我在《二戰後首架降落台灣的盟軍飛機》裡提到的這一架TBM-3魚雷機，是1945年9月5日從美國海軍航艦布洛克島號（USS Block Island, CVE-106）起飛的，而布洛克島號則是Task Group 77.1這支特遣隊的旗艦，任務是到台灣來撤離被日軍囚禁的盟軍戰俘。除了上面這張戰俘走出戰俘營的照片是取自Task Group 77.1的任務報告，其餘撤離戰俘過程的照片都來自布洛克島號1945年的Cruise Book。
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the landing of a US Marines TBM-3 torpedo bomber on Matsuyama (now Sungshan) Airdrome on September 5, 1945, which became the first Allied plane to land on Formosa after WWII. The plane had taken off from USS Block Island (CVE-106), the flagship of Task Group 77.1, which had been ordered to evacuate the Allied POW from Formosa. The following photos are all from the Block Island’s 1945 Cruise Book, which the photo on the top is taken from TG 77.1’s Action Report.
下面這張照片中，面對鏡頭、留著兩撇鬍子的是美軍這次撤離任務負責與日軍交涉的指揮官A. D. Cooley上校（海軍陸戰隊），他在9月4日從布洛克島號換乘Thomas J. Gary 號驅逐艦（DE-326），準備第二天從基隆港上岸，同行還有美國海軍及陸戰隊的醫護人員。
The next photo was originally captioned “Colonel Cooley confers with the Japnaese”. Colonel A. D. Cooley, USMC, (the American officer facing the camera) was transferred on the previous day from the Block Island to the USS Thomas J. Gary (DE-326) along with a landing party of Marines and Navy medical personnel to depart for Kiirun on September 5 to initiate POW evacuation.
戰俘營的內部：
Inside the POW camp:
日軍在9月5日下午安排了一列火車，先將一部份的戰俘送往基隆，另一批戰俘是在第二天早上搭火車到基隆：
“The first lap home for POWs”: A train was arranged to take POW from Camp #1 to Kiirun on the afternoon of September 5 and Camps #4 and #6 were to be evacuated the following morning.
戰俘搭乘的火車抵達基隆港：
The POW train arrived at Kiirun Harbor:
一群美國大兵合影，拍攝地點不詳：
The GIs posed in front of a banner that read “Agriculture Department”:
早在9月1日，美國負責營救戰俘與落難飛行員的Air Ground Aid Section (AGAS)就已經派出John A. MacLellan、John L. Sehon、William T. Cook等三位軍官，搭乘日軍提供的軍艦從中國出發到台灣，同行的還包括一位中國政府的顧問黃澄淵。Task Group 77.1抵達台灣前都還無法跟這個小組取得聯繫，但是他們都參加了美軍代表與日軍代表9月5日在Thomas J. Gary 號驅逐艦上的會議。下圖中的中國人很有可能就包括了黃澄淵：
“Colonel Cooley and officers relax with Chinese”: On September 1, a Japanese warship ferried a team of Air Ground Aid Section (AGAS) consisting of Lt. John A. MacLellan, USNR, Lt. John L. Sehon, USNR, Lt. William T. Cook, USAS CAC, and Hwang Tin Yan, Chinese Official Advisor to AGAS POW Party, from China to Formosa, but the Task Group had not been able to establish contact with them until the 5th. The AGAS team was present at the conference aboard USS Gary between American representatives and Japanese military commanders. It was very likely the Chinese in the photo was the AGAS team member.
9月6日下午，英國海軍派出的特遣隊Task Group 111.3也抵達基隆，其中Bermuda、Agronaut、Quberon三艘進港停泊，Colossus與Tumult這兩艘則是在外海提供空中支援。下圖是停靠基隆港的Argonaut號軍艦：
The following afternoon, British Task Group 111.3 arrived at Kiirun from Leyte. HMS Bermuda, Agronaut, and Quberon entered the harbor, while Colossus and Tumult remained outside to provide air support. The following photo shows HMS Argonaut in the harbor.
戰俘在布洛克島號船艙中的情形：
“POW’s aboard CVE-106 enroute to Manila”:
I am searching for the presence of a parent of mine, named Colonel CHARIGNON, who came around middle september 1945 to Taipei from Kunming, leading an OSS team in charge of the registration of the graves of Allied POW’s. This was a few days after the OSS team under Major CLARK (leading about 15 officers and men), also coming from Kunming, had traveled all over the Formosa island to gather various information.
Possibly this Colonel CHARIGNON was Michael CHARIGNON, born on august 7, 1910 in Stanley (North Dakota, USA), a german cousin of my own father Pierre CHARIGNON. This Michael CHARIGNON a USA native and citizen, became later oon the dean of the University of Youngstown in Ohio (USA).
Would you have a confirmation of this exact name and presence of Michael CHARIGNON in Formosa during the second half of September, 1945 ?
Thanks for your help
Philippe CHARIGNON
(charignonphil@gmail.com)