Frank Godsey was the son of Sally Loden. Sgt Godsey served in France during WWI and was honorably discharged in 1919.
Served Southwest Pacific Theatre, Philippine Islands
698th Ordnance Co Aviation Submarine
27th Bombardment Group Light
V Bomber Command
Japanese POW
Report Date – 7 May 1942
Executed, Died in ships sinking or Result of ships sinking, Shot while attempting to escape.
On POW ship Enoura Maru
Staff Sergeant Frank Godsey US Army Air Corps was serving in the Philippines at the time of the Japanese invasion. He was captured and survived the Bataan Death March to the Cabanatuan POW camp.
Surviving there until the Japanese decided to move him and 1619 other POW’s to Japan. They were loaded onto the Japanese hellship Oryoku Maru in Manila and departed from there on the 13th of December 1944. It was located on the 14th by aircraft of the USS Hornet. The unmarked ship was repeatedly attacked as it moved up the West Coast of Bataan. On the 15th the Hornets aircraft returned and sank the ship off the coast of Olongapo. Surviving POW’s were allowed to jump overboard and swim to shore. Those that survived were loaded onto the Enoura Maru and the voyage continued to Takao Harbor Formosa. The ship was located there by planes from the Hornet and sunk on 9th of January 1945.
Staff Sergeant Godsey was not among the survivors placed on the next hell ship. He is remembered on the Tablets of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery, Philippines.
- Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Date of birth: 5 April 1894
- Date of death: 9 January 1945
- County: Cumberland
- Service Branch: Army/Army Air Forces
- Division/Assignment: 698th Ordnance Company, Aviation
- Theater: Pacific
- Conflict: World War II
- Awards: Purple Heart
- Burial/Memorial Location: Manila American Cemetery, Fort Bonifacio, Manila, Philippines
- Location In Memorial: Pillar VIII, Bottom Panel
- Contact us to sponsor Frank Godsey
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