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    Ponson Island Camotes Island Group | Cebu Province Philippines
Location
Ponson Island is located at the northeast of the Camotes Island Group (Camotes Islands) in Cebu Province in the Central Visayas (Region VII) in the Visayas (Visayas Islands) in the central Philippines. At the northeast tip is Pilar village and beyond Ormoc Bay and beyond western Leyte. To the southwest is Poro Island.

Wartime History
During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, the local population of the Camotes Islands were terrorized with roughly 300 killed or tortured. On December 3, 1944 during the Battle of Ormoc Bay survivors from the sinking of USS Cooper (DD-695) swam to Pilar and were aided by Filipinos and later rescued by PBY-5 Catalina from VBP-34.

On January 15, 1945 began the Battle of Camotes Islands when the U.S. Army lands a battalion from the 7th Infantry Division on the north and south of Ponso Island. Ashore, there was no resistance as the Japanese defenders had withdrawn. The landing was supported by four PT Boats with U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) aircraft providing cover.

Pilar
Lat 10° 48' 23N Long 124° 33' 58E  Pilar is located at the northeast tip of Ponson Island.

References
U.S. Army in World War II - Chronology 1941-1945 pages 375, 378

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Last Updated
January 15, 2025

 

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Map
Nov 10, 1944

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