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Post by Karl Welteke on Mar 23, 2011 8:41:51 GMT 8
NOTICE TO ALL: As of 2015-05-23 all the links to the albums about this trip are dead links, explanation follows here! Multiply picture sharing company was stationed out of the PI and or Indonesia. They just changed their business without much notice and all my work uploading to that account went lost. I have a few choice words for those buggers but that don’t help. Some of my multiply work I have reworked and uploaded someplace else but much of the work has to be done yet. It will be a long time before get around to all. I am sorry and I am mad against those buggers. Karl Friends Fots2 aka AJM and I spend 4 nights on Corregidor, 14th Mar to 18th March. This time I’m presenting my pictures in a different way, a faster way and the pictures are in higher resolution. The negative side is there are too many images and they don’t have any long titles or descriptions. They do have a short title. This presentation is only for people who know their way around on Corregidor. 2011-03-14 Corregidor w. AJM, Ravine, Trenches east of Malinta Hill, 73 images. On this date John (AJM) and I met in Manila, used the Sun Cruises Ferry to C.I. and as the first task explored the south ravine, east and next to the Malinta Hill Tunnel East Entrance, looked at the 92nd Garage area and three of the four concrete trenches east of Malinta Hill: pisailor.multiply.com/photos/album/252011-03-15 Corregidor w. AJM, Tailend, 2nd Cemetery, a New Wall, New Defense Positions. 165 images. At the 2nd cemetery we seen many new graves because of a grass burn, AJM showed a great new defense position across from the Navy RDF place. AJM showed a new wall we never seen before. We didn’t see any indications of past defense positions on the near ridges east of the ‘Walk Dip’ at the Tailend. I took a lot of pictures of the Jabidah Memorial: pisailor.multiply.com/photos/album/262011-03-16 Corregidor w. AJM, Officer Beach, new round Artillery Base on Malinta Hill Slope and the Japanese Bunker at Stockade Level. 75 images. On this day AJM and I went to the Officer Beach area, found a stairway path to the Bath houses, had a look at the two bath house structures and the post WWII RP structure there. We found a new small tunnel along the road to the bath houses. Pursuing a theory about the collapse of one place in the 1000 men hospital in Malinta Hill, by soil and not rock, we came across another round concrete base, just above the NE air shaft, It is about the same size of other AJM found before: pisailor.multiply.com/photos/album/282011-03-17 Corregidor w. AJM, Rail Track to B-Cheney, Gun Controls towards B-Wheeler. 55 images We walked from the Trolley Barn to Battery Cheney along the rail track, looked for the other Radio Antenna site and other things in that area. Went to see Battery West recently cleared for CDSG Member Glen W. Tried to find all the gun controls between B-Cheney and B-Wheeler. Didn’t take images of Bldg 72 near the other radio antenna., the trolley barn or the rail cut next to it. Then in the evening and next day we said our Good Bye: pisailor.multiply.com/photos/album/29/2011-03-17_Corregidor_w._AJM_Rail_Track_to_B-Cheney_Gun_Controls_towards_B-Wheeler
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Post by fots2 on Mar 24, 2011 18:53:27 GMT 8
Karl, It was another good trip to Corregidor. I am amazed that after all the visits we have made there, new discoveries are still being made. Time to plan the next trip.
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Post by Karl Welteke on Mar 24, 2011 19:22:05 GMT 8
Sure John. Will be available in July 2011 and after.
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Post by The Phantom on Mar 24, 2011 23:25:34 GMT 8
I would say that the most important variable to having the best look at Corregidor, and it's history, is the time of year you go.
Great pictures Karl.
The fire on Tailside just happened to eliminate some of the tallest and hardest to get though grasses on the island. We had noticed some limb cutting in the same area in January.
Is the large, deep and dangerous hole in the road now visible?
Are they bringing the Cemetery out of the jungle for relatives to visit, and to protect the remaining headstones from theft?
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Post by fots2 on Mar 24, 2011 23:43:46 GMT 8
Here is a little surprise for you Phantom.
The "large, deep and dangerous hole in the road" is not any random hole but actually a grave site. What we thought at the time was a road covered in the high grasses is part of the cemetery.
The fire razed this immediate area so everything there is visible now. We walked within a couple feet of the only remaining upright cross. Grave sites are marked with small square concrete blocks, each has a number.
I'll post "after the fire" photos when I get time.
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Post by The Phantom on Mar 25, 2011 23:01:51 GMT 8
Interesting news on that HOLE being in the Cemetery.
Either the person to be buried was a dangerous cur they didn't want to get out, MULTO!) or be dug up again, or they planned to bury several people in the same hole as they died, one on top of the other, as is the practice to save money and space on burial plots in a small Cemetery on a small island, etc.
Would like to talk to those who were able to dig that hole so far down and so squared off all the way down.
The concrete on one side we thought might be a drain on the side of the road, any new meaning after the fire?
No I wasn't there when it burned although I championed the idea as we fought our way though that tall, cut you up, grass last January.
What may have started the fire? A small cooking fire gone awry?
Look forward to seeing the post fire photos of the affected area.
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Post by Karl Welteke on Mar 27, 2011 15:13:44 GMT 8
Corregidor Diary 2011, 14th to 18th w. AJM Day One, Monday the 14th Mar. 2011 In the morning met AJM (aka fots2 on the Bulletin Board) in the terminal building at the CCP complex in Manila. We had agreed to visit Corregidor together for four nights. It turned out to be a cloudy day with the strong prevailing NE Monsoon winds. Sun Cruises used the smaller M/V Bay cruiser today. As of recent times they also take passengers to Mariveles, the boat continues there after it drops off the Corregidor visitors. This service may be for the new and big Camaya Coast development. Learned from the CFI Officer in Charge (OIC) that Glen Williford was on the island with his brother. He is afriend and one of the cofounders of the Coastal Defense Study Group (CDSG) organization. I left a note to meet, he was off looking at Fort Drum. The CFI Officer also gave me letter from the CEO of CFI in regards the boat situation using it from Bataan to visit Corregidor. It basically said that there was a safer and bigger boat available on Corregidor and gave this name and number to call “Ron 09163063693”. That boat will pick up at Camaya Point, Bataan, that is about half way between Cabcaben and Mariveles. There is a sign along the Highway (between Cabcaben and Mariveles) to that effect. After I read it I told the OIC to text the CEO to thank him and that I respond by email AJM checked into the hotel and I into the Rowhouse (750 Peso for the fan room), MacArthur Café wasn’t available, they had other guests. After while we met and walked around Malinta Hill on the South Road. We wanted to check out the 1st ravine east and south of the East Entrance of the Malinta Tunnel. AJM had a place in mind where we could descend from the South Road. We did it and found the old road on the map but also a newer road, we came down at the most western end of the ravine and immediately see an embedded piece of concrete which we are sure is the II-M-2 Defense position. The ocean had demolished this a long time ago and most of the concrete material is now laying among the rocks on the beach. My interest was to look at a near cave west, under Malinta Hill, to see whether I could tell whether it had been used by the Japanese Suicide Boat People. I only checked near possibilities and can say I didn’t see any evidence that these caves were used. I also checked the whole beach of this ravine all the way to the 92nd Garage area. At the wet spots I navigated with only my slippers. But there are more caves of interest further west under Malinta Hill. AJM followed the old road to find the II-M-1 Defense position. At places it was just grass and at other place it was heavy thicket and much of it was thorny. I followed him and also found and seen the II-M-1 defense position. Next we looked at the closest concrete trench to the Malinta Hill Tunnel East Entrance. That is the one that has a concrete roof in the middle section. Some sections of it can be reached easy others are blocked by too much thorny thicket. Also it has an modification to place a small field gun in it. Near by is an old road that leads to the 92nd Garage and AJM led the way, it ends right in front of the Club and Restaurant building of the ex Sun Cruises Resort there. On this road we found one of those massive, big concrete base which have grooves for tank barriers. There is word that people are in the process of reactivating that resort. It is even claimed it will open on the 26th of March. We seen very little activity, the club house has not been touched. We are wondering whether that can be true? An outrigger boat is being worked on at the Bottomside South Beach for transportation. We went back up to the Malinta Hill Tunnel road via the shortcut trail that runs by the concrete trench and had a closer look at it also. AJM had discovered a fourth concrete trench and he showed it to me next. It is also a long trench. It can be found when one enters the South Road from the Road Junction #43 and it’s first bend immediately go down about 80 feet. This trench is different in that only the front side is concrete, the side facing east. Called it a day, it was early afternoon, ’ good time to quit in the tropics. Made arrangements to meet Glen Williford and had a few drinks at the Kiosk, South Beach. Then proceeded to MacArthur café for a good meal. Got to know Glen’s brother who had served 7 years in the USAF, at Clark and Sunny Keflavik, Iceland. Then he became an officer in the Boeing Company. The image link again, 73 images, 21 comments: pisailor.multiply.com/photos/album/25/2011-03-14_Corregidor_w._AJM_Ravine_Trenches_east_of_Malinta_Hill
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Post by Karl Welteke on Mar 27, 2011 15:18:42 GMT 8
Corregidor Diary 2011, 14th to 18th w. AJM Day Two, Tuesday the 15th Mar. 2011, Tailend, Jabidah AJM wanted to do more research at the Tailend and hotel transportation dropped us of at the new Jabidah Memorial, called the Mindanao Garden of Peace. This new project occupies the old Defense positions I-M-1 and I-F-1. I-F-1 is fitted out now with glass and glass doors where pictures are displayed. I took many pictures of this relative new project, remembering a dark chapter in the history of the Philippines and Corregidor in particular. All this is located at the entrance of Kindley Air Field. AJM steered me towards east keeping more on the south side of the Tailend because he wanted to show the new wall and new graves he found. Wow, the new wall is at big as the other one further east and it similar constructed. East of it is an rock embankment, maybe another place for a piece of artillery. Next he showed a new grave and now I remembered that this was the area of the 2nd cemetery (the most east one), the one I seen in 2005. A couple years ago AJM and I found more graves, nearer the 1st wall we knew, and we suspected the 2nd cemetery to be there. After this visit I formed the conviction that the 2nd cemetery is much bigger than indicated on the maps. I must have spread out in all directions, to the edges of the south cliffs and all the way east to the “1st Wall”. What we noticed right away that there was an extensive grass burn recently. It was within the last month because AJM was here a month ago. We found a cross still standing, maybe the last one on Corregidor. Many horizontal concrete grave covers with the crosses gone. One unique new thing we seen is there were many 4 inches square and about a foot long concrete posts, barely sticking out of the ground with numbers. Where they grave numbers for graves that had no headstones or names? Meanwhile AJM found more headstones with the writing intact. He cleaned them and we took pictures. Near the “1st Wall” we looked for another defense position but didn’t find it. Just a few feet east of the north end of the wall was another extensive grave with a large concrete cover, the cross missing though. This one AJM had discovered on the previous visit. We continued east and at a maybe 8 or 10 feet square concrete foundation which AJM claimed was the US Navy Intercept Radio Direction Finder (RDF) he took me north a few feet and WOW there was a elaborate defense position. It had a concrete bunker, top reinforced with rocks, it had stands and shooting slits for 2 machine guns. Further up where we just came down at was a big position with powder or projectile containers used as wall or berm. Further east we went, passed the 1 foot square concrete opening to an under ground ammo storage. We seen this one every time we came by here. Maybe 50 feet further is the deep, low dip in the Tailend Ridge. This one allows to cross from one side. AJM’s main goal was to inspect the near ridge lines east of the “Low Dip” to find defense positions, if any. We didn’t find any or any indications that there were any. It is a little hairy climbing up there. I walked back on the north shore a bit to find any other possible defense position but I didn’t see any. I did see where people had climbed up onto the ridge line about where the 2nd cemetery is. They had a line rigged there. We decided to go back by walking on the Tailend ridge line. We decided to look at the Navy Intercept area and Monkey Point. We had seen a disturbed area there from near the East Point. That disturbed area turned out to be a landslide of a cliff by Monkey Point. We located a few of the former Navy Intercept Antenna Masts, the tunnel main entrance, the racket ball wall, the four stair ways to the barracks. And the large structure west of the barracks. On our way back to civilization we stopped by the Philippine Heroes Memorial and looked at some of the paintings in the museum room there. We seen the new sign indicating where the VIPs stayed on Corregidor such as Philippine Commonwealth President and Gen. MacArthur etc. RJ43 Eight Inch gun Position was our next goal but we failed again. I bid good bye to CDSG VIP Glen W. who was leaving this afternoon by ferry, called it a day, cleaned up and all of us had our supper with the Kwiecinski family at MacArthur Café. Tried to connect to the www with the Tattoo system from Globe Tele Co. from the Rowhouse but it didn’t work. Also I tried to learn more about my new GPS device. END The image link again 155 images: pisailor.multiply.com/photos/album/26/2011-03-15_Corregidor_w._AJM_Tailend_2nd_Cemetery_a_New_Wall_New_Defense_Positions_Jabidah_Incident
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Post by Karl Welteke on Mar 27, 2011 15:22:43 GMT 8
Corregidor Diary 2011, 14th to 18th w. AJM Day Three, Wednesday the 16th Mar. 2011, Officer Beach, Japanes Bunker at Stockade Level. Met AJM at 0839 at MacArthur Café and walked the North Road to the road down to Officer Beach. That was our goal, I remembered, I walked part of that Officer Beach Road a long time ago with Tom A. and at that time we seen a few openings to small tunnels. This time we didn’t see those tunnels. It was difficult going at some places only, we looked for tunnels and defense positions but didn’t see any. But we discovered a long stair path down to the beach, in the area of the two bath houses. We checked it out but went back up to the road to follow it to the end. At the last bend of the road we followed it down, later we realized it was not the road on the map. Maybe it was more of a ravine going down but a road may have been constructed here later to go down to the beach. Then we checked out a newer Philippine structure because it was build with the Philippine hallow blocks and in the local way of construction. We speculate it was built later perhaps for the Philippine Military who managed this island for years. This building is constructed very near to the lower Fort Mills Officer Beach bath house. The lower Ft. Mills Officer Beach bath house was built with concrete lower walls, which are still there. Then we noticed some concrete columns laying down in the vicinity of the upper bath house. That bath house obviously had been built on those. Then we noticed a large level area above that and we climbed up. We realized then that this was the former road on the map, it ended at the cliff. It was every wide above the bath houses , so we speculate that cars were parked here, some of the seniors maybe had some on the island. Also this was the place to turn them around. We followed this road inland and then realized where we lost the road before, at the last bend. It was partially washed out and that was the reason. But then, near that wash out AJM discovered an entrance to an tunnel and we checked it out. It was small but AJM was able to crawl in and even turn around and it had a 2nd entrance further to the right. There was another entrance further to the left, maybe only 15 feet away but pretty much closed. It was connected with the 1st one but only with a small air passage. Then we proceeded down to the beach and noticed 4 or 5 concrete building bases in line, more or less in front of the bath houses, We speculate they perhaps supported a boardwalk or veranda type plat form, maybe a launch to enjoy the view of the see and the Bataan coast line. We left the Officer Beach via the ravine under the Officer Housing and reached the North Road by going thru the VIP section where the Philippine Common Wealth President, the General and others stayed during the siege. Our next goal was to find the RJ43 Eight Inch Battery, starting at the new water tank that had been built for the former resort in the 92nd Garage area. We noticed that in the generator house, built there near by for the same resort didn’t have a new generator yet which should be required for this new reopening of this resort. Also glancing down at the resort area one got the impression not much is going on. We carefully looked for that round base for the 8 inch gun but didn’t find it. We had the idea to look at Malinta Hill slope to see whether there is any indication of ground sagging down because one of the cave-ins in the 1000 Men Hospital is dirt and not rock. That idea failed, no indication of dirt sagging down. But not much higher, maybe 20 feet above the NE ventilation shaft (the one from the 1000 Men Hospital), we found a surprise. There was another round concrete base, maybe 12 to 15 feet in diameter, it was further supported with concrete and rock embankment on the down slop side. This round base was very similar then the round base AJM had found not too long ago, near by. A WWII image (received from the CDSG member Roger Davis) of the east slope shows 2 tunnels on the horizontal level, not too far apart. We looked for any indication where it may have been. It seems the south one is buried by a land slide. We only could guess the approximate location by using the existing tunnel as a guide. Continuing over the ridge, we descended onto the South Road and went back to eat, clean up etc. In the evening we shared a few drinks and talk with Mr. Ed, the Sun Cruises Man, at the ‘Kiosk’. The Kiosk is that large open sided structure at the South Beach, it is now used for overflow Corregidor package visitors for their included lunch meal. END The image link again,75 images: pisailor.multiply.com/photos/album/28/2011-03-16_Corregidor_w._AJM_Officer_Beach_new_round_Artillery_base_on_Malinta_Slope_and_the_Japanese_Bunker_at_Stockade_Level.
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Post by Karl Welteke on Mar 27, 2011 15:45:20 GMT 8
Corregidor Diary 2011, 14th to 18th w. AJM Day Four, Thursday the 17th Mar. 2011 Met AJM at the hotel and he arranged van transportation to the Ordinance Repair Shop Topside. We walked thru the Trolley Barn and looked at the trolley rail cut next to the barn. It played a role in that Japanese attack on the 19th of Feb 1945. We followed the rail cut, noticed another trolley rail well (a smaller one for one car) where cars were worked on underneath. Didn’t see the bridge or where it used to be over the rail cut. Then we noticed the 4 NW concrete bases of the big radio antenna. Walked passed the NCO Club, crossed the Belt Line Road, the 4 foot culvert of the B-Cheney rail line and arrived at the magazine. Bldg 41. We doubled back and used a road that runs around this Magazine found bldg 72 and the possible two ends where the smaller radio antenna towers stood, failed to take pictures of that. Then we went on top of the magazine bldg 41, noticed the two vent towers, one at each end. We also noticed a few crumbled 55 Gal. fuel or oil drums laying around. Bldg 443, the large Ordinance Engineering structure was our next goal and looked at the niche there and a short strange wall and the steps, all this is at the NE end. Across the rail line from this area are the remains of another structure not on my maps. Then we proceeded along the rail line to Battery Cheney, marveled at the good drainage facility along the line and at the many intact and in place rail ties. Walked across Battery Cheney and entered the scrub, bushes from the No 1 Gun end. Came across a few ex Infantry positions the small concrete round base, a 3 wall concrete structure and looked for Battery West, a 155 mm gun block. The gun block sits in the thickest undergrowth one can imagine. CFI cleared it just a few days ago for the Coastal Defense Study Group (CDSG) personality, Mr. Glen Williford. Naturally we took advantage of it and got our own shots at it. In the process we also seen one of those many 3 inch AAA gun blocks in front of Battery Cheney. Next we proceeded to the position of ‘B-I-4 Wheeler’ Control Station which is on the cliff above Wheeler Point. Here had raged that infamous night battle on the 19th of Feb 1945. It is a massive complex and has many other unidentified structures, all destroyed now. It also has, what I call a concrete trench, AJM doesn’t buy that but neither of us have an alternative explanation as to what purpose it served. This night battle here is also the source of the legend of Japanese Soldiers jumped of the cliff here to commit suicide. In fact there were so many dead Japanese soldiers from the night battle that the paratrooper resorted to tossing them over the cliff to clear the are for the next attack. On the way to ‘B-I-4 Wheeler’ from Battery Cheney we also looked at ‘E-II-2’ emergency control station and near by (SE of it) is an other structure we can’t figure out what it is. It has at least two walls, 3 feet high and a large concrete pipe (maybe 1 foot diameter) going down the cliff. We can see the pipe for at least 20 feet. This whole thing sits high and doesn’t seem to fit as a drainage structure. Then passed the “Suicide Cliff” or rather the dumping point and vista point to the 3 points below here. Then up the steps near by up to the ‘B-I-2 Cheney’ and ‘E-I-2’ control stations. ‘B-I-2 Cheney’ is considerable damaged. Near the Wheeler tunnel cliff entrance we found the ‘B-III-15’ gun control station, it is also damaged a little. Then we tried to find ‘B-II-9 Gillespie’ control station. AJM tried unsuccessful to find it before. It doesn’t seem to have existed. But in the general area there are considerable sized concrete pieces. At this point we just don’t know. After we were done I realized I never had looked at these places before, so thanks John for showing me! We pretty much called it a day after this, walked to the Light House area, had some soft drinks talked to all the pretty ladies in the souvenir shops. Then using the 300 steps of the ‘Skyway to Heaven’ we stopped at the house of the Kwiecinski (Middleside, ex Aviary) and confirmed our supper date at MacArthur Café. We cleaned up, John at the hotel, I at the Row House and had the supper date. At MacArthur Café I met some fellow residents of Olongapo. A group of the public school principals had a conference meeting here and were staying over night. The next day we just took it easy, compared some notes, arranged for our return ferry reservations. One very noteworthy event was taking place on this Friday, the 18th March 2011. This was the 43rd anniversary of the Jabidah Massacre. The CEO of the Corregidor Foundation Inc (CFI), Lt. Col. Matibag came and a large group of participants accompanied him and I met some of them. One other participant was the former mayor of Trece Martires, seat of Government, Province of Cavite. When I checked out of the Rowhouse he was there and later at the MacArthur Café he introduced himself. He said he was the mayor several times and at the last election for Cavite Governor he lost. He had taking over the management of the Rowhouse and also brought horses to the island. He further stated that the only Jabinah survivor was taking in by his father and then after the father’s death he offered protection. This survivor recently died by motorbike accident, the former Mayor said. On both days is was mostly cloudy and the prevailing NE Monsoon winds blew as strong as normal and the Manila Bay was choppy. Those chops hit the hull of the catamaran ferry pretty hard some time on Friday, on our return trip. END END The image link again, 55 images: pisailor.multiply.com/photos/album/29/2011-03-17_Corregidor_w._AJM_Rail_Track_to_B-Cheney_Gun_Controls_towards_B-Wheeler
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