Staff Writer, with CNA
Nestled in the dense forests of the Central Mountain Range in Taitung County lies the wreckage of a World War II Consolidated B-24 Liberator, where Liu Jui-cheng (劉瑞成) and his friends went to pay tribute to the 25 people who died in the 1945 crash.
“We hope this piece of history will not be forgotten,” said Liu, a history enthusiast and a retired Republic of China Air Force major general.
Historical records show that just days after the war ended, on Sept. 10, 1945, one of two US B-24s carrying 20 freed Allied prisoners of war (POWs) on route to Manila from Okinawa flew into the tail of a typhoon and crashed in these mountains, Liu said.
Five crew, as well as 11 US, four Dutch and five Australian POWs, were aboard. The Liberator belonged to the 494th Bomb Group.
“It is important that we learn about this history and honor the men who died here,” Liu said.
Following a prayer by Liu and his friends, the retired general said debris from the plane and other remains are strewn across the mountainside.
Beside the shredded steel sheets and rusted ruins, Liu said there were a number of stone mounds near the crash site, which could have been temporary burial sites for the dead men.
A recovery team of Taiwanese and Japanese soldiers were sent to the area on Sept. 18, 1945, Liu said.
A second recovery team on Sept. 30 was caught in a typhoon, and 26 people died, he said, adding that a third team was sent in October to bury the bodies.
In 1947 and 1948, the bodies were recovered for reburial in Hong Kong, and a some were taken to the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in the US, Liu added.
“Besides the POWs, there is also little mention of the 26 rescuers who died here in the mountains of Taitung,” he said. “I believe we all owe it to them to honor their memories.”
He called on the government to erect a monument near the site to honor the dead.
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