Wake Island '03 Serial Numbers

[firstflabn]

For players of serial number roulette, here's an article from the 20 Oct 45 issue of the Marine Corps Chevron, a San Diego area newspaper.

30703

This is the best I can do in deciphering a very fuzzy .pdf:

Marines Find Rifles Of Wake Defenders

WAKE ISLAND (Delayed) -With a shock we realized that the rifles stacked carelessly in a dark corner of the Japanese headquarters were not Japanese rifles. The solid barrel . . . the sight . . . the stock . . . the bolt . . . They were 03's--the rifles of the Marine defenders of Wake. There were about 20 of them. On each was stamped "U.S. Springfield Armory Model 1903." We who had come through boot camp later had never used the '03. We had been brought up on the M-1 Garand. But the wonderful accuracy of the '03 in the hands of an old Marine was the stuff of legends and traditions. Each had a number stamped into the metal: 1032851 . . . 327104 . . . 889983 . . . 803867 . . . Each had belonged to a Marine rifleman, one of the defenders of Wake.

I think the serial numbers are correctly translated, but use with caution. Too bad the serial numbers of the other 16 rifles mentioned weren't included.

[cplnorton]

Man that is really neat! Thanks for sharing!

[joem]

To have one of those to preserve the history would fantastic and a great honor to hold one.

[Smokeeaterpilot]

Darn I got excited when I looked at my 03 that was SN 1,032,337. Such is life!

[Rick the Librarian]

Now having one of THOSE would be a REAL "USMC M1903"!! :)

[Griff Murphey]

I remember reading of an officer... Possibly the naval officer who actually commanded, disassembling his M1911 and tossing the bits in a latrine. I suspect any surviving rifles would be dugup condition or worse. Fun to imagine but I can't see how any could have survived.

[Rick the Librarian]

On the contrary ... the Japanese used "foreign" rifles for garrison use. A good possibility some survived in that capacity. I have several pictures of Japanese and "satellite" troops using American rifles in the Philippines. They kept their own rifles for "first line" use. One unit that opposed our troops liberating the Philippines was equipped at least partially with M1917s.
Here's a picture of a Japanese guard equipped with a M1903 taken in Manila during the occupation:

http://www.fototime.com/F14CCCF5BE98F43/standard.jpg

[Griff Murphey]

Rick;
I served with Marines for two years. I cannot imagine a marine surrendering a weapon without ensuring it was rendered as unserviceable as possible. Unless the nips were willing to do some latrine diving I doubt very much that, at a minimum, any of those rifles had bolts. They'd have been made useless. I am sure the Japanese did use captured weapons as secondary martial arms, but only serviceable ones. We'e all seen photos of the vast dumps of captured US weapons left in the Philippines after our surrender.

[Rick the Librarian]

Good point, but hard saying what happened. I'd be willing to believe at least some rifles were serviceable.

[TDP0311]

What an incredible find, thanks for sharing!

[Southron]

Back in the early 1980's I had a friend who lived and worked up in Atlanta by the name of Tom Blum. Tom was divorced and living in an apartment. On that particular day he brought his room mate down along with him to my farm, a gentleman about his age. Unfortunately, I do not recall that Tom's room mate's name. Regardless, the man was an interesting character. After about 30 minutes of conversation, he spotted in my gun cabinet and asked me if he saw a M1903 Springfield Rifle in it.

To answer his question, I simply went to the gun cabinet and pulled the rifle out. I checked to make sure it was unloaded. It was a "Low Number" 1918 Rock Island. I handed the rifle to Tom's room mate. He held in his hands and examined the rifle very closely. I could see he was deep in thought.

Then he looked back up at me and said: "This is the first time I have held a Model 1903 Rifle since 1942." Somewhat curious I asked him: "So, I guess you were in the military in World War II?" He replied: "I certainly was, I was in the army and stationed on Corregidor in the Philippines."

Then he told me the last time he had seen his issue '03 was when his unit was marched out of the Tunnel and ordered to lay their rifles in a pile in front of several Japanese officers. He told me that he had remained a prisoner of the Japanese until after Japan surrendered in 1945.

About two years later, tom's room mate died. Tom told me that he had been buried in the Veterans Cemetery up in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Only Tom and a few friends attended the funeral as the old Veteran had no living relatives.

[Rick the Librarian]

Quite a story - he didn't mention his unit, did he?

[Southron]

Dear Rick:

If he did mention his unit, I do not recall it. He told me he was stationed on Corregidor and had not been on Battan at all. Even though he brought up the subject of his capture by the Japanese and his imprisonment, it was plain to see that he did not want to talk about his wartime experiences. He did make the comment that the time he had spent as a P.O.W. had "broken his health."

I would have loved to ask him a bunch of questions about his opinion of the defense of Corregidor, Wainwright as a Commander, MacArthur, etc., but it was plain to see he was reluctant to talk and still had some rather painful memories from that time of his life.

[Shooter5]

You can look up those interred at national cemeteries; then, look up his service records.

http://www.cem.va.gov/CEMs/nchp/chattanooga.asp

http://www.archives.gov/veterans/

[Rick the Librarian]

Dear Rick:

If he did mention his unit, I do not recall it. He told me he was stationed on Corregidor and had not been on Battan at all. Even though he brought up the subject of his capture by the Japanese and his imprisonment, it was plain to see that he did not want to talk about his wartime experiences. He did make the comment that the time he had spent as a P.O.W. had "broken his health."

I would have loved to ask him a bunch of questions about his opinion of the defense of Corregidor, Wainwright as a Commander, MacArthur, etc., but it was plain to see he was reluctant to talk and still had some rather painful memories from that time of his life.

I talked or wrote to a number of Bataan/Corregidor vets over the years. Some of them were more than glad to talk about there experiences; a number wouldn't, or only on a limited basis. I always tried to respect them for whatever amount they would reveal -- or not reveal at all. They went through a hell that few of us can imagine.

[gnoahhh]

Around 15 years ago I had occasion to be dining at the Naval Academy here in Annapolis. Someone announced "Wake Island Marine on deck" as a gaunt old gentleman in a wheelchair was ushered into the Hall. Everybody stood up, and those in uniform maintained a stiff salute until he was at his dining table. I still get goose bumps when thinking about it.

As a kid, one of our neighbors in a neighborhood we had recently moved into was a Bataan survivor. He spent most of his war in a POW camp on Mindanao, after a stopover in Cabanatuan. Started the war as a ground crewman at Clark Field, and became an infantryman in short order. He carried a .30 machine gun salvaged from a wrecked plane and claimed to have been a part of a ragtag outfit that disrupted a small Japanese landing behind our lines. Being on total disability, he had nothing better to do than sit on the porch and drink beer all day, after enough of which he would tell a vague story or two to us kids, usually the same one over and over. Imagine my surprise when I found a copy of "The Dyess Story", by Capt. Ed Dyess, in my dad's stuff and then when old Bill said "yeah, I knew him. Heckuva guy. He was my boss for a while." As a ten year old addicted to "Combat" on TV, I sort of lost interest in those dramatized stories after my first encounter with "the Real McCoy". He died by the time I was in Junior High. He couldn't have been older than mid-late 40's but he looked to be 70.

At that time when my passion for WWII history was awakened, I asked my dad what he did in the war. He laughed and said "mostly scrap drives with the Boy Scouts. I was 11 when the Japs bombed Pearl Harbor."

[Rick the Librarian]

Your friend was right. Capt. W.E. Dyess commanded the 21st Pursuit Squadron in the Philippines. When their planes were shot down or destroyed, most of the units were converted to provisional infantry. I talked to wrote to a large number of former USAAF guys and I have yet to run into anyone who didn't say that Dyess was the best leader they ever had. I knew Dyess' best friend, Sam Grashio, who came from my home town. He stuck close to Dyess during the Death March (Dyess had the chance to be evacuated but refused to leave his men) and, in April, 1943, he, Dyess and 10 others made the only large-scale escape from a Japanese POW camp. All but one man made it back to the States but Dyess, like many other "bright stars" of the AAF, was killed in a aircraft accident.

Your friend was also right about fighting a Japanese landing on Bataan. The Japanese tried an amphibious assault. It was opposed by both Air Corps and Navy personnel who knew little of infantry tactics (A Japanese diary was picked up and the writer commented how tricky the Americans were - they would sit around, talk loudly and smoke cigarettes to get the Japanese to reveal their position! :)). It wasn't until the tough Philippine Scouts arrived that the "Points" were eliminated. Dyess led an attack by boat on the Japanese positions that should have merited the DSC if not the Medal of Honor.

When Dyess and the others came back to the U.S. they were told to keep their mouths shut about thje Death March, and it wasn't until 3 months after Dyess died that the muzzles were removed. Dyess' book was published and newspapers all over America told the news of the March of Death.

I admire such men from the bottom of my heart!!

[gnoahhh]

I know what you mean, Rick. Whenever I'm feeling like life is ganging up on me, I dig out one or another account of the defense of Wake or Bataan, and think " if those guys could tough it out against insurmountable odds, then what's a little adversity to me?"

I would gladly trade everything in my collection for an '03 with solid provenance of having been used on Bataan or Wake.

[Rick the Librarian]

I know what you mean, Rick. Whenever I'm feeling like life is ganging up on me, I dig out one or another account of the defense of Wake or Bataan, and think " if those guys could tough it out against insurmountable odds, then what's a little adversity to me?"

I would gladly trade everything in my collection for an '03 with solid provenance of having been used on Bataan or Wake.

I share your sentiments 100%!! And I would also open my gun safe to anyone having such a rifle or pistol!!

[Shooter5]

History wonders what if?
-Cunningham had fought on - who authorized him to surrender
-Pye, and others, resupplied Wake and kept up the fight
(For that matter, What if Percival had not capitulated???!!! at Singapore) and who authorized him to surrender
If Wake had fought on, perhaps the outcome would have been the same or maybe they could have held out until Jan or later and then be evacuated or reinforced, and then how would that have affected the early 1942 war?

[Finestkind]

There was a rescue fleet organized and I believe underway to Wake that was recalled. The admiral in charge was removed from his post and my understanding is that he never held another command. All of the commanders and crews were ready to take on the Japanese.


Finestkind

[Finestkind]

There was a rescue fleet organized and I believe underway to Wake that was recalled. The admiral in charge was removed from his post and my understanding is that he never held another command. All of the commanders and crews were ready to take on the Japanese. This could have changed the entire course of the war or not have made any difference at all.


Finestkind

[usmc69]

There was a rescue fleet organized and I believe underway to Wake that was recalled. The admiral in charge was removed from his post and my understanding is that he never held another command. All of the commanders and crews were ready to take on the Japanese. This could have changed the entire course of the war or not have made any difference at all.


Finestkind

http://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/the-abandoned-relief-of-wake-island/