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Post by dmether on Sept 28, 2014 19:22:32 GMT 8
The final area search for Corregidor, Fort Mills, Fort Hughes, Fort Frank and Fort Drum went from 14 Aug 1947 to 28 Feb 1948. The remains recovered during this time were all from the 1941/42 fighting as all the 1945 casualties were recovered soon after the battles to retake the islands. Of those recovered, 48 were in individual graves, most likely the foxholes that they died in. A big hindrance to locating remains was the island had become overgrown. When the recover operation began, the team consisted of 3 US officers, 1 US enlisted man, and 5 Philippine Scouts who were to complete the task in 1 month. In September 100 additional Philippine Scouts were requested and 29 obtained. A bulldozer was also requested and finally sent as well. A T/3 Maximino Ramos, who was born on Corregidor and served as a mess boy with Battery M, 68th Coast Artillery when Corregidor fell. He was on a detail to pick up the American dead after the fall and helped locate the graves after the war. T/5 Esteban Foronda was with Battery G, 91st CAC, also survived the war and helped locate the dead. An example of an Unknown is X-3741, buried in Manila as X-59 Plot C, Row 5, Grave 59. He was 1 of 8 Unknowns recovered during the final search of the island. He stood 5’ 7” tall, had a bullet that traveled through his right femur to his left tibia. Was found with a pair of issued shoes size 9-D, and had a Colt .45 holster. He was found with: Charles S. Gage Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Forces 727th Ordnance Company, Aviation Entered the Service From: Iowa Service #: 0-397799 Date of Death: May 06, 1942 Buried: Plot C Row 3 Grave 69 Search near a water tower. Beach, prior to recovery of remains.
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Post by pdh54 on Sept 28, 2014 20:05:47 GMT 8
David could you put up the other two photos too please? The ones of the bulldozer and Col Murphy?
thanks Patty
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Post by chadhill on Sept 29, 2014 2:52:17 GMT 8
Great finds, dmether!
(Denver Hill fresh water tank in 1926, photo courtesy corregidor.org)
Dmether's top photo is of the fresh water tank on Denver Hill (BLDG 601). Note on his photo the large shell hole left of the ladder, and the overflow slot at the top center of the tank.
Here is a photo I took of the water tank in 1986, showing the overflow slot and shell hole (red arrow):
Can anyone say if we are viewing the northeast side of the tank here? I ask this because the map below, also originally posted by dmether in another thread, shows that most of the Denver Hill remains were recovered northeast of the fresh water tank (the fresh water tank location is shown by the right red arrow).
(map courtesy dmether)
Next question: can anyone say if dmether's beach photo is overlooking the shore between Infantry and Cavalry Points? His map shows that remains were found there also. Are the "white" cliffs in the center of the photo part of Cavalry Point? A few days before the 1942 surrender there was a tremendous explosion at Cavalry Point, which may explain the sheer whitish cliffs that can be seen.
I came across this photo some time in the past. It was said to be of the beaches between Infantry and Cavalry Points in 1942, and seems to show two or three rows of barbed wire fence.
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Post by dmether on Sept 29, 2014 11:27:40 GMT 8
Col. Murphy, who was in charge of AGRS Philippines, looks at unburied remains on Corregidor. The bulldozer in use on Corregidor.
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Post by chadhill on Oct 13, 2014 22:29:44 GMT 8
More rare finds, dmether! Thank you for posting them. * * * * * Slightly off topic here. The Japanese photos below were posted by "Peter H" on the Axis History Forum. They are captioned "Site of Corregidor landing...graves of the fallen". Peter H has a large collection of Japanese photos and knows his stuff. However, it is my understanding that the Japanese KIAs were gathered up by US work parties and stacked on Kindley Field. After each body had a hand severed for the family shrine back home, the remains were burned. Could some have instead been buried on site at the invasion beaches? Or are these simply memorials? But note the mounds. (photo courtesy of Peter H) I haven't set foot on Corregidor since 1987 but seem to recall some sandiness along the beach between Infantry and Cavalry Points. Could these photos have been taken there? Looking at the shadows in the photo above I would almost SWAG that it could have been taken on the western shore of Cavalry Point in the afternoon. If memory serves me, the beaches east of Cavalry Point to North Point and beyond had many basketball-size stones. The photo below seems to have been taken from the opposite side with the sun at the photographer's back. (photo courtesy of Peter H) Next is a close-up of a couple of markers which may have been on Corregidor. Any translators? (photos courtesy of Peter H)
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Post by dmether on Dec 1, 2014 19:59:00 GMT 8
September 1947, AGRS clearing the 92nd Garage Area so they could look for remains.
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Post by ciganiste on May 5, 2023 7:09:53 GMT 8
... He was found with: Charles S. Gage Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Forces 727th Ordnance Company, Aviation Entered the Service From: Iowa Service #: 0-397799 Date of Death: May 06, 1942 Buried: Plot C Row 3 Grave 69 Search near a water tower. ... dmether: How are you able to tell where the 48 recovered remains were buried?
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