He married Margaret Jane Freeman of Freehold, NJ on July 2, 1935.   They have one daughter, Ann, who was born July 11, 1940, in Houston, TX.   Prior to the Texas Company, Capt Durie was employed by the US Coast and Geodetic Survey in Red Bank, NJ and Key West, FL and the Civilian Conservation Corp in Monmouth County, NJ.   Capt Durie was authorized to practice as a Professional Engineer in Texas March 12, 1938.   While in TX Capt Durie and family lived in The Colony, Galena Park, 10m east of Houston, maintained by the Texas Company.

Capt. Durie was commissioned a First Lieutenant on August 2, 1940.   During the period 1937-1941 he completed numerous Army Extension Courses in artillery unit management and weapons operation.

In August 1941 Capt Durie sailed on SS President Pierce from San Francisco to Manila, PI via Hawaii and on arrival September 16, 1941 was sent directly to Fort Mills (Corregidor Island) and assigned to 91st Coast Artillery Regiment, Philippine Scouts, an all Philippino US Army unit with American officers.

  Last letter sent prior to Japanese attack on December 8 was dated Nov. 30, 1941.   Only letter after attack dated Feb 4, 1942 sent via submarine, reports promotion to Captain with resultant increase in wife's allotment to $238 per month, $10,000 of life insurance taken out and advice that if he becomes a casualty wife entitled to six months pay and a pension; Christmas gifts had arrived and wrote letter with new pen.  

Captain Durie's final assignment was as Emplacement Officer of 2 3" guns of Battery Hanna, Battery B of 91st on Cape Corregidor, facing Bataan 1m away.   They were positioned to protect electrically operated submarine minefield in ship channel between the two.   On fall of Bataan, April 9, 1942, Japanese had direct view of this area and promptly silenced these guns.   For the period until Corregidor is captured on May 6, 1942 Captain Durie and men become part of nearby M' West range station, a reinforced observation casemate of 91st CA commanded by Capt Frank G. Jonelis (who had traveled to PI on same ship).   This casemate was dug some 15' deeper and with extensive tunneling to escape Japanese shelling.

With most of the other prisoners on Corregidor Capt. Durie was kept on shore area of 92d CA garage, former seaplane ramp, for upward of two weeks, then transported to shore area of Dewey Boulevard, south of central Manila, unloaded offshore and paraded to city's Bilibid Prison (before and after war a city jail).   Following a short stay at Bilibid he was transported (by narrow gauge rail in 40/8 (40 men or 8 horses) type cars) to Cabanatuan Prison, some 5 miles from town of same name in central Luzon.

On about October 26, 1942 transported with some 1,000 other POW's to Island of Mindanao, southern most large island on former American Lakes steamer Erie, sold to Japan as scrap metal pre war.   On this island located at former prison, Davao Penal Colony ("Dapecol") Camp #2 and later at Camp #1.   Spent some 18 months in this locality working in rice paddies of Davao and hauling logs at Lasang.   In February 1944 reported to have scars on legs from tropical ulcers and in sick quarters with malaria.

During period mid Oct to mid Dec 1944 moved from from Mindanao back to Cabanatuan and then Bilibid Prison, Manila.   On December 13,1944 loaded with some 1700 other POW's at Manila aboard Oryoku Maru, a 15,000 ton former luxury liner.   This is part of continuing Japanese action of moving POW's to Japan and other occupied areas for labor (these are "Hell Ships" for POW's with extensive deaths).   Area is under US air attack following invasion of nearby Leyte Island on October 20.

On Dec 15 Oryoku Maru sunk by US planes in shallow waters off Alana Docks of former US Navy base, Subic Bay, Olongapo, Luzon.   This is a short distance from Corregidor and Capt Duries former gun battery.   With some 1,500 other survivors of this sinking kept on former US Navy base tennis courts for 5 days with one water spigot available.   Then transported over mountain range by truck to sugar mill town and rail junction of San Fernando, Pampanga in north central Luzon, some 100 m.   Then by rail (more 40/8 cars) some 100m north to Lingayen Gulf shore town of San Fernando, LaUnion.   Christmas day spent here.

On Dec 27 loaded aboard Enora Maru with other POW's loading onto Brazil Maru, enroute to southern Formosa (Taiwan) port of Takao.   US forces land at this Lingayen Gulf area on January 10,1945.   The Philippine Islands effectively recaptured by US about January 12,1945 except for mopping up operations over next several months.   Enora Maru put out of operation by US bombing at Takao and survivors loaded aboard Brazil Maru for trip to Japan some 600m.   The ship traveled by night along China coast and anchored by day to evade US planes and submarines.   On January 20,1945 Capt Durie dies of continuing tropical illnesses, wounds and "Hell Ship" treatment and is buried at sea.

Of some 1,700 POW's embarking on this tortuous trip at Manila, some 400 arrive at Moji, Kyushu Island, Japan on January 29, 1945.   At Japanese surrender on August 15, 1945 some 100 survive.

Ann Durie Westerfield
April 17, 2000

Update   6 May 2001:
"On 29 April 2000 immediately after the above biography appeared on the ADBC website, I was contacted by email by Ms. Jacque McNeely.   Jacque had been doing research on her uncle Lt. Thomas Ross Kennedy and came across my father's biography.  Lt. Kennedy died on the Brazil Maru on 21 January 1945, the day after my father.   Jacque wrote to tell me she had my father's dog tag and shortly after this my mother and I had it in hand!

After war's end Lt. Kennedy's parents in CA received some family photos that had been his.   On the back of the photos in microscopic writing was a letter to them from him.   These were contained in a pouch, possibly a torn out pants pocket, which also contained my father's dog tag.   How they came to be together and how they reached his parents is not now known."
Ann Durie Westerfield