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Post by Kelly Lane on Jul 7, 2009 10:08:14 GMT 8
Hello, I have a freind whose dad was on Corregidor in WW2 and was a POW. I have very little info at this time but he thinks his dad was held in a POW camp on Corregidor by the Japanese until he was repatriated by the US. Did the Japanese have POW camps on Corregidor the entire time they held the island? Thanks, Kelly Lane
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Post by batteryboy on Jul 7, 2009 10:20:48 GMT 8
Hi Kelly,
When Corregidor surrendered to the Japanese in 1942, the defenders were rounded into the 92nd Garage area which served as the main POW detention until they were moved to Luzon.
The Japanese did retain a number of POWs as slave laborers and to fix any serviceable armaments. They may have been billeted at the old prison Stockade or somewhere else.
By 44-45, I dont recall that the Japanese retained a large number of POWs in the island. I can think of a small number of them still there during the liberation but their fate is unknown.
You friends Dad may have been sent to Bilibid or any other prison in Luzon and was repatriated there.
Regards,
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Post by buster on Jul 7, 2009 16:56:28 GMT 8
It is impossible that your friend's father was directly repatriated from Corregidor. No US prisoners from the work details remaining on that island as of 16 February 1945 were found - not even their bodies.
It it likely that those few prisoners on the island, all of them, were executed in accordance with the standing orders of the Japanese, which were to ensure that no prisoners were to be left alive in the event of their likely liberation.
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Post by okla on Jul 8, 2009 0:01:16 GMT 8
hey buster....as was done to the POWs down on palawan island who were burned alive. just another example of why my eyes dont mist over when we are condemed for the B-29 fire bombing of the japanese cities in 1945.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 8, 2009 3:12:55 GMT 8
In my search for information about my uncle's POW experience, I corresponded with a Marine who was captured on Corregidor and had this to say, over the course of several emails:
"Hello: In regard to a soldier named Rosenberry, I seem to remember that there was a soldier by that name who was in a work detail with me, that stayed on Corregidor for a year after everybody else was gone, collecting metal for Japan. A year later, this detail was given shots and vaccinations and sent via Billibid to Clark Field, in the summer of '43. Many of us went to Japan on the Noto Maru in July or August '44. The group was kept pretty much together from the beginning, under the command of Army Capt. Fleming......well respected by the Japanese. I think the Captain kept the best p.o.w. workers with him, and the Japanese knew it.
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About the Corregidor work-detail; most people don't realize that just because all of the fit prisoners were transferred from the garage area to Manila, that there weren't other Americans still on the island. Some of them, like myself, were still in the Malinta hospital, while there were others that the Japs just pointed their finger at and said "come". In fact, I think that for awhile, there was another smaller work-detail on the island at the same time. Our particular detail was composed of only about a hundred.
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Our marine defense-position was out on Monkey Point, the other end of the island, where the Japs made their landing and in the course of events that night, I took a sniper bullet on my left side and wound up in the hospital, so I can vouch for the fact that wounded men who were healed enough to be released from the hospital during the first eleven days after the surrender, were made to join the ten thousand or so down at the "92nd Garage encampment. That main body of prisoners was moved from the island the twelfth day, and shipped to Manila. (Most, if not all, of those men must have gone through Billibid and on to Cabanatuan.) The hospital was left alone by the Japanese for about a month, before it was then shipped to Manila. Men releasd from the hospital, during weeks #3 and #4 after the surrender( I was released the third week after the surrender), were worked into that topside work-detail that stayed on the "Rock", or possibly another one(of which I know practically nothing). So, somewhere in there(to have my "hypothesis" work), for your uncle to have been in the top-side work-detail, he might, conceivably, have been one "pulled from the ranks", or a wounded person having been in the hospital, but released from it before it's departure...........................or, because, of my old uncertain mind, not there on that work-detail at all, but rather, would have been one of the ten thousand down at the 92nd garage and shipped to Manila. What would have happened from there is left to conjecture, I'm sorry to say.
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For the whole year there, ours seemed to be a fairly "tight" group with a good rapport. The several American officers even put together a comic "vaudeville-party" for the men one night. Of course, that was certainly out of keeping for the spot, but Capt. Fleming got it done."
(end of quotes)
And here is a partial roster of those on the Corregidor work detail--mostly officers, referenced in a book by POW John Wright. It's a good book and I must say that this Corregidor work detail was a lot better than most other POW details. Most of the men actually gained weight (at least the officers!):
Kirkpatrick, Lewis A. Lt Col O&015709 MD Died 43.4.27 Pneumonia Ft Hughes Buttner, Richard Lorin Civilian na BYD Died 44.10.24 Arisan Maru; Made straight razors from Japanese bayonets Cooper, Most likely Jax Cooper; Noto Maru-Hir-04B-Makaijima Coughlin, John J. Capt O&890128 Ord Died 44.10.24 Arisan Maru Goldsmith, Leonard E. "Goldy" 2nd Lt O&890514 CAC Nag-02-Kamioka led group 2 that arrived 3 Aug 1944; Nissyo Maru Golson, Archie M. SSgt 6963892 QMC Sen-06B-Hanawa Noto Maru Hanson, Russell Warren SigM1c 3857876 USN Nag-06B-Nomachi (Takaoka) Noto Maru Hauck, Herman H. Capt O&021355 CAC Died 44.10.24 Arisan Maru Hewlett, Thomas Hill Capt O&386246 Medic Fukuoka #17 Omuta Camp doctor Corregidor Holmes, James R. Capt O&021195 CAC Died 44.10.24 Arisan Maru Huff, Arthur E. Capt O&285187 CAC Died 44.12.15 Oryoka Maru Lothrop, Robert B. Maj O&018033 CE KIA 44.10.15 attempting to escape Arisan Maru during air raid in cove on Palawan. The ship returned to Manila and was later sunk. added per daughter Merkel, Emil E. Capt O&381383 MC Sen-07B-Hanaoka Hokusen MAru Olen, Leo James RM1c 3052570 USN Died 44.10.24 Arisan Maru Sauers, Loran Pfc 13009653 MD Died 44.10.24 Arisan Maru Simpson, Harry T. 1st Lt O&023054 CAC Rokuroshi ex Zentsuji Wallick, Raymond Sgt 6846148 CAC Tok-01B-Kawasaki Wozniak, Leroy W. PFC 275259 USMC Nag-02B-Narumi Nissyo Maru Wright, John M. Jr. Maj O&023057 CAC Jinsen [Seoul] Oryoku Maru
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Post by EXO on Jul 8, 2009 9:49:58 GMT 8
"Hello: In regard to a soldier named Rosenberry, I seem to remember that there was a soldier by that name who was in a work detail with me, that stayed on Corregidor for a year after everybody else was gone, collecting metal for Japan. A year later, this detail was given shots and vaccinations and sent via Billibid to Clark Field, in the summer of '43. Many of us went to Japan on the Noto Maru in July or August '44. The group was kept pretty much together from the beginning, under the command of Army Capt. Fleming......well respected by the Japanese. I think the Captain kept the best P.O.W. workers with him, and the Japanese knew it...." I, too, had a friend on the NOTO MARU. His name was Al McGrew, and it was due to him that I became more immersed in the history of Corregidor than I had ever expected. His recollection of the NOTO MARU is interesting: " If the whole group here on the “Noto Maru” could have been aware of the conditions on other ships conveying POW’s to Japan, and those soon to embark on various “Hell Ships” bound for the shores of Nippon, I am quite sure we would all have leaned back amid the `luxury’ of the Noto Maru, and savored our ocean voyage! To the standards of the “average” American, the Noto Maru was indeed a “Hell Ship”, but compared to many of the prison ships, the Noto Maru was 'a piece of cake'!"
The transit of Noto Maru was August 27 - September 6, 1944. It was part of a convoy, and no one was known to have died during the voyage. I return often to my thoughts that the history of one POW is the history of many of them - you may be reading the recollection of one man, but in truth he speaks for the thousands who were at 92d Garage, the thousands who were made a transit through Bilibid, the thousands who endured O'Donnell and Cabanatuan, the thousands who were on the work details at Pasay for those years, the many who were on the Noto Maru, the members of the work details at Kawasaki and Suwa, and all of them who survived to see the B-29's drop food to them from the skies of Japan. (Amid Th' Encircling Gloom - Corregidor and Survival by Al McGrew with Paul Whitman is as comprehensive a mixture of memoir and visual memory of Corregidor as is on the market.) It is available via the website's PX.
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Post by Kelly Lane on Jul 8, 2009 10:35:26 GMT 8
Thanks for all your replies. I'm trying to get more information out of my friend about his dad. His dad has been passed for many years and I rekindled his interest in in his dad's military career. He probably has some facts wrong. If I get more info I'll post again. Thanks for your time. Kelly
ps. great site.
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Post by fots2 on Jul 8, 2009 23:20:11 GMT 8
Matt or anyone else,
Earlier this year at Battery Geary I noticed graffiti scratched into one of the magazine walls dated May 21, 1942. It says “I was hir May 21, 1942 Galos Roger”.
Since that date is over two weeks after the US surrender, perhaps a US soldier on a Japanese work detail left his mark. If not a soldier, could he have been a civilian?
I have been unable to find any information on Roger Galos. Would you have come across this name is your research?
Thanks.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 9, 2009 3:01:07 GMT 8
Earlier this year at Battery Geary I noticed graffiti scratched into one of the magazine walls dated May 21, 1942. It says “I was hir May 21, 1942 Galos Roger”. Could be this man: W.E. Galos, a civilian captured in the Philippines in 1942. Not too much info about him in the National Archives POW section. aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=466&mtch=1&cat=WR26&tf=F&q=galos&bc=,sl,sd&rpp=10&pg=1&rid=7386
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Post by fots2 on Jul 9, 2009 8:22:51 GMT 8
Hi Matt,
I did come across that name on that site. It is not an exact match but anything is possible.
Thank-you for the reply.
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