Taipei: Taiwan on Wednesday marked the 80th anniversary of the Sancha Mountain Incident, a tragic event that saw a U.S. B-24 bomber carrying freed Allied prisoners of war crash in the Central Mountain Range. The incident resulted in the deaths of all 25 onboard and 26 rescuers who attempted to save them in adverse weather conditions.
According to Focus Taiwan, the crash occurred on September 10, 1945, shortly after Japan’s surrender in World War II. The victims included eleven American, four Dutch, and five Australian prisoners of war, alongside five American crew members. The rescue attempt claimed the lives of more than a dozen Indigenous Taiwanese people and nine Japanese military and civil policemen stationed in Taiwan during Japan’s colonial rule.
Only the Taiwan Shinpo newspaper reported the crash at the time, dedicating less than 300 words to the incident on October 24, 1945. Despite the initial lack of attention, President Lai Ching-te emphasized the importance of remembrance in a Facebook post, highlighting the unity and bravery demonstrated by those who risked their lives regardless of nationality.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) recently visited the crash site, where remnants like wheels, engines, canteens, fuselage pieces, and five machine guns were found. Four machine guns were transported from Jiaming Lake to be displayed at the National Military Museum in Taipei, once its construction is complete.
The incident remained largely unrecognized until 1998 when historian Shih Tien-fu documented it during research for a town chronicle. In 2001, a memorial was erected in Guanshan Township, Taitung County. Ku Amu, a 96-year-old resident, recalled the initial burial of victims at the site, though there were conflicting memories about later efforts to recover remains.
Hsu A-yung recounted how his father and grandfather discovered the wreck while hunting. Due to scarce resources, hunters took clothing from the victims, which led to misunderstandings with Japanese police. Hsu also mentioned attempts to sell wreckage, although he did not recall any movement of the bones.
Taiwan’s Veterans Affairs Council confirmed that 16 U.S. servicemen were reburied in 1950 at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri. Earlier this year, a government mission team held a memorial ceremony at Sancha Mountain and began systematic preservation of the site.
