AMERICAN CEMETERY
IN TOWNSVILLE DURING WWII
DID IT EXIST?

Subject:    Townsville Cemetery.
Date:             Thu, 13 May 1999 15:08:41 -0400
From:           JACK DeTOUR <jackdet@pixi.com>

To:   Peter Dunn

Howdy :

Ref your request for Info about a possible American Cemetery in Townsville, Australia during WWII. This does not answer the question; but, I am working on it.

A representative from the National Cemetery of the Pacific has asked the Australian Council in Hawaii to help on the question. It will take time to get an answer from down under. Thought you may find the following of interest.

The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific is in "Punch bowl" a circular tuff cone created by volcanic action. It over looks Honolulu, HI. The first internments in Punch bowl were in January 1949 and 13,000 were buried there during the next six months, They were transferred to Punch bowl from temporary graves on Pacific Islands and from mortuaries & cemeteries on the mainland.

Some 31,000 of America's dead from WW II are honored at Punch bowl, including 18,093 whose bodies were never recovered and whose names are inscribed on marble tablets. The dead from WW II have been joined  18,163 missing and 1,242 interned who died in Korea and another 2,487 missing and 213 buried whose lived ended in Vietnam.

During a visit to Punch bowl, I could not find the names of some of our 38 BG buddies (Lou Pitts and his crew's names were not listed). Lou and his crew were lost going against shipping in the Sea of Japan. The Punch bowl Superintendent checked and said their names were on a wall in a Memorial Cemetery in Manilla, PI. I did not know we had a Cemetery there and further more they were lost when we were flying  out of Okinawa. Having their names on a wall in the Philippines does not make sense to me - but then not everything does.

I have rattled on long enough. Will let you know what I find out from the Australian Council.

Jack DeTour

PS: Change my E-mail address to jackdet@pixi.com .

Can anyone help me with more information?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 30 May 1999

This page last updated 30 May 1999