TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan has recovered four machine guns from the wreckage of a US bomber that crashed near Sancha Mountain, killing all 25 people on board 80 years ago.
On Sept. 10, 1945, a B-24 Liberator carrying Allied POWs crashed in the Lakuyin Creek area, less than a month after Japan's unconditional surrender, per CNA. The passengers included 11 Americans, four Dutch, and five Australians, in addition to the five crew members.
The tragedy was compounded by the loss of 26 rescuers, including nine Japanese military police and police officers, as well as Taiwanese from the Amis, Bunun, Puyuma, Hakka, and Minnan communities. These rescuers were caught in a storm while attempting to reach the site.
Initially, the Sancha Mountain Incident received minimal media coverage, with only a brief mention in the Taiwan Shinpo (臺灣新報) in October 1945. The story of the rescue effort faded from public memory for decades.
The incident was publicized in 1998 by Shih Tien-fu (施添福) of Academia Sinica during his research for a historical record on Guanshan Township. A memorial was later erected at Guanshan Waterfront Park in 2001, but the story once again slipped into obscurity.
On Aug. 15, President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) recalled the Sancha Mountain Incident in a Facebook post, emphasizing the rescuers' selfless cooperation despite the war's end and former allegiances. He pointed out that their shared humanity transcended the former divisions of Allied and Axis powers.
Following these remarks, Ministry of National Defense personnel revisited the crash site, discovering five machine guns among the scattered debris. They recovered four of these weapons, likely Browning M2.50 Caliber Machine Guns.
The retrieved machine guns were airlifted from a helipad by a CH-47 Chinook near Jiaming Lake and are now being prepared for display. They will serve as a permanent reminder of the lessons learned from World War II in a new military museum.
