Among the many tragedies occurring in the dark days of World War II, was the loss of Lt. Gilbert Roy Abell, of Durham, who was a prisoner of the Japanese, and was lost when a Japanese vessel transporting prisoners of war was sunk by submarine action Oct. 24, 1944.
Lt. Abell was taken prisoner with the fall of Corregidor Island, in the Bay of Manila shortly after the fall of the Philippine Islands to Japanese invaders. Led by Gen. Jonathan L. Wainwright, American and Filipino forces withstood nearly a month of bombardment of the two square mile island before surrendering on May 6, 1942, 24 hours after Japanese troops landed.
Corregidor was the last organized resistance by American and Philippine troops to Japanese invaders of the Philippines.
Abell lived in the Durham community until he entered service in the Quartermaster Corps of the Army in June. 1936. He was made second lieutenant after Pearl Harbor and had been stationed in the Philippines for some time before war was declared.
It was not until June, 1945, near the end of the war, when his wife, Kathleen Abell of LaGrange, received word from the war deparment that her husband was among those lost when a Japanese ship was sunk. It was determined that evidence of his death was received 16 June 1945.
The War Department notification, signed by. Adj. Gen. A. Ulio, stated: "The information available is that the vessel sailed from Manila, Philippine Islands, on 11 October 1944 with 1775 prisoners of war aboard. On 24 October 1944 the vessel was sunk by submarine action in the South China Sea, over 200 miles from the Chines coast, which was the nearest land.
"Five of the prisoners escaped in a small boat and reached the coast. Four others were reported as picked up by the Japanese, by whom all others aboard are reported lost."
"It is with deep regret that I must notify you of this unhappy culmination of the long period of anxiety and suffering you have experiences. You have my heartfelt sympathy," the letter concluded.
---Press News Journal 14 November 2002
Lt. Abell was taken prisoner with the fall of Corregidor Island, in the Bay of Manila shortly after the fall of the Philippine Islands to Japanese invaders. Led by Gen. Jonathan L. Wainwright, American and Filipino forces withstood nearly a month of bombardment of the two square mile island before surrendering on May 6, 1942, 24 hours after Japanese troops landed.
Corregidor was the last organized resistance by American and Philippine troops to Japanese invaders of the Philippines.
Abell lived in the Durham community until he entered service in the Quartermaster Corps of the Army in June. 1936. He was made second lieutenant after Pearl Harbor and had been stationed in the Philippines for some time before war was declared.
It was not until June, 1945, near the end of the war, when his wife, Kathleen Abell of LaGrange, received word from the war deparment that her husband was among those lost when a Japanese ship was sunk. It was determined that evidence of his death was received 16 June 1945.
The War Department notification, signed by. Adj. Gen. A. Ulio, stated: "The information available is that the vessel sailed from Manila, Philippine Islands, on 11 October 1944 with 1775 prisoners of war aboard. On 24 October 1944 the vessel was sunk by submarine action in the South China Sea, over 200 miles from the Chines coast, which was the nearest land.
"Five of the prisoners escaped in a small boat and reached the coast. Four others were reported as picked up by the Japanese, by whom all others aboard are reported lost."
"It is with deep regret that I must notify you of this unhappy culmination of the long period of anxiety and suffering you have experiences. You have my heartfelt sympathy," the letter concluded.
---Press News Journal 14 November 2002
Among the many tragedies occurring in the dark days of World War II, was the loss of Lt. Gilbert Roy Abell, of Durham, who was a prisoner of the Japanese, and was lost when a Japanese vessel transporting prisoners of war was sunk by submarine action Oct. 24, 1944.
Lt. Abell was taken prisoner with the fall of Corregidor Island, in the Bay of Manila shortly after the fall of the Philippine Islands to Japanese invaders. Led by Gen. Jonathan L. Wainwright, American and Filipino forces withstood nearly a month of bombardment of the two square mile island before surrendering on May 6, 1942, 24 hours after Japanese troops landed.
Corregidor was the last organized resistance by American and Philippine troops to Japanese invaders of the Philippines.
Abell lived in the Durham community until he entered service in the Quartermaster Corps of the Army in June. 1936. He was made second lieutenant after Pearl Harbor and had been stationed in the Philippines for some time before war was declared.
It was not until June, 1945, near the end of the war, when his wife, Kathleen Abell of LaGrange, received word from the war deparment that her husband was among those lost when a Japanese ship was sunk. It was determined that evidence of his death was received 16 June 1945.
The War Department notification, signed by. Adj. Gen. A. Ulio, stated: "The information available is that the vessel sailed from Manila, Philippine Islands, on 11 October 1944 with 1775 prisoners of war aboard. On 24 October 1944 the vessel was sunk by submarine action in the South China Sea, over 200 miles from the Chines coast, which was the nearest land.
"Five of the prisoners escaped in a small boat and reached the coast. Four others were reported as picked up by the Japanese, by whom all others aboard are reported lost."
"It is with deep regret that I must notify you of this unhappy culmination of the long period of anxiety and suffering you have experiences. You have my heartfelt sympathy," the letter concluded.
---Press News Journal 14 November 2002
Lt. Abell was taken prisoner with the fall of Corregidor Island, in the Bay of Manila shortly after the fall of the Philippine Islands to Japanese invaders. Led by Gen. Jonathan L. Wainwright, American and Filipino forces withstood nearly a month of bombardment of the two square mile island before surrendering on May 6, 1942, 24 hours after Japanese troops landed.
Corregidor was the last organized resistance by American and Philippine troops to Japanese invaders of the Philippines.
Abell lived in the Durham community until he entered service in the Quartermaster Corps of the Army in June. 1936. He was made second lieutenant after Pearl Harbor and had been stationed in the Philippines for some time before war was declared.
It was not until June, 1945, near the end of the war, when his wife, Kathleen Abell of LaGrange, received word from the war deparment that her husband was among those lost when a Japanese ship was sunk. It was determined that evidence of his death was received 16 June 1945.
The War Department notification, signed by. Adj. Gen. A. Ulio, stated: "The information available is that the vessel sailed from Manila, Philippine Islands, on 11 October 1944 with 1775 prisoners of war aboard. On 24 October 1944 the vessel was sunk by submarine action in the South China Sea, over 200 miles from the Chines coast, which was the nearest land.
"Five of the prisoners escaped in a small boat and reached the coast. Four others were reported as picked up by the Japanese, by whom all others aboard are reported lost."
"It is with deep regret that I must notify you of this unhappy culmination of the long period of anxiety and suffering you have experiences. You have my heartfelt sympathy," the letter concluded.
---Press News Journal 14 November 2002
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