Post by fots2 on Apr 15, 2009 15:44:55 GMT 8
This trip report is a reply to Ed Olivares’ query in his thread ‘WELCOME TO OUR HERITAGE BN MEMBERS’ located on the General Board.
(Ed was born in the Corregidor Hospital in 1935 and lived in the officer’s housing at Middleside. He was looking for recent photos of his old home)
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I went to Middleside this morning (April 11th, 2009) with a plan to walk Colonel’s row or what is labeled on the maps as Officers Quarters. A total of thirty Officers houses are in this area.
I walked to the eastern end by the 300 step staircase and then along the whole row of houses. At the end of the row, I walked uphill to six more houses and then out to the road only one minute walk to the hospital.
Photos are of the houses today plus the surrounding area. In addition to the photos, I thought I would also provide a description for you.
Of the thirty houses, I saw all of them except six which are up the hillside further. Only one house has most of the walls standing but no roof. All other houses are rubble with small to large chunks of concrete scattered around. One thing that did survive at a few houses was the exterior staircases which went up and split left and right going into the upper level of two adjacent houses. A couple former houses have chimneys still standing.
Houses here were within view of the Japanese artillery on Bataan plus both Japanese and American bombers at different times. This area took a real pounding. There are more large craters here than around most big gun batteries. Even after almost sixty-five years a few shell or bomb craters are still ten to fifteen feet deep.
Other than a direct hit from the bombs/shells, I wondered what could destroy these houses so completely where in other areas of Corregidor many walls of buildings are still standing. I think there may be two answers.
First, I learned from mapmaster that all of the Officers Houses were of mixed construction (concrete and wood) with the exception of four which were all concrete. There is some concrete rubble but not nearly enough for a two story house. If the wood burnt then his would explain why.
Second, in one of the four concrete houses (the one that is still standing), the walls were only 1½ inch thick concrete with no rebar. I am certainly no expert but I would guess the concussion from even a nearby bomb would flatten them. Only small rebar is visible where wall sections are joined, doorways and most certainly major load bearing beams. (I will show you this in photos).
I realize these buildings were not strategic military structures but they still look built rather flimsy. After visiting the hospital I went to the Senior Officer’s Quarters on Topside. The four walls and both stories of almost all of them are still standing. Those walls are thick and rebar was used. Perhaps junior officers did not rate that.
Another difference between the two types of Officer’s quarters was the ‘senior’ guys got chimneys and fireplaces where the ‘junior’ guys got chimneys with a pipe hole inside the house for some type of stove.
Down the hillside from the houses was the trolley line. I thought you might be interested in photos of a mostly intact trolley station plus a few wooden rail ties. The actual rails are long gone. I have been told that the Japanese needed scrap metal for war production so had them removed and shipped to Japan. The ties are a common sight on Corregidor.
Today, the area of the houses is completely grown up with large trees and vegetation. The walking was not too bad but still required cutting vines and branches at times. No roads are visible. In a couple places the high trees thinned out a bit so more sunlight hit the ground. Here the vegetation was like a thorny thatched wall so I had to make detours. As a general rule, the thicker the canopy above, the easier the walking below.
My little pocket camera is not fond of very high contrast scenes. The jungle shadows are quite dark and areas of sunshine are very bright. I under exposed the highlights if possible and to lighten the shadows I often used the flash. Also, I removed vines and brush at times to make clearer views for the photos. They are far from perfect but will give you a good idea of what the houses and general area looks like today.
That is all I can think of now. Here are your photos:
A. I started at the Middleside Barracks in early morning. Facing left up the hill you first come to the trolley line, then the Officers Quarters, the Hospital and finally the Mile Long Barracks on Topside.
B. This area is very grown up and roads are not visible anymore. Almost all the houses are totally destroyed with only foundations and staircases remaining.
C. Collapsed outside patio floor
D. All houses were built with raised floors on concrete pillars
E. Concrete double sinks
F. Front of concrete stairway which splits left and right going to the second floor of two adjacent houses
G. Rear of the stairway clearly showing the left and right sections
H. Occasional house wall sections still exist
I. A few sets of stairs down to the trolley stations and up toward the hospital can still be seen
J. There are walking hazards such as open six foot deep man holes
K. House interior floor
L. In the hillside above some of the Officers Quarters is the entrance to Middleside Tunnel. This tunnel is fairly extensive including several laterals. Photos of it can be seen at www.pbase.com/fots2/corregidor
M. Rock wall between houses and the trolley line
N. Corner of one of the most intact trolley stations on Corregidor (just below the houses)
O. Top area of the trolley station (mostly intact but part of the wall in destroyed). The missing upper walls and roof were mostly wood.
P. Trolley line wooden ties beside the old rail bed
Q. Front steps of the only remaining house with upright walls
R. Outside wall corner
S. Interior doorway
T. Looking out a window
U. Looking out a window (note thin walls, minimal rebar and damage from the outside in)
V. On the interior floor is a Chimney with a pipe hole
W. Top of the chimney is still standing
X. I have been told these bins were for coal or wood
Y. Note the thin house walls and no visible rebar (even broken wall sections had no rebar)
Z. Hospital
Z1. Hospital
(Ed was born in the Corregidor Hospital in 1935 and lived in the officer’s housing at Middleside. He was looking for recent photos of his old home)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I went to Middleside this morning (April 11th, 2009) with a plan to walk Colonel’s row or what is labeled on the maps as Officers Quarters. A total of thirty Officers houses are in this area.
I walked to the eastern end by the 300 step staircase and then along the whole row of houses. At the end of the row, I walked uphill to six more houses and then out to the road only one minute walk to the hospital.
Photos are of the houses today plus the surrounding area. In addition to the photos, I thought I would also provide a description for you.
Of the thirty houses, I saw all of them except six which are up the hillside further. Only one house has most of the walls standing but no roof. All other houses are rubble with small to large chunks of concrete scattered around. One thing that did survive at a few houses was the exterior staircases which went up and split left and right going into the upper level of two adjacent houses. A couple former houses have chimneys still standing.
Houses here were within view of the Japanese artillery on Bataan plus both Japanese and American bombers at different times. This area took a real pounding. There are more large craters here than around most big gun batteries. Even after almost sixty-five years a few shell or bomb craters are still ten to fifteen feet deep.
Other than a direct hit from the bombs/shells, I wondered what could destroy these houses so completely where in other areas of Corregidor many walls of buildings are still standing. I think there may be two answers.
First, I learned from mapmaster that all of the Officers Houses were of mixed construction (concrete and wood) with the exception of four which were all concrete. There is some concrete rubble but not nearly enough for a two story house. If the wood burnt then his would explain why.
Second, in one of the four concrete houses (the one that is still standing), the walls were only 1½ inch thick concrete with no rebar. I am certainly no expert but I would guess the concussion from even a nearby bomb would flatten them. Only small rebar is visible where wall sections are joined, doorways and most certainly major load bearing beams. (I will show you this in photos).
I realize these buildings were not strategic military structures but they still look built rather flimsy. After visiting the hospital I went to the Senior Officer’s Quarters on Topside. The four walls and both stories of almost all of them are still standing. Those walls are thick and rebar was used. Perhaps junior officers did not rate that.
Another difference between the two types of Officer’s quarters was the ‘senior’ guys got chimneys and fireplaces where the ‘junior’ guys got chimneys with a pipe hole inside the house for some type of stove.
Down the hillside from the houses was the trolley line. I thought you might be interested in photos of a mostly intact trolley station plus a few wooden rail ties. The actual rails are long gone. I have been told that the Japanese needed scrap metal for war production so had them removed and shipped to Japan. The ties are a common sight on Corregidor.
Today, the area of the houses is completely grown up with large trees and vegetation. The walking was not too bad but still required cutting vines and branches at times. No roads are visible. In a couple places the high trees thinned out a bit so more sunlight hit the ground. Here the vegetation was like a thorny thatched wall so I had to make detours. As a general rule, the thicker the canopy above, the easier the walking below.
My little pocket camera is not fond of very high contrast scenes. The jungle shadows are quite dark and areas of sunshine are very bright. I under exposed the highlights if possible and to lighten the shadows I often used the flash. Also, I removed vines and brush at times to make clearer views for the photos. They are far from perfect but will give you a good idea of what the houses and general area looks like today.
That is all I can think of now. Here are your photos:
A. I started at the Middleside Barracks in early morning. Facing left up the hill you first come to the trolley line, then the Officers Quarters, the Hospital and finally the Mile Long Barracks on Topside.
B. This area is very grown up and roads are not visible anymore. Almost all the houses are totally destroyed with only foundations and staircases remaining.
C. Collapsed outside patio floor
D. All houses were built with raised floors on concrete pillars
E. Concrete double sinks
F. Front of concrete stairway which splits left and right going to the second floor of two adjacent houses
G. Rear of the stairway clearly showing the left and right sections
H. Occasional house wall sections still exist
I. A few sets of stairs down to the trolley stations and up toward the hospital can still be seen
J. There are walking hazards such as open six foot deep man holes
K. House interior floor
L. In the hillside above some of the Officers Quarters is the entrance to Middleside Tunnel. This tunnel is fairly extensive including several laterals. Photos of it can be seen at www.pbase.com/fots2/corregidor
M. Rock wall between houses and the trolley line
N. Corner of one of the most intact trolley stations on Corregidor (just below the houses)
O. Top area of the trolley station (mostly intact but part of the wall in destroyed). The missing upper walls and roof were mostly wood.
P. Trolley line wooden ties beside the old rail bed
Q. Front steps of the only remaining house with upright walls
R. Outside wall corner
S. Interior doorway
T. Looking out a window
U. Looking out a window (note thin walls, minimal rebar and damage from the outside in)
V. On the interior floor is a Chimney with a pipe hole
W. Top of the chimney is still standing
X. I have been told these bins were for coal or wood
Y. Note the thin house walls and no visible rebar (even broken wall sections had no rebar)
Z. Hospital
Z1. Hospital