Location
High ground located to the north of Madang, along the north coast road. Japanese called the hill 'Moto Zan'.

Nobnob Lookout (Kempei Tai HQ)
16 km north of Madang off to the left of the North coast road at Amron, and Lutheran mission church and buildings. Excellent views of north coast, islands, and the old Alexishafen Airfield is visible to the north.

Wartime History
After the occupation of Madang, Amron was occupied by the Japanese Army on December 26, 1942. Used during the war as a Japanese lookout, and Headquarters of the Kempei Tai (Japanese Army military police).

An intercepted bulletin dated March 27, 1943 'MO Butai' states:
"It is decided to move Army HQ to Amron (11 km NW of Madang). Chief of staff and 34 men reached Amron by air. Amron Hill is named MOTO ZAN."

POW Executions
During the war, several American aviators were executed at Amron by the Kempei Tai. On August 31, 1943 five aviators who were taken prisoner and interrogated were executed. They included: Robert J. Koscelnak, Louis, Herry, Ritacco and Hugh Anderson of B-25D 41-30118 and Owen Salvage B-25D 41-30221. In mid-March 1944, two Australians were executed: Graeme McDonald of Vengence A27-276 and another RAAF airman. Other Allied prisoners shot down in the area also might have been executed 'down the mountain to the execution ground' according to interrogations with Japanese after the war. During the war, the Japanese circulated a false story that the POW had been killed in late August 1943 when the area "received a direct bomb hit... [American] fliers... were killed and also the mission horse which was grazing nearby."

Other Americans known to have died at Amron include 2nd Lt. Milton MacDonald pilot of P-38J 42-104355.

Today
No remnants of the Japanese occupation remain, other than the concrete base the Lutheran Mission building occupy today. According to the locals, there were some bunkers and fortifications in the area, but these were filled in after the war.

References
Death At Amron by Walt Deas
"The Story of the Japanese Invasion of New Guinea; the imprisonment of our missionaries of the Madang District, and how some lived to tell the story" page 4-5
ATIS Bulletin No. 453 (continued), Report No. 77

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Last Updated
October 1, 2009