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Post by The Phantom on Jun 22, 2015 1:39:59 GMT 8
"Under the treasury Dept. procedures, the Finance officer Manila, Lt. Col. J.R. Vance drew from the treasury all funds for Military expenditures
in the P.I.
The December credit of $20,000.00 was received in Manila on Dec. 5.
On Dec. 10, as a result of his request, he received an additional credit of $35,000,000.00 for the conduct of the war.
Subsequent deposits brought the total up to $100,000,000.00, thus due to the removal of restrictions on purchase, there were always ample funds on hand to carry out the war."
Where was Fort Shafter? Hawaii?
Time on Corregidor....
" The navy maintained a Chronometer on the desk of the commanding officer, USFIP.
This instrument was checked daily and corrected and reset as needed by their personnel.
i carried A railroad POCKET WATCH and checked it daily against the Navy Chronograph.
This became the official time piece of the signal corps."
"About April 1, I directed my photographic officer, upon his completion of his inspection, to number and title his complete file of negatives, and to securely pack them preparatory to shipping them to Chief Signal officer of the Army, War Dept. Washington D.C."
It was shipped to it's destination by the first available transportation, via the signal officer Allied Forces in the Southwest Pacific, Melbourne Australia.
"On 8 April in the early morning hours the signal office Luzon force told me that our conversation would be interrupted, and that would be caused by the severing of the submarine cable from Bataan to Corregidor.
This came to pass in a matter of minutes."
"I AT ONCE HAD THE CIRCUITS OF THE SUBMARINE CABLE TESTED BY MY WIRE COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER( THE SUBTERRANEAN CABLE INSTALLED BY MY PREDECESSOR WHICH RAN FROM MALINTA TUNNEL TO "TOPSIDE" AND THENCE TO JAMES RAVINE TO TAKE THE WATER AS SUBMARINE CABLE TO BATAAN, RAN , FOR THE MOST PART ALONG SIDE THE ROAD AND WAS NOT BURIED.)
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Post by The Phantom on Jun 22, 2015 1:41:51 GMT 8
" I ordered my wire communications officer to proceed that morning to the shoreline to the places where the resprctive cables entered the water
and to cut both of the multiple conductor cables to Bataan at such points, to LEAD seal both ends, and throw the water ends as far into the Bay as possible."
"This was also done to the single conductor cable from Corregidor to Manila."
"We were now in a state of siege and i wanted no opportunity left open whereby a possible local subversive agent might get information over
any submarine cable to the enemy in Manila or Bataan."
"On 15 April 1942 i ordered the Philippine Army Signal Corps radio net control station removed from it's location on MIDDLESIDE (?) TO Malinta tunnel."
"1 May-- also in an effort to conserve aerial wire-- that was constantly being destroyed by areal bombardment and shelling, an "inside aerial was rigged inside the main tunnel in Malinta Tunnel."
(This i found hard to believe........)
"My executive officer who, among other duties was in charge of the PIGEON SECTION, reported to me that the pigeon feed was running low.
For some reason the pigeons, formerly at Fort McKinley loft, had been removed to the Corregidor Loft.
There had been no time to train them to home on the local loft.
After consulting with the surgeon, Headquarters USFIP, AT THE STATION HOSPITAL, LATERAL 1.
I ordered that the Fort McKindley flock be killed and turned over to the Station Hospital for the benefit of the wounded.
The feed would now be sufficient to last until June 8th"
"On May 1, we received, by air transport, a shipment of vacuum tubes for the radios from Australia, some of which we needed but most were needed in the Cebu area and were to be sent there."
"On May 6th as Corregidor fell at 12:00 noon, all messages, radios and transmitters were by now destroyed as possible.
All copies of the small remaining files of the Signal Corps had been destroyed along with all the surrender messages.
"HE ALSO REPORTED THAT DURING THE MORNING, OUR PIGEON LOFT WAS HIT BY AN ARTILLERY SHELL.
IT WAS DESTROYED AND ALL THE PIGEONS KILLED, NO PERSONNEL WERE HURT THOUGH."
"So where was a pigeon loft safe on Corregidor until the last day, into the last hours, one wonders?
Maybe they they were just cooked up......
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Post by beirutvet on Jun 22, 2015 8:12:50 GMT 8
Phantom
Those numbers are staggering. To go from $20,000 to over one hundred million blows the mind. Just goes to show you how expensive war can be.
You stated about the pigeons; "Maybe they they were just cooked up......" Nice play on words.
PIGEONS?! Are you kidding me? I swear this island never ceases to amaze me. Just when you think you have heard it all...... I am with you, I find it hard to believe, but they were still using pigeons back then so anything is possible. And with this island, In the desperate condition they were in, who knows what will turn up next. I for one would not be surprised to find the name Amelia Earhart show up on a roster of those held prisoner at the 92nd Garage Area.
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Post by fortman on Jun 22, 2015 12:45:47 GMT 8
Fascinating stuff! Imagine, still reporting on the condition of the pigeon loft on the day the last outpost of the US in Asia was falling.
Yes, Fort Shafter is/was in Oahu, Hawaii.
fortman
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Post by The Phantom on Aug 25, 2015 2:21:29 GMT 8
I have put some of these passages in other locations on the site, should have kept them together I guess but here are a few more I found interesting and pertinent to Corregidor's history.
"J. Allotments
With the severance of mail service to the States, there was a great increase in the number of allotments of pay requested by members of the command.During the period 8-24 December 1941,the Signal Corps was unable to handle this class of business over the Army Net, so resort was had to the facilities Radio Corporation of America.
Beginning 24 Dec. 1941, USAFFE headquarters daily announced a large number of promotions of officers.( But still not Col. Bunker it appears.)
Early in January, the WAR DEPT. reopened the provisions of THE NATIONAL SERVICE LIFE INSURANCE ACT to American and Scout personnel who had not yet taken advantage of it, and extended it's benefits to the Philippine Army.
Shortly thereafter we were notified of nan increase in pay for foreign service, 10% for officers, 20% for enlisted men.
These 3 measures, plus our beleaguered situation without banking,and without any use of money, resulting in a grand rush to increase, initiate, or modify allotments.
For several months they averaged over 1000 a day."
" This great volume of business was processed by the Finance Dept.and consolidated into Telegrams for transmission to the proper authorities in Washington by radio.
It was a heavy burden for the Signal Corps , and although they were on one occasions 100,000 words behind, the NAVY DEPT. refused to send this class of business over its equipment.
Eventually however, every allotment and application received by the Finance Dept. was sent to Washington by radio.
Due to the great volume confirmation of the transmission in Washington was out of the question.
Payments in America may have been late due to the delay in transmission.
Due to peace time restrictions on allotments, the isolated and inaccessible location of many American personnel and the cessation of Civilian Banking and mail service, on 29, December 1941, report of these difficulties was made directly to the Secretary of War and the chief of Finance with the urgent request that necessary action be taken to continue payments of allotments of personnel in the Philippines.
Assurance was received by radio in February 1942 that this would be done.
These steps are embodied in an Act of Congress that became effective 7 March 1942 as Public Law No. 490."
I'm sure the above issues were of great importance to the men fighting in the Philippines waiting for the ships to come rescue them.........
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Post by The Phantom on Aug 27, 2015 1:20:22 GMT 8
"Disposal of Records
Upon the fall of Bataan on 9 April 1942, arrangements were made to send important financial records to America by the next available submarine.
Duplicate sets of records were prepared for office use while the originals were packed for shipment.
On 3 May 1942, we placed on board a submarine 17 trunk lockers, ( anyone know how big they were?)and 3 mail pouches of Finance papers
consigned to the Chief of Finance, Washington D.C.
Included were the accounts of all dispersing officers after 31 October --officers pay cards, solders deposit slips,insurance applications,
and requests for allotments, etc.
Colonel Jenks departed as custodian of the same.
It is now known that he reached his destination."
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Post by Karl Welteke on Aug 28, 2015 17:00:15 GMT 8
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Post by The Phantom on Aug 29, 2015 4:00:44 GMT 8
Thanks for putting a place/picture to a mental image of where Ft. Shafter was in the scheme of things.
Pretty close to Pearl I see.
I see it's also near the mountain's base, any Artillery Bunkers near by?
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Post by The Phantom on Aug 29, 2015 4:26:23 GMT 8
This part of the information still having ramifications today it appears...........
"Philippine Army Affairs
The law calling the Philippine Army for duty with the Army of the United States provided that the U.S. Government would advance funds as needed to the Commonwealth Government for the cost of that part of the Philippine Army ACCEPTED FOR SERVICE WITH THE ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
These funds were to be expended and accounted for ACCORDING TO PHILIPPINE ARMY REGULATIONS AND PHILIPPINE LAWS THEN IN EFFECT.
When paid vouchers were approved by the auditor general, Philippine Commonwealth, they were presented to the Finance officer, U.S. Army,
Manila for credit against advances made.
EXAMINATION OF PHILIPPINE ARMY ACCOUNTS WAS DELAYED BY THE AUDITOR GENERAL, WHO PREFERRED GIVING HIS REGULAR STAFF ONE AND ONE HALF TIMES PAY FOR OVERTIME WORK, TO HIRING ADDITIONAL MEN TO STAY ABREAST OF THE VOLUME OF WORK.
The situation was finally corrected when it was brought to the attention of the Minister of Finance Lt. Col.Manual Roxas.
On this account $15,000,000 (P30,000,000) was advanced and about $3,000,000 (P6,000,000)received back in paid vouchers.
Most of the difference was represented by paid vouchers that fell into the hands of the Japanese at Manila,Bataan,Corregidor,Mindanao, and several Provincial hospitals.
THE EXACT NUMBER OF MEN IN THE PHILIPPINE ARMY COULD NEVER BE ASCERTAINED BY THIS OFFICE.
PART OF IT WAS NEVER FORMALLY ACCEPTED FOR SERVICE WITH THE UNITED STATES ARMY.
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Post by The Phantom on Aug 29, 2015 4:52:52 GMT 8
Booted out to soon it appears.............it continues........
"In addition to the 11 divisions provided for in the Military Advisers plan,( 1, 11, 21, 31, 41, 51, 61, 71, 81, 91, 101)
the 102nd division was formed in Mindanao and several regiments were raised in the mountain provinces, Panay and Negros.
The estimated total was 125,000 men.In addition there were 4 constabulary regiments(about 6,000) serving under the same circumstances as the Army."
"Life Insurance
All of the provisions of the National Life Insurance Act were extended to the Philippine Army and many availed themselves of its benefits.
A great many of premiums were TO BE paid by payroll deductions.
Briefing of these rolls TO THE UNITED STATES ARMY was never completed for a single month....
The situation, given much consideration, was finally taken up by the Minister Of Finance Roxas, who also had authority to act for President Quezon.
Roxas, definitely, and positively, stated that it was the intention and policy of the Commonwealth Government to guarantee these premiums.
It was estimated that 80,000 member of the Philippine Army and Constabulary applied for insurance averaging $4,000 each or a principal of $320,000,000.
In view of the number of deaths of policy holders during the final phase of the campaign and immediately thereafter, a large part of the principal sum was a claim against the United States that must be paid without question.
CONSEQUENTLY, COLLECTION OF THE PREMIUM IS AN ESSENTIAL ITEM THAT MUST BE WORKED OUT UPON THE RESUMPTION OF FISCAL AFFAIRS IN THE PHILIPPINES."
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