Garratt "Gilbert" E. Royalty
Private
Pvt. Garratt "Gilbert" E. Royalty (Harrodsburg Tankers Survivor, WW II) 1917–1985 BIRTH 11 NOV 1917 • Bohon, Mercer County, Kentucky, United States of America DEATH 5 JAN 1985 • Spring Hill Cemetery, Harrodsburg, Mercer County, Kentucky, USA; MEMORIAL ID, 145548827 Education: Grammar school Civil Occupation: Farm hands, general farms (He was married 3 times and the father of eight children.)
-- ReferenceGarratt Gilbert Royalty
BIRTH, 11 Nov 1917, Bohon, Mercer County, Kentucky, USA
DEATH, 5 Jan 1985 (aged 67), Harrodsburg, Mercer County, Kentucky, USA
BURIAL, Spring Hill Cemetery, Harrodsburg, Mercer County, Kentucky, USA
MEMORIAL ID, 145548827
Garratt Royalty was a member D Company, 192nd Tank Battalion. He was stationed in
the Philippine Islands when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. Ten hours later, he lived
through the bombing of Clark Airfield. For four months, he fought, with the other
soldiers on Bataan, to slow Japan’s conquest of the Philippines. Without food, without
adequate supplies, and no hope of being relieved, he became a Prisoner of War on April
9, 1942, when Bataan was surrendered to the Japanese.
As a POW, he was held at Camp O’Donnell and Cabanatuan in the Philippines. He was
rescued by U.S. Army Rangers at Cabanatuan on January 30, 1945.
Garratt returned home, married, and was the father of eight children.
Private First-Class Garratt Gilbert Royalty joined the Harrodsburg National Guard unit
some time before it was activated in November 1940. He was taken prisoner on April 9,
1942. He survived the Death March from Mariveles to San Fernando where he was put
on a train to Capas for the final march to Camp O'Donnell.
He went out on work details to rebuild bridges. He was later sent to Cabanatuan where he
was on the farm detail. He was later taken to Bilibid Prison for medical treatment and
eventually returned to Cabanatuan. He was liberated by American Rangers on January
30, 1945. He returned to Harrodsburg, after the war. He died in January, 1985.
