Robert Vincent Allard
Sergeant Robert V. “Mallard” Allard served with Baker Company, 2nd Raider Battalion (Carlson’s Raiders).
He was captured on Makin Island and executed at Kwajalein, Marshall Islands, on 16 October 1942.
Branch
Marine Corps Regular
Service Number 262210
Current Status
Remains not recovered.
Pursuit Category
The DPAA has not publicized this information.
Capsule History
Pre-War Life
Birth
November 7, 1919
at New York, NY
Parents
Herbert Allard
Freida Allard
Education
Details unknown
Occupation & Employer
Professional Marine
Service Life
Entered Service
November 4, 1937
at New York, NY
Home Of Record
3708 68th Street
Woodside, NY
Next Of Kin
Mother, Mrs. Freida Allard
Military Specialty
Raider
Campaigns Served
Makin Island Raid
Individual Decorations
Navy Cross
Purple Heart
Prisoner of War Medal
Additional Service Details
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Loss And Burial
Circumstances Of Loss
Before dawn on 17 August 1942, two companies of the 2nd Raider Battalion disembarked from a pair of submarines, boarded rubber boats, and paddled ashore on Makin Island. The commando-style raid, plagued by confusion and unexpectedly stiff resistance by the Japanese garrison, led Lieutenant Colonel Evans Carlson to briefly contemplate surrender before ordering his men back to the submarines. Only a few reached safety that evening; many others were stranded on the beach for and uncomfortable night.
The following morning, a group of five strong swimmers volunteered to take a raft back to shore and help evacuate survivors. One of these men was Sergeant Robert Allard – a pre-war Marine known for his “boyish smile” and nicknamed “Mallard” for his penchant for quacking sounds. As they swam back through the surf, a Japanese aircraft bombed and strafed the raft. Observers believed that the five volunteers were killed. The Raiders finally withdrew, leaving eighteen confirmed KIA and twelve missing. Those men, including Sergeant Allard, were declared dead on 18 August 1943.
In fact, nine Raiders survived and were captured by the garrison force. These men were shipped to Kwajalein atoll and the headquarters of the Japanese Sixth Base Unit. They were held in captivity for forty days, ostensibly awaiting suitable transport to Japan. Captain Yoshiro Obara testified that “our men [were] on good terms with these prisoners… giving their candies and cigarettes to them, and the prisoners [were] expecting to see Tokyo as soon as possible and talking about Japanese women.” This companionable picture was almost certainly false, as other prisoners who survived Kwajalein described atrocious and cruel conditions.
On 16 October 1942, the Raiders were led from their cells to a clearing in the coconut groves. One by one they were blindfolded, made to kneel on a mat, and beheaded. The slaughter lasted thirty minutes; historian Tripp Wiles notes that Obara himself reportedly took the first swing.
After the war, Obara and Abe were among those tried for war crimes. Obara received ten years imprisonment and served five; Abe, who insisted that his hands were tied by orders from others, was sentenced to death. He was hanged on Guam on 19 June 1947.
Burial Information or Disposition
The bodies were unceremoniously dumped in an unmarked mass grave somewhere on Kwajalein. The exact site has never been located.
Decorations
Purple Heart
For wounds resulting in his death at enemy hands, 16 October 1942
Prisoner Of War Medal
In captivity from 18 August 1942 – 16 October 1942
Next Of Kin Address
Address of mother, Mrs. Freida Allard.
Location Of Loss
The Raiders were imprisoned and executed on the island of Kwajalein.
