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Post by buster on Jul 23, 2009 17:51:03 GMT 8
from my list of snippets concerning Corregidor: We went over to Corregidor and made quite a study of it . We went into some of the old fortress and the tunnel . When we entered we still found some food and medical supplies and ammunition . Off the north dock of Corregidor was the spot where all the silver from the Philippines rank had been dumped ; this was a lot of money . Commodore Sullivan and his salvage people were salvaging that silver . I remember when I took over from my predecessor he had a box of silver on his desk . I said, "What are all those pieces of silver?" He said, "Take a handful . This is some that we dug up from Manila Bay ." Of course, it wasn't his to give away . We found very loose handling of finances . For instance, I hate to say it, but our Finance Officer shot himself after a while over there . He exercised no control over what he was doing -- no security, no guards -- and I guess he found himself in a bad way after the Inspector General got after him . One interesting note, since we mentioned money . We found that inside the Philippine banks, the records, funds, and whatever else was in them had never been disturbed by the Japanese . Isn't that amazing? It is absolutely amazing . They are ruthless on the battlefield -- there is no question about that -- but maybe we are too much the other way . Dr. Paul K. Walker of the Historical Division, Office of the Chief of Engineers prepared the interview for publication. The interview was by Col. Calvin J. Landau, 1971.
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Post by okla on Jul 23, 2009 22:14:41 GMT 8
hey buster....interesting tidbit about the philippine silver. i wasnt aware that any of this loot was dumped off the north dock. i have always heard about the disposing of treasury silver off the south shore of corregidor, between the rock and fort hughes. i read somewhere that toward the end of the dumping process, that the guys doing the chore began skipping silver pesos across the water just as i used to do as a kid skipping pebbles on my grandfathers farm ponds. with the japanese invasion attempt and possible surrender just a short few days ahead, i find it odd that the defenders would find much pleasure in this activity. maybe it grew from the anxiety of facing the inevitable situation looming before them. i enjoy these little human interest "snippets" as you call them. keep 'em coming.
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Post by batteryboy on Jul 24, 2009 16:25:59 GMT 8
AFIAK, the Silver coins were dumped not at the North Dock but at Caballo Bay facing the South Dock.
The Japanese did recover a number of them and converted them into "Homma Medals"
After liberation the Americans came back for them.
A few more thousand pieces still remain at the bottom of the bay as of today.
FWIW,
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Post by mapmaster on Jul 25, 2009 15:37:20 GMT 8
Hi The majority of the Philippines Silver Pesos dumped into Manila Bay in 1942 were minted during the years 1907 to 1912 and 1936. The Philippine Peso was first minted in 1903 and until 1906 was a large 26.9568g coin. From 1907 to 1912, the Silver Peso was minted as a smaller 20.0000g coin. The coins from 1903 to 1912 were designed by a Filipino resident from California, Melecio Figueroa. The 1903 to 1912 coins featured the seal of the US Administration on one side. On the other side was a young lady holding a hammer on an anvil. The Mount Mayon Volcano is in the background. The young lady is often described as a Walking Liberty. However, a close look at her facial features reveals a Filipina. It has been report that Melecio Figueroa's daughter modelled for the design. The coin on the right may be one of those recovered from Manila Bay. It is possible to see where another coin has rested against its upper face and protected it from corrosion. The lower face has some light pitting from corrosion. The 1936 Silver Pesos dumped were those issued with the Philippines Commonwealth Seal. On the other side either Presidents Roosevelt and Quezon are depicted; or Governor General Murphy and President Quezon are depicted. Regards mapmaster p.s. Some documents and publications have Meliceo. However, the majority have Melecio. I have followed the latter spelling.
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Post by The Phantom on Jul 25, 2009 20:58:09 GMT 8
Nice shot of the coins mapmaster. I will have to check the dates on mine. I had bought 13 of the coins in Ermita in 1975 from the vendors there to serve as the 13 coins in our Wedding ceremony. This is where the groom drops 13 coins into his future wife's hand during the marriage ceremony in front of the priest and god. Guess what that symbolizes? My lovely Filipina bride, we're still married, then said to me under her breath, "Got you now!" There are many parts to the Ceremony and we did it all again in 2000, our 25th. I got the coins out of the bank here, brought them back and we did it all over again.
I have found a few on the beach also, after storms, south beach. You can buy them still, or are they forgeries, in the gift shops on the island and from the same guys in Ermita in front of the old Tower Hotel on Del Pilar?
One that I found a few years ago was very corroded.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2010 9:17:35 GMT 8
Coincidences. Gen. Trudeau was a Coast Artillery officer, tho the corps later became a misssle unit, and he was finally posted to bases in Italy after the war. I worked for his son at IBM in the 60's. Never met the Gen.. However, when I was on Corregidor in 85 a young Filipino boy gave me a peso which had been dumped in the Bay. It's my "lucky peso", carry it in my purse always. It is corroded and bent after been on hot rocks of the shore.
I have an book published by Readers Digest ,1964 called "Secrets and Spies..The Untold Stories of WWII" pp163-174. that has an article by John G Hubbell, called "The Great Manila Bay Silver Operation". I'll sum it up, and somtime send it in total to XO. Or put it on my computer and email it. Or? Suggestions?
The US Mint in Manila made the 1Peso, which was worth 50cents, U.S. All of the gold bullion and silver in the mint was sent to Corregidor to be sent out. $2 miilion in gold bullion and $360 thousand in silver made it out on the US submarine USS Trout to San Francisco. After they captured Manila, silver pesos were cropping up in markets and POW camps all over, worth more than the Japanese currency, and bribery was rampant of Nippon soldiers. But$8,500,000 in pesos were in wooden crates, and in early '42. the Army purposely dumped it into Caballo Bay on the southside of Correg. in 120 ft of water, to keep from the Japs, but they learned of it . Since theJap Army did not want the Japanese Navy to know (sounds familiar) they so brought 7 POWs from Cabanatuan who were US Navy divers, to Corregidor, and sent them down in their weighted suits, with big dive helmets. The equipment was old,only good for shallow diving. While down there, the divers broke up the crates of silver, and spread them on the bottom, raised some for the Japs. The also sewed secret pockets into their suits and put pesos in them, and passed them on to the underground and to any one who was secretly aiding POWs with food and help, meds. Coin dealers have some still, but they do not have tremendous value in poor condition. Mine is Priceless.
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