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    Marienburg (Marienberg) Angoram District | East Sepik Province Papua New Guinea (PNG)
Location
Marienburg is located near the mouth of Sepik River inland from the north coast of New Guinea. Wartime Allied spelling "Marienberg". Prewar and during the Pacific War part of the Territory of New Guinea. Today located in Angoram District, East Sepik Province in Papua New Guinea (PNG).

Prewar
In 1913, the Catholic Society of the Divine Word established a settlement including a church, homes and sawmill with a small railway line as the first German settlement along the Sepik River.

Wartime History
During early 1943, occupied by the Japanese Army. Starting in the middle of March 1943 attacked by Allied aircraft until early 1944. Air raids destroyed the sawmill, church and buildings in the area. During 1944 the Japanese Army 51st Division, 102nd Infantry Regiment commanded by Colonel Hori Keijiro was based at Marienburg. Occupied by the Japanese until the middle of October 1945.

American missions against Marienburg
March 16, 1943–July 1945

During the middle of October 1945, occupied by the Australian Army that liberated eleven Indian Prisoners Of War (POW) from the 2/12th Frontier Force Regiment, 4/9 Jats Regiment that surrendered at Singapore and were taken to New Guinea as laborers. On October 14, 1945 they were transported to Boram for medical treatment for their wounds and beri-beri at the 2/15th Field Ambulance. Afterwards, they were sent to Lae where they boarded C-47 Dakota A65-54 to testify at the War Crimes trials at Rabaul but crashed into a mountain near Milim on East New Britain.

Postwar
The sawmill and settlement was reestablished and continued until the early 1970s.

References
AWM No. 15 Squadron Aitape-Wewak Campaign
"[May 1945–July 1945] Bombing and strafing attacks were made on Marienburg."

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Last Updated
October 21, 2022

 

Map
Map
August 30, 1943
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