Jasper County MO Archives Biographies.....DIGBY, Sergeant Ernest H June 20, 1924 - August 10, 1945 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mo/mofiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: William (Bill) Samuel BOGGESS http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00024.html#0005917 August 21, 2009, 7:54 am Source: self Author: Bill BOGGESS <----------<>---------->        ERNEST HARVEY DIGBY ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sergeant ERNEST HARVEY DIGBY was born as a twin 20 June 1924 in Center, Oliver county, North Dakota with twin sister June Harriett (1924ND-2008MO) to parents, Elizabeth G Kroiss (1901ND-1996MO) and Thomas Charles Digby (1877MN-1948MO). 2 Sergeant Ernest Harvey Digby, 17180033 was awarded the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star with two Oak Leaf Clusters (individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service) and the Combat Infantryman's Badge. Ernie was found by his buddies around 2:00 a m 15th of August 1945 "hit and killed", day follwing Japan's surrender and concluding a record setting 219 continous combat days in the Pacific Theater. 3 The Digby family is in Davenport, Scott county, Iowa for Iowa census of 1925, where brother David Wallace was born January 1926, then for the 1930 census in King City, Jackson township, Gentry county, Missouri, moving to Carthage, Marion township, Jasper county, Missouri in the mid 1930s where Ernie attended public schools graduating from high school in 1942, then one year at Joplin Junior college when on 14 December 1942 he enlisted into the army at Neosho's Camp Crowder, entering active army duty June,1943. 4 Ernie was trained then sent to Hawaii in July, then served in the 6th infantry division of 6th army at New Guinea September 1943. "The Jungles of New Guinea were one of the most merciless places on earth, filled with diseases, for many of which, there was no known cure. In 1942 the Jungle had caused more casualties than combat, and the jungle could kill. As for the enemy, the men were briefed that the Japanese did not obey the Geneva Convention. Hard experience in Burma, Guadalcanal, Kokoda and Buna lead the way. No medic would wear a red cross. A red cross was a target." 5 Heavy jungle fighting took place and Ernie, as a private, was severally wounded 22 June 1944; - - "During the ten days from June 20 to June 30, 1944, in the Battle for Lone Tree Hill, the Sightseeing Sixth had suffered over eight hundred casualties, including over 150 killed in action. An estimated 1,342 Japanese were killed including 400 sealed in caves by demolition teams. More soldiers died in other battles in New Guinea, but the battle for Lone Tree Hill represented the bloodiest 10 days of the New Guinea Campaign." 6 Recovered, Ernie re-joined his command and was involved on 9 January 1945 (#149¹) in; "The weather on 9 January (called S-day) was ideal. At 0700 the preassault bombardment began and was followed an hour later by the landings. With little initial Japanese opposition, General Krueger's Sixth Army landed almost 175,000 men along a twenty-mile beachhead within a few days. Ultimately ten U.S. divisions and five independent regiments would see action on Luzon, making it the largest campaign of the Pacific war and involving more troops than the United States had used in North Africa, Italy, or southern France." AND, "... sailing in the largest landing force to be assembled in the Pacific for its landing at Lingayan Gulf, Luzon. They were facing General Yamashita and 250,000 combat-hardened troops who were well fed and well armed determined to bleed the American's white on Luzon to prevent the invasion of Japan." This becoming the second most significant battle of the Pacific Theater (second only to battle of Okinawa), ".... for the shear size of the operations and the loss in terms of casualties. Certainly, Iwo Jima and Guadacanal were significant and horrific battles, ,,,,." by confronting these elite Japanese troops for the record 219 continuos days until Japan surrendered (#195¹). "Technically, the battle for Luzon was still not over when Japan surrendered on 15 (sic) August 1945. On the northern part of the island Shobu Group remained the center of attention for the better part of three U.S. Army divisions. Altogether, almost 115,000 Japanese remained at large on Luzon and on some of the southern islands." 7 While moving east the 6th passed through Cabanatuan Prison Camp, liberated by the Sixth Army Rangers a few days before, finding some 2,700 young American corpse naked and roting. 8 From Central Luzon till 14 August 1945 (#195¹), date Japan surrendered (VJ-Day celebrated the 15th). "The 6th Infantry Division of World War II holds the unchallenged record for consecutive days of continuous combat in the Pacific Theater, 219 days of continuous combat, set by the Division on the Island of Luzon, the Philippines. At the end of World War II, the Division's men were the most heavily engaged troops in the United States Army still fighting Yamashita's men in the Cagayan Valley of Northern Luzon. During the War, the men of the 6th Division fought a total of 306 days of combat. Casualties for the 6th Division totaled 1,174 dead, 3,876 wounded and 9 missing. Japanese casualties fighting the Division totaled 23,000 dead and 1,700 captured ..." 9 The 6th Division was engaged with taking the last Japanese strong hold in an area of deep ravines and thick Jungle along what was known as Highway4. The Highway was exceedingly poor and cover for the enemy was equally as substantial as that found against the Shimbu Line. Here, with great assistance from Philippine guerilla forces, the 6th Division engaged in what would become their last battle of the war against an enemy still determined, in many cases, to fight to the death. This is where Sergeant Ernest H Digby was reportedly killed in action 11 August1945 (recorded by funeral home & cemetery as; 15 August 1945, National Archives information could clear this matter). Luzon, being second greatest battle of Pacific Theater, however, importance of this fact was over shadowed with news of; President Roosevelt's death in April, Germany's defeat of Europe in June, dropping of Atomic Bomb in August and the continual glorified news about General MacArthur, so its all but lost to history, - - - however, Ernie Digby was slain at the very end, possibly the day after Japan surrendered. 10 Article published in "The Sightseer/ Fall 1990" written by one of his buddies which has Ernie in Company "B", 20th Infantry, northwest Kiangan, Luzon on the heels of (General) Yamashita's retreating army at end of the war. 11 "Our patrol was ordered to dig in on the ridge and we were joined by 'Doc' Prior. 1st Platoon medic, and Sgt Ernest Digby. The Sgt was the platoon's 'high point' man and due to rotate out within the week. He volunteered to come up on the ridge to be with his buddies and to tell us the news heard over the radio reporting THE WAR WAS OVER. Around 2:00 am we were checking and found Sgt Digby had been hit and killed." 12 A memorial service was conducted at Carthage's First Methodist Church in September 1945, then when Ernest's body was transported back to Carthage services where held and internment occured 22 August 1948 at Park cemetery with full military honors, five months following burial of his father. 13 Found today is reportedly, the largest military cemetery, after Robert E Lee's former homestead, The Arlington National Cemetery with its over 300,000 buried, near Manila on Luzon in the Philippines, - Manila American Cemetery with 17,202 buried, nearly twice the 9,387 buried at Normandy American Cemetery.             <----------<>---------->       Additional Comments: 1. View photos: www.archives.gov/research/ww2/photos/ - #149, landing 1/9/45 and #195, HST annoucing surrender 8/14/45. Also view following: http://www.6thinfantry.com/index.php?name=Web_Links&req... (Battle for Luzon) http://www.6thinfantry.com/print.php?sid=6 http://www.unithistories.com/units/6th%20Inf.Div%20history.asp http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=califia1 (search; Digby, Ernest) <----------<>----------> File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mo/jasper/bios/digby19bs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/mofiles/ File size: 2.9 Kb