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13000715
Corporal
Charles William Tucker
1922/04/10 - Born
Chemical Warfare Service
7th Chemical Company Aviation
Service
The duty of the Chemical Warfare service in the Philippines, was to support the Far East air Force at Clark and Nichols Fields. However, due to rapid loss of air power, the 7th Chemical Company was attached to the 31st Infantry Regiment and fought as an Infantryman on Bataan.
1942/04/08 - On Charles 21st Birthday Bataan surrendered to the Japanese
Japanese PoW
1942/04/09 - Bataan surrendered to Japanese. This was followed on May 6th by the total surrender of the Philippines.
After the surrender of Bataan the now PoWs were marched 88 miles from Marileves to San Fernando, Pampanga Province, this has became known as the ‘Bataan Death March’.
The first two days of the Bataan March they were given no water or food. It wasn’t until the third day of the march they received a small cup of rice but no water.
At San Fernando they were loaded into box cars and taken to Camp O'Donnell via Capas.
2,000 American soldiers died within the first six weeks of their imprisonment many killed on the march by the Japanese guards.
1944/07/03 - Transported SS Canadian Inventor II from Manila, Philippines.
Ship Nicknamed Mati Mati Maru (translated means ‘wait a minute’).
500 PoWs from Cabanatuan Camp and Bilibid Prison. 500 from Davao Camp (ex. Yashu Maru).
1944/07/04 - Arrived Keeung, Taiwan
1944/07/16 - Departed for Japan
At Okinawa, a new engine fitted taking six days.
1944/09/01 - Arrived Moji, Japan
(The transport took 62 days)
Marched across railway trestle to Simoneske, Honshu, Japan. Then trained to Omine Machi.
Hiroshima - Omine, Yamaguchi
288 Americans, 184 British
Worked for Sanyo Corporation in a coal mine which was declared unsafe before the war
1945/04/14 - Control of camp transferred to Hiroshima 4D
1945/08 - Renamed Hiroshima 6B
1945/09/15 - Liberated Hiroshima Camp VI B at Wakayama
Health was Poor
Post War
Charles
Photo taken June 1964
Charles married Mary on 29th December, 1950, in Baltimore Maryland.
After they married, Charles worked a Automotive Mechanic, until he was offered a job in the production department with the Westinghouse Corporation 1960, where he worked for over 25 years until his retirement in 1986.
After retiring Charles and Mary travelled throughout the United States in an RV Camper, before settling in Fort Myers, Florida until his death in March of 2004.
Charles - Michelle & Jon - Mary
2001/05/20
Died
March 2005
Information
Jon Rimando - Grandson
Ben Steele Artwork
Japanese Transports
Roger Mansell - Center for Research
KEW Files:- WO 361/1558, WO 361/1982, WO 361/1960, WO 361/1977, WO 361/1963,
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