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Post by Karl Welteke on Jan 18, 2009 5:12:39 GMT 8
Executed our long planed visit. PFW the web master, Martyn the map master, John the aerial man and I the trekker joined the new permanent residents Steve and Marcia and explored the island during the above dates. I will make 6 different entries with each day's report but images will be added later. Day One: Corregidor Dairy 2009 Jan 10th, First Day Paul and I drove to Villa Carmen in Cabcaben and took a boat about 10 am. The word we received from many sources that yesterday, the 9th, was the calmest day in 5 weeks. Today the 10th, again, strong NE winds prevailed. But we sailed with the wind and waves and the big waves didn’t bother us, The boat ride was 1250 Peso, CI admission was 150 each and an additional boat docking fee of 10 Peso was the cost. Paul and I are sharing a room for 1500 total price of the room Briefly we met Steve and Marcia Kwiecinski (new US residents on the island) and also Ronilo Benadero ( The CFI Resident Manager) and exchanged plans etc. Paul and I checked into the Hotel. We also met Paul’s daughter and Beau. We decided to visit Gen. MacArthur’s house, the 75 mm Battery at Infantry Point and the Concrete Magazine near by which we did. On the way out we went passed the NCO Quarters there. We showed Steve and Paul’s daughter the RJ 43 Tunnel and went inside. We discussed and agreed that the there must have been a rail inside because every 2 feet there was an imprint of what must have been a rail tie. We chose to walk back on the south road around Malinta Hill. The South Rd. is now a new project being developed. It got cleared of vegetation and the rocks of small rock slides were leveled and a road rail guards is being installed. Vehicles can use it now. We called it a day, ate at MacArthur’s Café, met John Moffitt and had a few beers. John arrived a day before and was in the Malinta Hill Tunnels all day. After that we cleaned up and settled down in the hotel. One change we learned about, the kitchen is open until midnight. They have satellite TV incl. CNN which I wasn’t aware of before. Here are the pics for this 1st day: s74.photobucket.com/albums/i265/PI-Sailor/Corregidor%20at%20Random/CI%20Random%20Subalbum%20No%201/CI%20Visit%202009%20Jan%2010%20to%2016/Inf%20Pt-RJ43-S%20Rd%202009%20Jan%2010/
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Post by Karl Welteke on Jan 18, 2009 5:14:25 GMT 8
Corregidor Dairy 2009 Jan 11th, Second Day On this day we had an addition to our group. Martyn Keen came with the ferry; he is an Aussie and has become a close mate to Paul, the web master of ‘corregidor.org’. As a surveyor he has been working on the existing maps, trying to improve them and correct discrepancies. Martyn wanted to take GPS measurements Topside, The hotel gave us a ride and Steve and Marcia came along. They started at the light house and I looked at the SOQ starting with #14D going east. Found the ‘E 11/7’ emergency control station behind SOQ #16D. The SOQ HQ Tunnel and Command complex was next, that is what I call it now. The Locals here often call it the ‘Japanese Tunnel’, maybe to make it more attractive to visitors. It is located east of the row of Senior Officer Quarters at Topside. Martyn took GPS measurements and I looked closely at the tunnel, the bunker and the area above it. Found extensive damage on top and a big explosion or impact hole that destroyed a concrete structure and left a big hole. On the rim of this hole were left the ruins of another structure. While I was looking over the SOQ HQ, the others checked out the Telephone Exchange and the deep hole by the Mile Long Barracks. After that some of us proceeded to the Battery Wheeler Tunnel via the Parade Ground, Radio #1 and the NCO Barracks. Paul and Martyn went there by the road. Martyn took extensive measurements with a 30 meter tape, we helped him We returned to the Parade Ground via the NCO Barracks again and were able to catch a ride to Bottom side. I called it a day; the others looked at some other things. This morning, while we were waiting for Martyn Keen to arrive I went back onto the Power Plant (PP) to get completely familiarized with the ‘on-top’ area. When finished I looked again in detail at the 75 mm gun defense position just above the Eng Dock (wharf) and some of the underground places there. Here are the pics for this day: s74.photobucket.com/albums/i265/PI-Sailor/Corregidor%20at%20Random/CI%20Random%20Subalbum%20No%201/CI%20Visit%202009%20Jan%2010%20to%2016/SOQ%20Radio%20PP%202009-01-11/
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Post by Karl Welteke on Jan 18, 2009 5:16:46 GMT 8
Corregidor Dairy 2009 Jan 11th, Third Day After breakfast at the hotel, per Martyn’s and Paul’s discussion we made Malinta Tunnel our project for today. We measured the main tunnel from west to east, entered the south ventilation tunnel via the Harbor Defense Command Tunnel and measured it all the way to the west. Because of the light show about ready to begin we moved to the hospital tunnels. At the hospital tunnel we walked down the east parallel tunnel, observed the earth (vise rocks) collapse from the east side and that the north end collapsed the area of last two lateral tunnels connections. We checked those two lateral entering them from the main hospital tunnel. We looked up the airshaft at the north east corner and observed the ground level opening. It only went in about a foot. We proceeded to the north tunnel exit, and then to the north west corner to one of our main events, the horizontal low tunnel going out from the ground level under the north west air shaft. This horizontal tunnel is 69 meter long, can be walked in a bent-down position and it had about a 1 ½ foot culvert type pipes running the length of it. We assume that a main purpose was for draining, we seen the pipe only at two places but still in place and intact. This tunnel is exiting on a narrow ridgeline between two ravines which are in line with the east side of the Enlisted Men Beach. John and I measured it. He went straight up to find the North West air shaft opening but failed. After that John guided me around the gasoline storage area. He pointed out the air shaft that is located at the north end of the most east gasoline lateral and it is in the ceiling of the North Ventilation Tunnel. It has metal bars and is about 2/3 filled up with fallen rocks. He pointed out the artificial rock wall that was built in the 1st north lateral entering from the west main tunnel entrance. After lunch John and I checked out the entire Enlisted Men’s beach, Engineer Pt. proceeded along the beach, passed Artillery Pt. to Infantry Pt. There I showed John Battery Keysor, the 3 entrance magazine at Inf. Pt., MacArthur’s house. At Battery Keysor we found a round concrete block, very similar to the center 155 mm gun Panama Mounts. It is outboard, sea side of # 2 gun. I called it a day then, John took more GPS measurements. We counted the 7 officer houses again on the east side of the road leading out, starting with MacArthur’s house. In the evening Paul, John and I got together with Steve and Marcia at MacArthur’s. Here is the URL for the images, added today 2009 July 10 s74.photobucket.com/albums/i265/PI-Sailor/Corregidor%20at%20Random/CI%20Random%20Subalbum%20No%201/CI%20Visit%202009%20Jan%2010%20to%2016/Malinta%20Tunnel%20%20Enl-Off-Beaches/
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Post by Karl Welteke on Jan 18, 2009 5:18:19 GMT 8
Corregidor Dairy 2009 Jan 13th Fourth Day Had breakfast together, got a ride to the Spanish Flagpole and proceeded to C-1. Found it and the other Command Post (upper) without trouble. Checked out C-1 thoroughly, cleared plants to get into both doors and didn’t bother with the upper one. Shortcutted to the C-1 Tunnel passed the east emergency control, walked thru it and exited at the other end and found a small cave above. Returned and took a good set of photos. On the way to Middleside Tunnel, looked at its air shaft opening near the end of the Mile Long Barracks. We know that it is connected because we know of a man who repelled down and come out of the Middleside Tunnel. Martyn and Paul took measurements by GPS and a 30 meter tape. I took a good set of photos of the tunnel. We all came to the conclusion that the tunnel had a 2nd entrance, exit but it is collapsed. Continued our walk back to the hotel and stopped at the YMCA, noted that it has been cleaned up. I noted that the plaque, recently put there wasn’t there any more. We also stopped at the Middleside pre WWI AAA gun position and its magazine. After that we called it a day. Like every day we ate a meal at MacArthur Café, always 2 eggs, pork and Beans with rice. Cleaning up done, I worked on my pictures. Today was a little different, in that Steve and Marcia together with Mr. Ronilo, his friends prepared a meal at the Staff Row House. We others provided the beer. Later in the evening I joined the people at the new watering hole “Baywalk”; it seems to be the most popular one on the island right now. It is located at the shore, inside of the North Mine Dock Here are the pics for the 4th day but are only entered on 11 July 2009: s74.photobucket.com/albums/i265/PI-Sailor/Corregidor%20at%20Random/CI%20Random%20Subalbum%20No%201/CI%20Visit%202009%20Jan%2010%20to%2016/C-1%20YMCA%20Middleside%20Tunnel%202009%20Jan%2013/
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Post by Karl Welteke on Jan 18, 2009 5:20:13 GMT 8
Corregidor Dairy 2009 Jan 14th, Fifth Day At breakfast about 7 am with the other mates and took the hotel van to B-Smith turn off. Steve and spouse didn’t go today-expecting the solar panels repair man. We entered B-Smith thru the tunnel. Paul and Martyn looked at Hanna. John and I looked at B-Sunset; showed John the B-Sunset Magazine, he went ahead to the 1000 Men tunnel in Grubbs Ravine. I found the intact center pieces of 3 Panama Mounts. The 2nd gun center concrete was destroyed. The guns were in deep holes, some of the earth walls were reinforced with stones and cement, outside at the Cheney side. I’m counting them from the magazine outwards. I followed John to the 1000 Men Tunnel, found the inside location of the air shaft and documented the east tunnel which we were not able to do last time because the ground was very wet. John and I, per Paul’s direction, found the air shaft outlet near the Grubbs Ravine Road. Paul and Martyn looked at B-Hearn; John and I proceeded to do other things. I followed the rail cut to B-Cheney and looked at NCO Qtrs # 54, reoriented my self at the Radio #1 road intersection. After that I tried to explore the car barn but failed. It seemed that I looked at Bldg. 522 and 95 which were Garages and repair shops. After that I looked at Hosp. Qtr No. 98, 99, 100, 101, found the walk path to trolley car station #480 cleared and cleaned. I followed it down to the rail car station. About 1430 ate, cleaned up, socialized with the mates and took care of today’s images and Dairy. The images for this day but were only uploaded and entered here on the 13th Jul 2009: s74.photobucket.com/albums/i265/PI-Sailor/Corregidor%20at%20Random/CI%20Random%20Subalbum%20No%201/CI%20Visit%202009%20Jan%2010%20to%2016/B-Suns%201000-Men%20RR-Cut%204th-NCO%20Hosp-Off-Qtr/
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Post by Karl Welteke on Jan 18, 2009 5:22:26 GMT 8
Corregidor Dairy 2009 Jan 15th, sixth Day The others went into the Malinta Tunnel again to recheck some measurements. I proceeded topside to recheck the trolley car barn again as I failed to look at it yesterday. I thoroughly checked the car barn, found the pit for under the carriage work, the evidence of the large covered structure of the car barn. I again checked the Ordinance Tractor Garage and Maintenance shops for it. Next to it I also looked closer at the QM repair shops north of the car barn. I walked the trolley line to the Parade Ground, seen the trolley rail fork to B-Wheeler and looked down at the steep contour along the rail line and closer to the car barn looked at the rail cut to B-Cheney. The steps and destroyed car station to the Mile Long Barracks could not be missed. Wanting to make myself familiar with the 3 rows of Junior Officer Quarters (JOQ) below the hospital, I tried to walk all of them. Some sections were easy to walk, others impossible due to vegetation and I had to hook around those obstacles. I found a new cave near the entrance to the Middleside Tunnel. It was about 6 feet high, 8 feet wide and maybe 12 feet deep. It was in good condition; it was dug into clay, no rocks there. During my exploration Steve picked me up with his jeep and I showed him the location of C-1 and the tunnel underneath it. Because of the Solar Panel problems he had missed our excursion to them the previous day. My last task was to document better the names of what appears to be Philippine Moro (Moslem) Soldiers who left them at Ft. Mills Station Hospital in 1968. The soldiers dated their graffiti. Paul and I had decided to leave the island tomorrow, Friday the 16th. Martyn was already scheduled to leave on that day by ferry. John then decided to leave also on that day cutting short a longer stay he had scheduled. I made the boat arrangements for Paul and I per cell phone. We will leave early, hoping the North Channel will be calmer then. It was a little calmer but going against the sea and wind we did get thoroughly soaked. Cell phone communication is generally good on the island except for a few dead spots. They were helpful in coordinating our activities among our self. This was another great visit and we are looking forward to our next one in Feb. Images for this day, only entered today, the 13th Jul 2009: s74.photobucket.com/albums/i265/PI-Sailor/Corregidor%20at%20Random/CI%20Random%20Subalbum%20No%201/CI%20Visit%202009%20Jan%2010%20to%2016/Car-Barn-area%20Moslem%20Mids-Off-Qts%206th%20Day/
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Post by buster on Jan 18, 2009 20:33:24 GMT 8
Great summary Karl!
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Post by micahwcollins on Jan 26, 2009 4:49:31 GMT 8
Nice reports, I enjoyed them! Hopefully i might be able to make it back out there next January if you guys make a trip then. If not well i'll still try and make it! Thanks for the reports!
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