Post by Registrar on Apr 14, 2016 18:17:43 GMT 8
This is not my story, but it has fallen to me to chronicle the telling of it, which makes me feel like a latter day Dr. Watson. Our Sherlock Holmes is Bob Hudson.
Recently, we had a Shoutbox entry on the site from a person identifying himself as Queenie, who wrote as follows:
Queenie subsequently joined the forum, which gave us further detail.
I passed the details to Bob, inviting him to get involved. (My practice is not to disclose anyone's private email but to invite them to be in contact with our inquirer. ) Bob contacted me on 10 April.
Bob, not one to give up without a fight, combed some more records, and found the answer.
Recently, we had a Shoutbox entry on the site from a person identifying himself as Queenie, who wrote as follows:
Hi I am searching for Frank Suter who died in Capas, Tarlac after being captured by the Japanese in Paracale gold mine where he was working as far back as 1934. Hope to find what actually happened to him as well as his two daughters and son.
Hi, two questions please:
How do you get to the Capas, Tarlac memorial from the main Highway? I will be coming from Quezon Province. Is there an onlinine list of the names of the men who died in Camp O'Donnell? I am searching for Frank Suter who died there after being captured by the Japanese.
Thanks.
Saro Genova
How do you get to the Capas, Tarlac memorial from the main Highway? I will be coming from Quezon Province. Is there an onlinine list of the names of the men who died in Camp O'Donnell? I am searching for Frank Suter who died there after being captured by the Japanese.
Thanks.
Saro Genova
Hi Paul,
I contacted this person. Not sure whether Saro is a male or female name. Apparently the Frank Suter was a civilian. I don't recall if civilians were taken into O'Donnell. Saro believes Suter died in Camp O'Donnell but his name doesn't appears on the rolls of the dead. I'm working on it.
Wanted to let you know.
If the weather in Hell is anything like it is here on Bataan, I won't have to acclimate!
Ingat,
Bob
Saro filled in more details on April 10.
I contacted this person. Not sure whether Saro is a male or female name. Apparently the Frank Suter was a civilian. I don't recall if civilians were taken into O'Donnell. Saro believes Suter died in Camp O'Donnell but his name doesn't appears on the rolls of the dead. I'm working on it.
Wanted to let you know.
If the weather in Hell is anything like it is here on Bataan, I won't have to acclimate!
Ingat,
Bob
Saro filled in more details on April 10.
Hi Mr.Hudson,
Thanks for ur prompt reply.
The fact that you said you're pretty certain you have info on Frank gives me hope. I am one of the best genealogists around and it is as if this man never existed! I have located some records for several Frank Suters, but none really jive with what I have learned of him (limited and perhaps incorrect) with the exception of a Frank Suter in Oregon who was a pitman which is someone who works in pits, like a mine.
This is the info I received from his Filipina daughter, Leticia Suter born in 1936 in Daet,Camarines Sur:
Frank was working for Teddy Universal Mining Company (I can find no record of this company so Leticia's mom may have gotten it wrong) in Paracale, Cam Sur looking for gold. He arrived in Phils. abt 1934. His company had an office in Escolta, Manila. He was from Red-something (Redvale?), Colorado where his wife and 3 children resided (he may have been divorced-don't know). Eldest child, Josephine,then Mary Louise and Frank Jr.
We do not know where Frank was born but I figure it was between 1900-1910. Leticia seems to think he was born in CO but I have my doubts. There is the Colorado School of Mining there and from my research, it seems that all the US mining companies employees in the Philippines were college educated managers. Of interest and perhaps noteworthy is the fact that Marine (I think-the old memory ain't so good!) reservist and war hero, Wendell Fertig was an alumni of Colorado College of mining and if memory serves me was here in the Phils. working when the war commenced. He was written about in a very good article titled Miner Warriors. It seems that the captured miners were at Camp O'Donnell and in 1942 transferred.
After the war was over when Leticia was still quite young, a Mr Patterson/Padderson? visited her mother and said he was with Frank after their capture in Capas,Tarlac. Leticia does not know if it was Camp O'Donnell or the death march, but he got as far as Capas where he died so I figure it was the camp. Before he died Frank asked Mr. Patterson to go see Leticia and to help his daughter.
That's about it. I really cannot find anything that I would consider a good lead on Frank or his kids. I suspect his wife may have remarried and the kids were adopted taking their step father's last name, sealing their original birth records.
I will be traveling to Zambales the last week of May. I hope we can side travel to the Capas memorial if I can figure how to get there. If Frank's name it there I'll take photos which will mean a lot to Leticia who has been searching for her siblings all her life. Any information ans/or suggestions about how to search as well as any other sites to visit while we are in Pampanga will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks so much.
Saro Genova
"Queenie Makulit"
In an e-mail Thursday April 14, 2016 Saro further advised:
Mr. Hudson,
I have located the passport record of Frank Sauter and it seems to be our Frank as it states he is in the mining business. Therefore, please be so kind as to send what you have on this man. My desire to review any available records you have still remains.
Thanks,
Saro
Thanks for ur prompt reply.
The fact that you said you're pretty certain you have info on Frank gives me hope. I am one of the best genealogists around and it is as if this man never existed! I have located some records for several Frank Suters, but none really jive with what I have learned of him (limited and perhaps incorrect) with the exception of a Frank Suter in Oregon who was a pitman which is someone who works in pits, like a mine.
This is the info I received from his Filipina daughter, Leticia Suter born in 1936 in Daet,Camarines Sur:
Frank was working for Teddy Universal Mining Company (I can find no record of this company so Leticia's mom may have gotten it wrong) in Paracale, Cam Sur looking for gold. He arrived in Phils. abt 1934. His company had an office in Escolta, Manila. He was from Red-something (Redvale?), Colorado where his wife and 3 children resided (he may have been divorced-don't know). Eldest child, Josephine,then Mary Louise and Frank Jr.
We do not know where Frank was born but I figure it was between 1900-1910. Leticia seems to think he was born in CO but I have my doubts. There is the Colorado School of Mining there and from my research, it seems that all the US mining companies employees in the Philippines were college educated managers. Of interest and perhaps noteworthy is the fact that Marine (I think-the old memory ain't so good!) reservist and war hero, Wendell Fertig was an alumni of Colorado College of mining and if memory serves me was here in the Phils. working when the war commenced. He was written about in a very good article titled Miner Warriors. It seems that the captured miners were at Camp O'Donnell and in 1942 transferred.
After the war was over when Leticia was still quite young, a Mr Patterson/Padderson? visited her mother and said he was with Frank after their capture in Capas,Tarlac. Leticia does not know if it was Camp O'Donnell or the death march, but he got as far as Capas where he died so I figure it was the camp. Before he died Frank asked Mr. Patterson to go see Leticia and to help his daughter.
That's about it. I really cannot find anything that I would consider a good lead on Frank or his kids. I suspect his wife may have remarried and the kids were adopted taking their step father's last name, sealing their original birth records.
I will be traveling to Zambales the last week of May. I hope we can side travel to the Capas memorial if I can figure how to get there. If Frank's name it there I'll take photos which will mean a lot to Leticia who has been searching for her siblings all her life. Any information ans/or suggestions about how to search as well as any other sites to visit while we are in Pampanga will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks so much.
Saro Genova
"Queenie Makulit"
In an e-mail Thursday April 14, 2016 Saro further advised:
Mr. Hudson,
I have located the passport record of Frank Sauter and it seems to be our Frank as it states he is in the mining business. Therefore, please be so kind as to send what you have on this man. My desire to review any available records you have still remains.
Thanks,
Saro
Bob Hudson replies to Saro the same date:
Saro,
I just returned home and read your email. Your first email made me assume that Frank was in the service. I have thousands of service related files and documents detailing the war here. Now that I know Frank was a civilian, it makes the search that much more difficult. I've poured through what documents I have on civilians and come up empty.
The closest I have come is a Frank J Sauter, 1st. Lt. but that could have been a guerrilla rank. Many civilians with special skills were given commissions in the guerrillas.
Sorry I have have not been able to help. If I had weeks to pour over the thousands of documents in my possession, it may have led to something. I just do not have that much time.Regards,
Bob
I just returned home and read your email. Your first email made me assume that Frank was in the service. I have thousands of service related files and documents detailing the war here. Now that I know Frank was a civilian, it makes the search that much more difficult. I've poured through what documents I have on civilians and come up empty.
The closest I have come is a Frank J Sauter, 1st. Lt. but that could have been a guerrilla rank. Many civilians with special skills were given commissions in the guerrillas.
Sorry I have have not been able to help. If I had weeks to pour over the thousands of documents in my possession, it may have led to something. I just do not have that much time.Regards,
Bob
Saro,
If Frank J Sauter is the man you're looking for then I have some bad news for you.
He most likely became a guerrilla and was captured by the Japanese. At some point he was taken to Bilibid Prison in Manila. On Sept. 30, 1943, he was taken from Bilibid prison and most likely executed by the Kempeitai (Japanese Military Police) at the Chinese Cemetery in Manila.
No one taken away by the Kempeitai was ever seen again.
See the document below from Bilibid Prison. His name is 9th from the bottom.
I am deeply sorry if this is the end of the line for your search.
Respectfully,
Bob
If Frank J Sauter is the man you're looking for then I have some bad news for you.
He most likely became a guerrilla and was captured by the Japanese. At some point he was taken to Bilibid Prison in Manila. On Sept. 30, 1943, he was taken from Bilibid prison and most likely executed by the Kempeitai (Japanese Military Police) at the Chinese Cemetery in Manila.
No one taken away by the Kempeitai was ever seen again.
See the document below from Bilibid Prison. His name is 9th from the bottom.
I am deeply sorry if this is the end of the line for your search.
Respectfully,
Bob