Wake Rosters

Blue Book Here is a full PDF copy of the Wake Island “Blue Book” with a corresponding page of notes and corrections. I have also posted rosters for all civilians and military personnel at the start of war on Wake in December 1941.

Blue Book notes These are notes and corrections to the Blue Book, the formal title of which is “A Report to Returned CPNAB Prisoner of War Heroes and their Dependents.” The book is in the public domain and can be copied.

The following PDF rosters are excerpts from my database, and I will be glad to share more information on request. There are two civilian lists: the Wake CPNAB roster and Civilian-other; and three military lists: USMC, USN, and USAAC. Please contact me if you have any questions or corrections to these rosters.

Wake CPNAB Roster The Wake CPNAB roster contains 1,145 names of the civilian contractors caught by war on Wake. CPNAB stands for Contractors Pacific Naval Air Bases, the formal name of the consortium that included Morrison-Knudsen Co. Of the 1,145 men, 34 died on Wake during the siege and battle in December 1941; 4 died on Wake or at sea in 1942; 98 were massacred on Wake in 1943; and 114 died in POW camps. As of October 2023 there are no remaining living survivors. While I have been unable to confirm DOD information for 19 names in the roster, they are presumed dead due to their birth years. The far-right column references “Blue Book” images by page number and photo number. Page numbers follow the original Blue Book index to page on which name is listed: in each 2-page set, the higher photo numbers appear on the next (facing) page. I occasionally revise the Wake CPNAB roster file with new or corrected information: latest update 10/15/2023.

Wake Civilian-other Roster The Wake civilian-other list has 48 men, all Pan American Airways employees except for two: Clancy (Liberty Mutual Insurance) and Hevenor (U. S. Bureau of the Budget). Of the PAA employees, 10 died in the initial bombing of Wake and 2 died in POW camps. I continue to correct names and fill in DOD and POW information; latest revision 10/15/2022.

Wake USMC Roster The USMC roster has 449 officers and enlisted and includes the navy medical team that was attached to the First Defense Battalion. According to my research, 46 Marines died in the siege and battle for Wake, 1 died on Wake after capture, 2 were executed on the POW transport Nitta Maru, and 14 died in POW camps. (Major Walter L. J. Bayer, who departed Wake on 21 December 1941, is included.) This roster and the Navy and Army Air Corps rosters below include DOB and DOD data. There are no living military survivors. Revised 10/15/2023.

Wake USN Roster The Wake USN roster contains 69 officers and enlisted. Of these, 3 died in the siege and battle, 3 were executed on the Nitta Maru, and 5 died in POW camps. Revised 10/15/2023.

Wake USAAC Roster Finally, the Wake USAAC (U. S. Army Air Corps) roster has 6 men, all of whom survived the war. Revised 10/15/2023.