Pfc. Irvin M. Brosnan

Born: 23 February 1919 - Trona, California Parents: Martin F. & Catherine Brosnan Siblings: 1 sister, 1 brother Hometown: Trona, California Enlisted:     - U.S. Army         - 17 February 1941 - Los Angeles, California Training:     - Unknown Units:     - Unknown         - possibly joined 17th Ordnance, in California, as it was being sent to the Philippine           Islands     - 17th Ordnance Company         - company created from A Company of 19th Ordnance         - trained alongside the 192nd Tank Battalion at Ft. Knox Overseas Duty:     - Philippine Islands         - serviced tanks of Provisional Tank Group Engagements:     - Battle of Luzon     - Battle of Bataan Prisoner of War     - 9 April 1942         - Death March             - POWs started march at Mariveles on the southern tip of Bataan             - POWs ran past Japanese artillery firing on Corregidor                 - American artillery returned fire             - San Fernando - POWs packed into small wooden boxcars                 - each car could hold eight horses or forty men                 - Japanese packed 100 POWs into each boxcar                 - those POWs who died remained standing             - Capas - POWs leave boxcars - dead fall out of cars             - walk last ten miles to Camp O'Donnell POW Camps:     - Philippines:         - Camp O'Donnell             - unfinished Filipino training base             - Japanese put camp into use as POW Camp             - only one water spigot for entire camp             - as many as 50 POWs died each day             - Japanese opened new POW camp to lower death rate         - Cabanatuan     - Manchuria         - Mukden             - Work: machine shop or lumber mill Hell Ship:    - Tottori Maru         - Boarded: 1961 POWs put on ship - 7 October 1942             - 500 POWs in front hold             - 1461 in rear hold         - Sailed: Manila - 8 October 1942             - 9 October 1942 - two torpedoes fired at ship by an American submarine                 - ship misses mine laid by American submarine         - Arrived: Takao, Formosa - 12 October 1942         - Sailed: 16 October 1942             - returned to Takao         - Sailed: 18 October 1942         - Arrived: Pescadores Islands - same day             - remained anchored off islands for several days             - two POWs died                 - buried at sea         - Sailed: 27 October 1942         - Arrived: Takao - same day             - 28 October 1942 - POWs taken ashore ans showered         - Sailed: 30 October 1942         - Arrived: Fuson, Korea - 7 November 1942         - Disembarked: 8 November 1942             - sick left behind at Fusan             - those who recovered were later sent to Mukden             - white boxes with ashes of those who died sent with survivors         - Train Ride: POWs took two day train trip to Mukden, Manchuria             - 11 November 1942 - arrived at Mukden Liberated: 20 August 1942 - Russian Army Promoted: Sergeant Discharged: 21 April 1946 Residence: San Bernardino County, California Died: 3 March 1998 Buried:     - Riverside National Cemetery - Riverside, California         - Section:  48   Site:  5192 Note: Website - mukdenpow.org             Direct link takes user to default page

 

 

Return to 17th Ordnance