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NX35741 - NOBLE, Richard Thomas, L/Sgt.
Nominal Roll details
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.
On board were the following
passengers and crew:
Crew
1) O-715399 -
SCRUGGS, Charles C. 1st Lt, Pilot
2) O-925827 - BALCOM, Charles A. 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot
3) T131846 - JONES, William D. F/O, Navigator
4) 34799372 - DENHAM, John D. Sgt, Engineer
5) 37565964 - McFARLANE, George E. Sgt, Radio Operator
US POWs
6) 19054413 -
Watson, W.J. Pfc
7) 14042312 - Thomas,
William J. S/Sgt
8) 18050020 - Davis,
Ben F. Pfc
9) 17010090 - Wilson,
Robert J. Pvt
10) 18045741 - Wade,
Elbert E. Cpl
11) 12007085 - Brill,
Arthur Pvt
12) 16003943 - Gabski,
Hobert J. Pfc
13) 14056710 - Wyatt,
James R. Pvt
14) 6557283 - Cramer,
Thomas L. Sgt
15) 19010290 -
Thornsbery, Jim M. Sgt
16) 15047583 - Hollon,
Dexter J. Pvt
Dutch POWs
17) V13644 -
Wingerdew, P.H.
Sailor
18) V96498 - Belzen,
Job, Kpl. MGD - buried in Sai Wan War Cemetery, Hong Kong -
Grave 4.N.4
19) 90334 - Ouwens,
Antonius Bernardus, Sergt. Art. - buried in Sai Wan War
Cemetery, Hong Kong - Grave 4.N.6
20) 93362 - Dekker,
Daniel Cornelis, Sld. - buried in Sai Wan War Cemetery, Hong
Kong - Grave 4.N.5
Australian POWs
21) NX60056 -
James, Albert
Arthur, Sgt. - 2/19 Battalion - buried in Sai Wan War
Cemetery, Hong Kong - Grave 6.A.2
22) NX35741 - Noble,
Richard Thomas, S/Sgt. - 2/30 Battalion - buried in Sai
Wan War Cemetery, Hong Kong - Grave
6.A.3
23) VX35009 - Rogerson,
Harry, WO2 - 2/29 Battalion - buried in Sai Wan War
Cemetery, Hong Kong - Grave 6.A.4
24) VX58497 - Cooper,
Ronald Simmons, Gunner - 4 Anti Tank Regiment - buried in
Sai Wan War Cemetery, Hong Kong - Grave
6.A.5
25) SX10013 - Gilding,
Jack Livingstone, Cpl. - 8 Australian Division Ammunition Sub
Park - buried in Sai Wan War Cemetery, Hong Kong - Grave
6.A.6
(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]
)
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Last updated
31/08/2021 |
