Harold Cyril Thomure
Corporal Harold C. Thomure served with King Company, Third Battalion, 4th Marines.
He was captured at Corregidor and died while a prisoner of war at Cabanatuan, Philippine Islands, on 15 September 1942.
Branch
Marine Corps Regular
Service Number 294979
Current Status
Remains not recovered.
Pursuit Category
This case is under Active Pursuit by the DPAA.
Capsule History
Pre-War Life
Birth
November 14, 1915
at Bonne Terre, MO
Parents
Augustus Edward Thomure, Sr.
Susan Marie (Gidley) Thomure
Education
Bonne Terre High School
Occupation & Employer
Foundry Labor
Valley Dolomite Corporation
Service Life
Entered Service
September 13, 1940
at St. Louis, MO
Home Of Record
17 Mill Street
Bonne Terre, MO
Next Of Kin
Father, Mr. Augustus Thomure
Military Specialty
—
Primary Unit
K/3/4th Marines
Campaigns Served
Philippine Islands / Corregidor
Individual Decorations
Prisoner of War Medal
Additional Service Details
—
Loss And Burial
Circumstances Of Loss
Harold Thomure was stationed at Cavite, Philippine Islands, when the United States entered World War II. His unit was re-designated as the Third Battalion, 4th Marines; Thomure served with King Company in the defense of the Philippines and the siege of Corregidor during the spring of 1942. He began the war as a private first class, and received a field promotion to corporal during the campaign.
Thomure was captured in the fall of Corregidor on 6 May 1942, and held as a prisoner of war at Cabanatuan Camp #1, Nueva Ecija province. Unsanitary living conditions, harsh treatment by guards, and a starvation diet took a rapid toll on the prisoners of war. Thomure, who contracted dysentery while still on Corregidor, found no relief for his ailment. He grew weaker over the summer months, and finally died early in the morning of 15 September 1942.
Burial Information or Disposition
Thomure was buried in Grave 426 of the Cabanatuan cemetery, along with twelve other prisoners – all members of the United States Army.
| Name | Rank | Service Number | Age | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hecker, John F. | PFC | 6840601 | 32 | Identified |
| King, Ronald J. | Sergeant | 20645263 | 22 | Identified |
| Merrill, Barton G. | Private | 11014342 | 24 | Identified |
| McLaughlin, Jack H. | Private | 19013608 | 19 | Unaccounted |
| Zam, Joseph | Corporal | 20500753 | 20 | Identified |
| Williams, David A. | T/4 | 14039467 | 27 | Identified |
| Gloria, Andres | Private | 10300655 | 24 | Unaccounted |
| Chester, James W. | PFC | 19024081 | 21 | Unaccounted |
| Thomure, Harold C. | Corporal | 294979 | 26 | Unaccounted |
| McCrea, Joseph F. | PFC | 20645269 | 22 | Identified |
| Pickens, James V. | PFC | 20842732 | 22 | Identified |
| Yacob, George | Private | 39076623 | 31 | Unaccounted |
| Stoltz, William H. | First Lieutenant | O-394282 | 24 | Identified |
Grave 426 was exhumed in 1946, and the remains sent to Manila for examination. Interestingly, instead of the thirteen bodies reported by prison records, Graves Registration noted only twelve at their laboratory.
In the years that followed, eight of the thirteen men on the original burial record were positively identified. The rest – including Corporal Thomure – are almost certainly buried as unknowns in the Manila American Cemetery.
The unknowns listed above are associated with X-2494 and X-2495, Manila Mausoleum #2.
X-2490 through 2493 may also be related to Grave 426.
Memorials
Next Of Kin Address
Address of father, Mr. August Thomure.
Location Of Loss
Corporal Thomure died at Cabanatuan Camp #1.
