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October 1, 1942: The USS Grouper Sinks the Lisbon Maru

October 4, 2023 by Jenny Ashcraft | 34 Comments

On October 1, 1942, the USS Grouper torpedoed the Lisbon Maru, a Japanese ship traveling through the South China Sea. Unbeknownst to US military officials, the Lisbon Maru was carrying 1,816 British prisoners of war captured after the Battle of Hong Kong in December 1941. The ship began to sink, and Japanese troops evacuated, but not before battening down the hatches and trapping the POWs below deck. The prisoners finally broke through the hatch covers and attempted to escape. More than 800, however, perished in the disaster.

The USS Grouper was a Gato-class submarine and part of the Pacific Submarine Force in WWII. During her second patrol, the Grouper encountered the Lisbon Maru in the South China Sea. The 7,000-ton freighter turned armed troop ship was carrying some 800 Japanese troops and bore no flags or markings indicating that she also carried POWs. The prisoners had been captured at the Battle of Hong Kong, and many were sick and weak, having spent nearly a year in POW camps. They were being transported to provide slave labor to benefit Japan’s war effort.

The Grouper tracked the ship in the early morning of October 1, 1942, but bright moonlight prevented a surface attack. Instead, the Grouper dove and waited for the right moment. Just after 7:00 a.m., the sub fired three torpedoes at the Lisbon Maru. They all missed, but a fourth torpedo collided with the ship’s engine room at the stern. The Grouper raised the periscope and noted that the vessel had stopped and was returning fire. At 8:45 a.m., the Grouper’s crew reported that Lisbon Maru was listing. They also recorded that an enemy plane flying overhead dropped depth charges. The sub cleared the area, still having no idea Allied POWs were aboard the ship.

Report from the USS Grouper found in WWII War Diaries

On board the Lisbon Maru, the POWs were kept below deck, in dark, overcrowded, sweltering holds and without access to food or water. Throughout the day, the ship continued to list, and by the evening, Japanese troops began evacuating, leaving a small contingent of guards to prevent an escape.

Conditions below the deck were deteriorating. Exhausted prisoners tried desperately to keep the holds from filling with water using hand pumps. The following morning, the ship lurched, and water began pouring in. The POWs panicked and attempted to break through the hatches. Lt. Hargraves Milne Howell finally opened a hatch, and prisoners rushed to the deck. The remaining Japanese guards fired upon the first men to surface, but they were soon outnumbered. Prisoners jumped in the water, hoping to swim to a nearby island, but many drowned. Nearby Japanese boats refused to rescue prisoners flailing in the water and even fired upon them.

A contingent of Chinese fishermen risked their lives to rescue the POWs and bring them back to shore. However, Japanese soldiers soon recaptured them. At least 825 men died. Survivors were rounded up and transported to other POW camps, where many later perished. Lt. Howell was sent to Fukuoka POW camp, where he remained until his liberation on September 20, 1945. For his efforts to help free the POWs stuck below deck, he was awarded the MBE (The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for gallantry.

To learn more about the Lisbon Maru tragedy, search Fold3® today.

Hero From the Heartland: The Story of Bombardier David W. Fisher

September 25, 2023 by Jenny Ashcraft | 4 Comments

How can Fold3® records help tell the story of your military ancestor? We came across an interesting Missing Air Crew Report for a WWII bombardier. That single record led us to additional Fold3® records, Newspapers.com™ clippings, and a Find a Grave™ memorial. Using these combined sources, we’ve pieced together the remarkable service history of David Willard Fisher. This is his story.

*Missing Air Crew Report for David W. Fisher*

On May 18, 1944, David W. Fisher and a crew of nine boarded a B-24H for a bombing run over Ploesti, Romania. Their aircraft never landed. After engine trouble, the plane crashed. Two crew members were killed instantly, five were captured and taken POW, and three, including Fisher, made their way to freedom with the help of partisans.

David W. Fisher was born in 1916 in Iowa, the son of James E. and Sophia Raymond Fisher. Raised in Iowa City, Fisher excelled in athletics, lettering in football at Iowa City High School. Following graduation, he married Marguerite Schrader on August 11, 1940. That same year, Congress passed the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, and by October 1940, all men between the ages of 21 and 35 were required to register with their local draft board. Fisher registered on October 16, 1940.

*WWII Draft Registration Card for David Willard Fisher*

After Pearl Harbor was bombed on December 7, 1941, the United States entered WWII, and Fisher was called up to serve. He was selected for training as a bombardier in the Army Air Corps and, in December 1943, was commissioned as Second Lieutenant. One day, during a two-mile training run with fellow cadets in Midland, Texas, Fisher impressed fellow airmen with his athletic prowess. A large West Texas jackrabbit lit out in front of the group, and Fisher took off on a sprint in hot pursuit of the rabbit. By the time the other cadets caught up to him, they found he’d outrun the rabbit.

Fisher was assigned to serve in the 459^th Bombardment Group, 756^th Bomb Squad, and 15^th Air Force. He left for Europe on April 17, 1944. His unit participated in a bombing campaign to destroy enemy oil production facilities at Ploesti. Between April and August 1944, the 15^th Air Force bombed Ploesti 23 times. More than 200 heavy bombers were downed, and 1,100 bombers became POWs.

On the afternoon of May 18, 1944, Fisher and his crew boarded a B-24 at Giulia Airbase in Italy. Fisher had been in Italy for six months, and this was his fifth mission. After a successful bombing run over Ploesti, the aircraft headed for home but soon developed engine trouble. Pilot Harold W. Helfrich lost sight of his formation and was losing altitude when he sent a distress call. Moments later, the aircraft went into a violent spin.

Crew members struggled to escape, and Fisher was one of the first to jump. He immediately encountered problems when his chute failed to open, and he went into a 5000-foot free fall. In a newspaper interview, Fisher recalled, “I was in a bunched position, my head down, falling headlong with my knees drawn up. With a terrible shock, the chute opened. Blood spurted from my mouth and nose, and I felt like a giant hand had torn me in two.”

Fisher and Helfrich landed close together but didn’t know the fate of the other crew members. Fisher was injured, but local partisans arrived on the scene quickly and ushered the two men to safety. Back home, Fisher’s wife received word that he was missing.

*David W. Fisher – courtesy of Find a Grave and Ellen Bishop*

For 89 days, Fisher and Helfrich crossed through enemy territory. They received help from a group of partisan fighters led by Josip Broz Tito, a leader of Yugoslav Partisans who would later serve as President of Yugoslavia. The partisans guided them through Yugoslavia and Albania with the enemy in close pursuit – so close that they shot off the heel of Helfrich’s boot. During the three-month ordeal, Fisher developed dysentery and lost almost 50 pounds. In August 1944, Fisher and Helfrich reached Peshkopi, Albania, and were turned over to an English liaison officer. Military officials then evacuated Fisher and Helfrich to a military hospital in Bari, Italy.

After recovering, Fisher returned to the US in October 1944 and was honorably discharged on February 7, 1946. He was awarded the Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters. He lived a long life and passed away in 2010 at age 93.

Fold3® contains countless stories of ordinary men and women who served in extraordinary ways. To research the story of your military hero, search Fold3® today!

The USS Benevolence Brings Home American POWs from Japan

September 1, 2023 by Jenny Ashcraft | 28 Comments

On August 29, 1945, the USS Benevolence sailed into Tokyo Bay. She was the first American hospital ship to arrive in Japan to evacuate American, Allied, and civilian POWs from two internment camps following the end of WWII. After spending the fall onboarding patients and caring for them, the Benevolence set sail for the US on November 27, 1945. She reached San Francisco on December 12, 1945.

After Emperor Hirohito announced that Japan would surrender on August 15, 1945, military officials began moving 300 US Navy ships toward Tokyo Bay, where Japan would sign the official Instrument of Surrender on September 2. Among those ships were three hospital ships: the USAHS Marigold, the USS Rescue, and the USS Benevolence. The Benevolence was a new hospital ship, recently converted from the cargo ship SS Marine Lion. She had over 800 hospital beds, state-of-the-art operating rooms, labs, other medical facilities, and a highly trained medical staff. The ship included another revolutionary feature – air conditioning.

Master Sgt. Oliver C. Thomas, left, and ARM 3-C Alvin Hughes are treated aboard the USS Benevolence. Fort Worth Star-Telegram – September 11, 1945

Soon after entering the harbor, the Benevolence began receiving patients. Among them was Master Sgt. Oliver C. Thomas. Thomas enlisted in 1941 and served in the 421^st Squadron, 504^th Bomb Group, as a B-29 flight engineer. On May 29, 1945, his plane was hit by flak on a bombing run over Yokohama. Losing altitude, the crew of 12 jumped. Nine ended up in the same POW camp in Japan. Thomas described the conditions of his imprisonment in a newspaper interview following the war. “Sixteen of us were crowded into a cell 8 by 10 feet. Military police beat us on the heads with rifle butts… one crewman was beaten unmercifully with a bamboo rod.” During his imprisonment, Thomas lost 50 pounds. Despite the beatings, he fared better than many others.

Sgt. Harold T. Hedges – bottom row, second from right (no. 10)

Sgt. Harold T. Hedges served in the 500^th Bomb Group, 882^nd Bomb Squadron, and was the only survivor when a Japanese suicide plane rammed his B-29 over Nagoya on January 3, 1945. He endured horrific torture by his captors and was so severely beaten that he had to be carried aboard the Benevolence on a stretcher. Crew members reported the shock of seeing liberated prisoners’ thin and emaciated bodies.

In November, the Benevolence sailed toward California with 1,000 passengers. Medical personnel worked tirelessly to treat their precious human cargo.

On December 12, 1945, the Benevolence arrived in San Francisco, where all patients and passengers disembarked. Those needing further medical care were transferred to Base Hospitals. During her service in caring for liberated Allied POWs, the crew of the Benevolence screened 1520 prisoners of war and provided them with the best possible care.

To learn more about the USS Benevolence, search Fold3® today.

Escape From Point Lookout POW Camp

August 10, 2023 by Jenny Ashcraft | 66 Comments

During the Civil War, more than 400,000 Union and Confederate soldiers were held at prisoner-of-war camps, with a tragic death toll of 56,000. Among these captives was a Confederate soldier with a remarkable tale of escape from Point Lookout POW camp in Maryland. Thirty-six years later, this soldier embarked on a journey to revisit the site of his imprisonment, hoping to meet and reward those who had shown him kindness and aided in his journey. Accompanied by a newspaper correspondent, his story was recorded and later published.

Simon Erastus Vaden Seward (photo courtesy of Wilkie – Find a Grave)

Simon E. V. Seward was born in Surry County, VA, on May 14, 1844. He hailed from a family with a strong military lineage, his second great-grandfather having served in the Revolutionary War. On August 12, 1862, Seward enlisted in Company E of the 13^th Regiment Virginia Cavalry, the Confederate States of America, at Petersburg, VA.

Just before the Battle of Gettysburg, Gen. Robert E. Lee dispatched some troops to threaten Washington and draw away Union forces. Seward was among these men, and while reconnoitering in Montgomery County, Maryland, Union soldiers captured him on June 28, 1863. Initially held at the Old Capitol Prison, the aftermath of the Battle of Gettysburg necessitated the conversion of Point Lookout, a former military hospital complex, into a POW camp. Seward was transferred there, witnessing the rapid increase in prisoners from 1,700 to 9,000 by the end of 1863.

As conditions worsened with the influx of prisoners, scarcity of food and contaminated water caused illnesses like typhoid and malaria. Before the war ended, some 4,000 prisoners died at Point Lookout. Seward began planning his escape.

Simon Seward Service Record: July & August 1863: “Absent -Missing and supposed to be captured.”

For weeks, he studied the guards’ movements until he found the opportune moment to make his move. He crept past a fence unnoticed but drew attention while trying to steal a horse, triggering alarms. Running through a barrage of gunfire, Seward flung himself into the Chesapeake Bay and swam furiously. He eventually came ashore and made his way south, hiding from pursuing soldiers. Along his arduous journey, he encountered compassionate strangers who provided him with dry clothes, food, money, and lodging.

Finally reaching Richmond, Confederate officials granted Seward a furlough, and he reunited with his family. Post-conflict, he went on to become a wealthy businessman. Despite his achievements, Seward never forgot the kindness extended toward him during his escape. His greatest desire was to repay it. In 1898, at the age of 55, Seward embarked on a poignant return to Point Lookout, accompanied by his brother and a newspaper correspondent eager to document this emotional journey.

Seward tried to follow his original escape route but rerouted rivers, and roads made it difficult. As they neared Point Lookout, Seward inquired about an old home where he once sought refuge. Locals directed him to John Hewitt, whose father had lived on the land years earlier.

Seward found Hewitt, and when he asked him if he remembered the war, a flicker of recognition passed through Hewitt’s eyes. Suddenly, both men realized that this was not their first meeting. Years earlier, when Hewitt was a teenager, he and his father helped Seward escape. Both men were stunned, then overcome with emotion. The two embraced and wept as they recounted the events from many years earlier.

Hewitt remembered every detail of the night his mother opened the door to find an emaciated 19-year-old soldier. The family took Seward in, fed him, hid him, then helped him escape as Union soldiers closed in.

Seward pressed a substantial sum of money into Hewitt’s hand. Hewitt protested but eventually acquiesced. The journey back to Point Lookout was cathartic for Seward, who expressed gratitude that the war was over, and the Union was preserved.

If you would like to explore our Civil War records collection, visit Fold3® today!

August 18-21, 1864: The Second Battle of Weldon Railroad (Globe Tavern)

August 2, 2023 by Jenny Ashcraft | 81 Comments

The Second Battle of Weldon Railroad, also known as the Battle of Globe Tavern, was fought near Petersburg, Virginia, on August 18-21, 1864, as part of the larger Petersburg Campaign. The Weldon Railroad was a Confederate supply line that ran from Richmond, the capital of the Southern States, to Wilmington international seaport in North Carolina. During the battle, Union forces successfully captured the railroad and destroyed sections of the track, cutting off the supply line. The victory came at a cost, with some 2,500 Union soldiers being captured and taken prisoner. Three days of fighting resulted in 4,300 Union casualties and 2,250 Confederate casualties.

On August 17, Gen. Ulysses S. Grant ordered the Union Fifth Corps, who were under the command of Maj. Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren, to capture a section of the Weldon railroad. The railroad was a major supply line for Lee’s army, which faced shortages and possible starvation without supplies.

At dawn on August 18, 1864, Warren’s troops, who were entrenched near Jerusalem Plank Road in Petersburg, advanced westward toward the rail line. It was the Union Army’s second attempt to sever the railroad track. Two months earlier, during the Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road on June 21-24, 1864, Union forces tried but failed and were repelled by the Confederates.

The Fifth Corps reached the rail line at Globe Tavern by 9:00 a.m. and initially found a relatively weak Confederate defense. They successfully captured the rail line and destroyed sections of the track, heating the metal, and twisting it into the shape of a Maltese Cross, the insignia of Fifth Corps. Confederate General P. G. T. Beauregard and Lt. Gen. A. P. Hill sent infantry brigades led by Gen. Henry Heth. They arrived in the afternoon and launched a sharp counterattack.

The next day, August 19, the Confederate brigades led by Maj. Gen. William Mahone launched a massive counterattack when they broke through a gap between Warren’s right flank and Gen. John Parke’s Ninth Corps. The Confederates regained some lost ground but failed to take back the railroad. During fierce fighting, the Confederates took some 2,500 Union prisoners, and another 400 were wounded or killed.

On August 20, both sides regrouped and planned. It was rainy, muddy, and miserable, and no major offensive occurred. On August 21, the skies cleared, and the Confederates launched another counterattack. The offensive failed, and by noon, Confederate troops withdrew to their Petersburg defenses. The capture of the railroad at Globe Tavern was a turning point. It was the first Union victory during the Petersburg siege, and the loss of the railroad had a significant impact on the Confederates. Lee’s army had to create a new supply line. That meant off-loading rail cars and carrying supplies by wagon some 30 miles to Petersburg to keep their troops armed and fed.

If you would like to learn more about the Battle of Weldon Railroad, search Fold3® today.

New Military Records from the United Kingdom!

July 25, 2023 by Jenny Ashcraft | 8 Comments

Do you have ancestors that served in the British military? We are pleased to announce that we’ve added nearly half a million new military records from the United Kingdom. Here are some of our new collections:

UK, WWI, 5^th London General Hospital, 1917. This hospital on the banks of the River Thames was incorporated within St. Thomas’s Hospital as a Territorial Force military hospital. This collection contains indexed records for 6,972 men and reveals their regiment and rank.

British, French, and Italian wounded soldiers during WWI: Courtesy of the National Library of Scotland

UK, Ireland Army Census, 1911. This collection contains rich details, including birthplace, residence, literacy, religion, employment before enlisting, regiment, and more, for soldiers serving in Ireland in 1911.

UK, Worldwide Army Census, 1911. This census was enumerated in April 1911 and collected information for people living in the British Isles, including the Channel Islands, and those serving overseas. For the first time, this census also enumerated those serving aboard Royal Navy ships.

UK, Rolls of Honour, 1914-1920. This collection contains WWI Rolls of Honour for various cities, towns, villages, and parishes. The rolls might reveal enlistment dates, dates of service, rank, residence, and more.

UK, Highland Light Infantry Chronicle – Index 1908-1920. This indexed list comes from names published in the Highland Light Infantry Chronicle. The list often includes service number, publication date, issue, volume, and rank and service number.

UK, The Times – Index of Casualties, 1914. This collection contains names of British Army non-fatal casualties as reported in The Times. The index includes wounded men, those who returned sick, those who were reported missing, or who became a prisoner of war. This list does not include fatalities.

UK, Princess Mary’s Gift Box POW list, 1914. In 1914, Her Royal Highness Princess Mary, daughter of King George V, and his wife, Queen Mary, appealed to raise funds to send each soldier and sailor a Christmas gift. Men who were prisoners of war did not receive the gift. Following the cessation of hostilities, Princes Mary asked for a list of those who did not initially receive her gift. This collection contains that list of 21,000 names.

UK, University Rolls of Honour, 1914-1918. The First World War interrupted the studies of thousands of young men and women, many of whom served in His Majesty’s forces. This collection contains the names of students from various universities who served in some capacity. It also includes the names of students who died in the service of their country.

Explore these new UK collections today on Fold3® and watch for additional UK records coming soon.

Search Tips for Researching Military Records on Fold3®

July 18, 2023 by Jenny Ashcraft | 35 Comments

Military records are a rich resource for genealogical and historical research. These records provide a treasure trove of information and shed light on the details of service personnel and their family members. Many US military records were lost in a 1973 fire, and Fold3® record collections can help recreate the military history of your ancestors. Following are some search tips to help you make the most of records on Fold3®.

*From our WWII Missing Air Crew Reports Collection*

Use Search Filters: Begin your search on Fold3® by using our search filters. As you enter a search term, a pop-up asks if this is a keyword, name, or place. Selecting a filter will dramatically reduce your results, making it easier to access your desired records. Additional filters like conflict/war, military service number, dates, etc., allow you to narrow your results further. Military records differ from vital records, and the record you seek may not use a full legal name. Be sure to try name variations like first initial and last name, for example. Researchers can also toggle back and forth between searching collections and our patent-pending Browse experience. To learn more about Browse, click here.

The 1973 Fire at the NPRC: On July 12, 1973, a massive fire broke out at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, MO. It burned for 22 hours and destroyed 16-18 million military files. Records affected included 80% of Army files for Personnel discharged between November 1912 – January 1960; and 75% of Air Force files for Personnel discharged from September 1947 – January 1964. No duplicate copies of these records were ever maintained. These lost records present a roadblock, but other available record sets can help you construct a military history.

For example, if you are searching for a WWII veteran, you might search for records like Unit Histories, Missing Air Crew Reports, Draft Registration Cards, WWII Diaries, or Air Force Photos. Remember that until 1947, the US Air Force was part of the US Army (United States Army Air Force – USAAF). Navy Muster Rolls recorded the movements of troops on transport ships even if they didn’t serve in the Navy, and if your ancestor was sick or injured during their service, the military recorded hospital admissions (though many hospital admissions used only a military service number on the record instead of a name). If you know the infantry regiment or battalion your ancestor served in, that information can also open research avenues.

*From our WWII US Air Force Photo Collection*

Finding Your Ancestor in Indexed Manuscript Records: Some of our oldest records are handwritten letters, pension files, and other manuscripts from the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War. You’ll often find that names appearing within these manuscripts have been indexed.

As you scroll through a manuscript, click ‘Contributions’ to see the indexed names in that record. You can quickly advance to any name mentioned in the record by clicking on that name in the left column, and Fold3® will take you directly to where that individual is mentioned.

For example, this War of 1812 Pension File belongs to Henry Bacon, but Thomas W. Ralph’s name also appears in a letter within the file. By clicking on Ralph’s name, Fold3® will take you directly to where he is mentioned on the record.

You may add additional annotations or transcribe the entire manuscript if you choose. See this short video for instructions on how to annotate Fold3® records.

For more Fold3® search tips and video tutorials, check out our updated Fold3® Help Center. Start searching Fold3® today.