Were US Chemical Bombs Abandoned In New Guinea at the End of WWII?

During WWII, the US had a major stockpile of toxic chemical bombs near Oro Bay, New Guinea. The stockpile was managed by the 760th Chemical Depot Company (Aviation). Their archived Organizational History Reports remained secret until 2009 and have seldom been examined since—in part because sections of the microwaved copies are difficult to read. With some effort, the documents provide important insights into Allied preparation for chemical warfare, despite a number of problems with the munitions. In June 1945, the personnel of the 760th were reassigned to a different base. What happened to munitions?

Steel, Mustard and CK:
The Past, Present and Future of US Chemical Weapons in New Guinea

14-Page pdf with long-secret details from WWII
and photos from 2023.

By Frederick J. Thomas, Photographs by Basil Tindeba Emimie

The Pacific Wrecks website provides a page about Embi Airfield, 20 km from Oro Bay Included are photos and links which indicate the presence of US chemical bombs long after WWII ended.

Original Source materials from the 760th Chemical Depot Company (Aviation) were declassified in 2009. Some are hard to read, so we also offer a transcript of key entries.

Click here for more images from the 760th Organizational History Reports.

For many, New Guinea evokes images of nearly inaccessible mountains and jungles. The area near Oro Bay is an exception. Although isolated by mountains to the south and west, it is a plain, rising only about 100 meters above sea level. Current features include an airport, palm oil plantations and the town of Popondetta (population 2000).