'Aussie Rick'’s Comments (group member since Jun 12, 2009)

'Aussie Rick'’s comments from the THE WORLD WAR TWO GROUP group.

Doubledf99.99 wrote: "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkor...

Have been the battlefield museum a few times, ..."

Thanks for that link. Andrew Salmon has written two excellent books on the Commonwealth forces in the Korean War.

Dipanjan wrote: "I will like to read the following one....

Victory in Europe
"

I hope you enjoy the book Dipanjan!

Marc wrote: "I'm going to start things off tonight with this one:

[book:Hitler's Lost State: The Fall of Prussia a..."

Nice one, Marc!

Sounds like folks have a few good books in mind for this month's theme read. I'm going with my Kindle edition of this book; "The Death of East Prussia".

The Death of East Prussia: War and Revenge in Germany's Easternmost Province by Peter B. Clark

The August theme read page is ready to go - The Eastern Front in 1945:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

The August theme read is any book or books of your choice that covers the Eastern Front in 1945 (land, air or sea).

happy wrote: "I remember that

We were living in Germany and it was front page news in the Stars and Stripes newspaper. IIRC there was another surrender of a Japanese soldiers in the Phillipines at about the sam..."

I was only 13 so I might have missed it Happy :)

"Guam: The Battle for an American Island in World War II" - The last Japanese soldier to surrender on Guam was Corporal Shoichi Yokoi, who was discovered/captured in 1972:

https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-166...

"Guam: The Battle for an American Island in World War II" - On Japanese holdouts after the end of WW2:

"In May 1948, a pair of military policemen patrolling in a truck came upon two Japanese standing in the middle of the road. One of the ragged men was clutching a discarded American magazine. He showed it to the bemused Americans, bowing and calling their attention to a photograph of Emperor Hirohito pictured in the company of U.S. military police. It turned out that the photo had persuaded the two army privates that the war was actually over, and all was well in Japan. They climbed aboard the truck and were soon on their way home."

"Guam: The Battle for an American Island in World War II" - On casualties for the fight to retake Guam:

"The Guam campaign was the second costliest of the war to date, though there would be worse - much worse - to come at Iwo Jima and Okinawa. For the moment, Saipan led the list with 11,727 casualties, while there had been a 'mere' 4,420 casualties at Guadalcanal, Losses at Guam, as of General Geiger's announcement on August 10 that organized resistance had ended, totaled 1,741 killed in action or died of wounds, 6,053 wounded in action, and 22 missing in action and presumed dead. The number of known enemy dead was put at 10,984 to date. Civilian deaths during the war are estimated at 1,170, which includes perhaps as many as 600 who were killed or died between W-Day and early August."

Guam: The Battle for an American Island in World War II by James H. Hallas

"Guam: The Battle for an American Island in World War II" - The War Dogs used by the Marines became so effective in detecting hiding Japanese troops that the Japanese finally started to target the animals:

"Realizing their peril, the Japanese began shooting the dogs, and canine casualties in the war dog platoons rose drastically. By the end of the campaign, twenty war dogs had been killed and twenty wounded."

Guam: The Battle for an American Island in World War II by James H. Hallas

"Guam: The Battle for an American Island in World War II" - Another account of a brave Marine whose actions led to the posthumous award of the Medal of Honor, PFC. Frank Witek:

https://www.defense.gov/News/Feature-...

"Guam: The Battle for an American Island in World War II" - One of many brave American servicemen who gave their lives trying to save others. Pharmacist’s Mate Second Class Bernhard LeCaptain:

Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin No. 341 (August 1945):

"The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Navy Cross (Posthumously) to Pharmacist’s Mate Second Class Bernhard LeCaptain, United States Naval Reserve, for extraordinary heroism and conspicuous devotion to duty while serving as a Medical Corpsman attached to the Second Battalion, Ninth Marines, THIRD Marine Division, during the battle for Fonte Hill, Guam, on 25 July 1944. Pharmacist’s Mate Second Class LeCaptain repeatedly risked his life to minister to men wounded in battle. He unhesitatingly ran through heavy machinegun fire 75 yards to a wounded Marine and then carefully used the scant cover of a small parapet to protect the Marine. He himself remained exposed, while administering first aid. Continuing his daring and gallant service, he dragged another casualty to a nearby raving to provide comparative safety during medical treatment. A few minutes later he braved the intense barrage to rescue another wounded man who lay in the fire land. Although severely wounded by rifle fire while caring for his patient, Pharmacist’s Mate Second Class LeCaptain continued his task. He attempted to rise from his kneeling position only to collapse from extreme loss of blood and succumb before assistance could reach him. By his courage and efforts in behalf of others at great risk to his own life, Pharmacist’s Mate Second Class LeCaptain undoubtedly saved many lives, and his steadfast devotion to duty throughout was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country."

Guam: The Battle for an American Island in World War II by James H. Hallas

"Guam: The Battle for an American Island in World War II" - The author mentioned an incident with a US war dog and his handler, PFC Edmund Topka, who had been badly wounded during a Japanese counterattack:

" .. In the morning Marines found the seriously wounded dog handler lying in a gully near a concrete bridge over the Asan River in the 21st Marine sector. Ten dead Japanese lay sprawled nearby. Lucky, unhurt, was watching over Topka.

The dog allowed a corpsman to tend to his wounded handler, but Topka had been hit too hard. When he died there in the gully, Lucky refused to let anyone come near the body. 'He would not let you in,' recalled PFC Dale Fetzer. 'He would just stand there and bark at you and cry. He was going to guard his master dead or alive. That was his job.' One of the handler finally got a lead over Lucky's head and pulled him away. The dog was later reassigned to another handler but brooded so much over his missing friend that he was sent back to the United States and the family that had loaned him to the war effort."

US War Dogs in the Pacific:
https://www.uswardogs.org/WWII

Reading about the horrific fighting to retake Guam in 1944 in the book; "Guam: The Battle for an American Island in World War II" by James Hallas. The author mentioned the heroic actions of Luther Skaggs during a Japanese counterattack. His Medal of Honor citation reads:

"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as squad leader with a mortar section of a rifle company in the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division, during action against enemy Japanese forces on the Asan-Adelup beachhead, Guam, Marianas Islands, 21 -22 July 1944. When the section leader became a casualty under a heavy mortar barrage shortly after landing, Pfc. Skaggs promptly assumed command and led the section through intense fire for a distance of 200 yards to a position from which to deliver effective coverage of the assault on a strategic cliff. Valiantly defending this vital position against strong enemy counterattacks during the night, Pfc. Skaggs was critically wounded when a Japanese grenade lodged in his foxhole and exploded, shattering the lower part of one leg. Quick to act, he applied an improvised tourniquet and, while propped up in his foxhole, gallantly returned the enemy’s fire with his rifle and hand grenades for a period of 8 hours, later crawling unassisted to the rear to continue the fight until the Japanese had been annihilated. Uncomplaining and calm throughout this critical period, Pfc. Skaggs served as a heroic example of courage and fortitude to other wounded men and, by his courageous leadership and inspiring devotion to duty, upheld the high traditions of the U.S. Naval Service."

Corporal Luther Skaggs:
https://militaryhallofhonor.com/honor...

Nice review, Mike! Thanks for sharing with the group.

Hedda wrote: "I'm reading now, mainly, William L. Shirer's books of The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich."

Excellent book Hedda!

Marc, I'm pretty sure I will :)

Marc, I've ordered a copy of "Redemption: MacArthur and the Campaign for the Philippines". I'm trying not to buy too many books, but this one sounded too good to pass up.

Mike wrote: "I am currently reading Stranded in the Sky. It is about the luxury Pan-American flying boats that were enroute between Pacific destinations on December 7, 1941, and the efforts to bring them home. ..."

Sounds like a very interesting book, let us all know how it goes.