Francis Derringer Collection

Collection

Identifier: 000028

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Francis Derringer Collection contains a newspaper clipping from the Pittsburgh Press, June 28, 1945, titled “Sadness Follows Happiness For Family of Interned GI: Neighbor Brings Word Japs Had Him, Then Wire Advises He Was Drowned.” This article explains how Pvt. Francis Derringer’s family became aware of his death.

Dates

Creation: June 28, 1945

Creator

Derringer, Francis, 1921-1944 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish material from this collection in any form must be obtained from the National Museum of the Pacific War, Center for Pacific War Studies.

Biographical / Historical

Private Francis Derringer (January 15, 1921 – October 24, 1944) was from Millvale, Pennsylvania, and served in the United States Air Force during World War II as an Aviation Mechanic. While in service in the Pacific, Derringer was captured by the Japanese and became a POW in 1942 while in the Philippines. Derringer was loaded onto the Japanese transport, Arisan Maru, in 1944, but was torpedoed by an American ship, which, killed around 1,800 American POWs, including Derringer.