undertaken shortly afterwards. A second recovery team was caught in bad weather, and 26 members of the team died. A third team was sent up in October, 1945, and they buried all the bodies beside a small pond. A further mission recovered the bodies, and some were reburied in Sai Wan War Cemetery, Hong Kong. The Dutch were interned in Plot 4, Row N, and on 16/10/1947, the five Australians were laid to rest in Plot 6, Row A, graves 2 to 6 inclusive.

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(Source: The Story of "J" Force, page 120; The 494thBomb Group(H) Association. Inc. web site; Netherlands War Graves Foundation web site; ArmyAirForces.com web site; National Archives of Australia. NAA: A8234 64 - Burma, China, India [war cemeteries] )

For more information about Sai Wan War Cemetery, go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission web site (Copyright Commonwealth War Graves Commission)

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