Looking for lost WWII Treasure

The Zambales mountains in the Philippines were an unforgiving place. The WWII tunnels and command posts I explored were treacherous--most unopened since the war. But treasure fever will make you take risks. I was looking for the lost treasures of the Tiger of Malaya-- billions were reportedly hidden by the Japanese Army in the Philippines during the war. I had to rely on the pygmy Negrito mountain tribesmen I befriended to guide me to potential treasure sites. Together we explored countless tunnels and caves. One command post we found was so well constructed that it had been vented with shafts that blew out subterranean cool air. Inside one tunnel, I found an abandoned Japanese hospital with a half dozen skeletons of Japanese soldiers still laid out on metal cots. The caves were home to swarms of bats, spiders the size of your hand, and cobras. Not to mention that they were littered with unexploded ordinance. I remember one instance getting a strong signal on my old Whites detector and digging up a live grenade. I moved pretty quickly backwards out of the tunnel. Certainly was an adventure. You can always read more see.

<<LINK TO SALES SITE REMOVED AS IT VIOLATES FORUM RULES>>

Set on and around Clark Air Base in the 1980s, Steel’s Treasure and its sequel Steel's Gold are thriller adventure, mystery, and works of military historical fiction that weave USAF Major Nick Auclair’s experiences as an intelligence officer with firsthand accounts of the war between the New People’s Army and the Marcos regime. Follow Steel as he risks his career, his freedom, and ultimately his life to uncover the legendary plunder of WWII General Yamashita, the Tiger of Malay.
 

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..... I was looking for the lost treasures of the Tiger of Malaya-- billions were reportedly hidden by the Japanese Army in the Philippines during the war.......

Welcome to FMDF. Have you countenanced the possibility that no such treasure exists ? That it might be over-blown camp-fire stories gone awry ?

"Treasure stories" of the type/location you describe are a dime-a-dozen after all. Said to exist in every cave, and everywhere a Japanese soldier set foot. And oodles upon oodles of maps (that you can buy on street corners) circulate. Said to "have been written by a soldier serving under so & so at such & such battle". Passed through families and .... just now popping up.

And each and every story and map is "iron-clad" with stellar supposed lineage. Yet when you subject it to scrutiny, becomes a he-said-she-said situation. Yet from the perspective of the person telling you, it is indisputed and they are quite sincere. And since they sound so good (who can resist a good treasure story), they simply get passed down the chain unquestioned. "Lest you be left out".

But if you find "billions", be sure to post the show & tell pix. Because "billions" would certainly earn a well-deserved atteboy. :hi5:
 
Great pictures Nick

I can imagine how creepy it would be crawling in to a tight tunnel and being the first to explore it since the war. The American soldiers often exploded the entrance and burried the Japanese alive in there so every thing they had would still be in the cave. It would be cool to find some of their weapons in good shape still in racks or boxes. Munitions are a totally diffrent thing i would want nothing to do with them.
 
There is plenty of documentation on the treasures

Welcome to FMDF. Have you countenanced the possibility that no such treasure exists ? That it might be over-blown camp-fire stories gone awry ?

"Treasure stories" of the type/location you describe are a dime-a-dozen after all. Said to exist in every cave, and everywhere a Japanese soldier set foot. And oodles upon oodles of maps (that you can buy on street corners) circulate. Said to "have been written by a soldier serving under so & so at such & such battle". Passed through families and .... just now popping up.

And each and every story and map is "iron-clad" with stellar supposed lineage. Yet when you subject it to scrutiny, becomes a he-said-she-said situation. Yet from the perspective of the person telling you, it is indisputed and they are quite sincere. And since they sound so good (who can resist a good treasure story), they simply get passed down the chain unquestioned. "Lest you be left out".

But if you find "billions", be sure to post the show & tell pix. Because "billions" would certainly earn a well-deserved atteboy. :hi5:

Nick was over there hunting in the 1980's before there was common computer research avaliable. He was stationed at Clark Air Base where the Japanese dug in to the mountains surounding it , trying to hold the base and area around it under Japanese control. There are plenty of records of the treasure today ,the real question is how much of it has not been recovered , and how much is still out there to find. Most people beleave President Marcos recovered large amounts of it to add to his fortune. If you do some reading on corregidor.org you will find a large amount of Philippine goverment gold was removed as balast in a American submarine to keep it out of Japanese hands . iT is also documented about cases of silver coins minted in the USA being crated , loaded on a bardge then sank in Manila bay,The Japanese recovered some of it , the Americans recovered part of it but part of it was never recovered and most likley under lots of silt by now. As well as the big hidden treasures there will be lots of small ones hid by individule soldiers in hopes of coming back to retrieve it later. The Japanese had looted much of Asia bringing most of it to the Philippines to ship back to Japan. As the war turned against the Japanese they didn't have the ships avalable to move it so decided to hide it till the Japanese Empire could return. I would have been excited just finding Japanese rifles , pistols, swords ,metals,flags etc. I have read a lot about the war over there ,and my dad servied over there in the war. I have now been over there a number of times but only to the central part of the Philippines. I have taken my detector the last 2 times just to hunt the beaches. To hunt for treasure in land requires a goverment permit and they take a big share of any finds.
 
I have now been over there a number of times but only to the central part of the Philippines. I have taken my detector the last 2 times just to hunt the beaches. To hunt for treasure in land requires a goverment permit and they take a big share of any finds.

and if the permit costs a lot it might not be worth it if you don't find much and they still take most of what you do find cash-smiley-emoticon.gif :shock: :lol:
 
What an adventure only the few will ever have the opportunity to do what you did
 
TREASURE hunting permits

and if the permit costs a lot it might not be worth it if you don't find much and they still take most of what you do find View attachment 390685 :shock: :lol:

The permits probably are not that much but the goverment wants a big share , the the land owner wants a share , you could find a big haul and in the end get very little of it to keep for all your trouble. Now if you just found a few relics from the war i doubt anyone would give a darn. If you were starting a big dig now days you would also have to watch out for criminals that would be more than willing to help them selfs to your treasure. Over the years a number of Japanese have come back and searched for treasure by saying they were bulding a road , or school for a village as a excuse to dig. Some have even set up business and farms as fronts to hide their activities. As For my self i am satisfied to detect the beaches on my wife's island for now, but i keep researching where Japanese forces & American forces were stationed ,battles , POW camps to see if there are any good places i can get permission to hunt on. The Philippines has lots of history about 400 years of Spanish rule , American rule , Japanes rule , American rule again then independance. The famous Spanish fleet that sank off the coast of Flordia came from Manilla Philippines.
 
..... There are plenty of records of the treasure today ....

Conversely, there are "plenty of records" that show that it's not, nor ever was, existing. Have you read wiki article on the subject ?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamashita's_gold

Read the paragraphs titled "treasure skeptics".

Also the whole deal about Rogelio Roxas also has "more plausible" explanations to explain away all his claims as well. If you'd like, I can link you to that as well.
 
Japanese treasure

Conversely, there are "plenty of records" that show that it's not, nor ever was, existing. Have you read wiki article on the subject ?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamashita's_gold

Read the paragraphs titled "treasure skeptics".

Also the whole deal about Rogelio Roxas also has "more plausible" explanations to explain away all his claims as well. If you'd like, I can link you to that as well.

Another therory is the American Goverment got to most of the gold first, if you go under Google search put in (Japanese treasure in the Philippines ) look for the artice called "The legend of the Golden lily" . I think this may be just as likely. I still think there are small treasures and stashes hid all over the Philippines. As technology gets better i expect more to be found ,but little to be reported. It is always fun to dream of treasure today, but at least Nick Auclair got to be Indiana Jones for a while in the 1980's while serving in the military.
 
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Japanese treasure

But all of this keeps on assuming that there was even any gold or treasure in the first place.

It has well documented that the Japanese troops looted evey country they invaded cleaning out goverment treasuries, banks ,national treasures any thing of value they could get there hands on. They were brutal to all the countries they invaded. The Philippines was a staging place for the Japanes to consolidate all the treasures to send them back to Japan for the war effort. Japan had hoped to keep the Philippines as part of their new Empire ,they expected the Philippines would welcome them for liberating them from American rule. But since the troops treated the local populations so bad the Filippineos turned againt them real fast. I doubt much treasure was hid till the war turned against the Japanese they could no longer able to run their ships at will ,do to Allied fighter planes and ships. They still expected the war to turn back around and to be able to hold on to the Philippines. There are lots of accounts where Philippines and American pows were made to dig tunnels and when they were done executed on the spot. While i can't prove there was a treasure i sure wouldn't bet againist it. I have been over there a number of times and i can tell you the locals all beleave there is a treasure and many spend time looking for it. On the other hand i would't be spend any of my money on any old Japanes maps some one wanted to sell. I also wouldn't put a lot of stock in Wikipedia since they have a disclaimer saying Wikipedia makes no gurantee of validity,and is a open content collaborative encylopedia .
 
It has well documented that the Japanese troops looted evey country they invaded cleaning out goverment treasuries, banks ,national treasures any thing of value they could get there hands on. ....

And such has been the sad history of mankind in ALL the past wars. Looting and sacking of each other's countries has gone on. And sure, sometimes those goodies are found 100s, or 1000's of years later. But to jump from that factoid, to somehow saying "there's a treasure in every cave", is a leap of logic.

..... The Philippines was a staging place for the Japanes to consolidate all the treasures to send them back to Japan for the war effort. .... .

This is up for dispute. It is an assumption that is only conjecture. And is, in fact, counter-intuitive. I mean, think about it: JAPAN was the conqueror in this case. The Philippines was only one of their conquered zones. And would have required shipping to this location. Why oh why oh why would they simply not have taken the looted goodies back to their own HOME country ?

Like if you got goodies and had a treasure, don't you take it back to YOUR OWN headquarters ? Rather than squirreling it away at someone else's remote location :?: This has been the bone of contention by those scholars who have challenged this whole notion. I'm sure the "Yamashita faithful" will come up with all sorts of colorful conspiracy theories of how "anything's possible". But just saying that when you ask yourself if there's a "more plausible explanation", you begin to see that the freighting of those plunders to some off-shore colony (as opposed to their own coffers and home-base) it starts to make little sense.

.... I also wouldn't put a lot of stock in Wikipedia since they have a disclaimer saying Wikipedia makes no gurantee of validity,and is a open content collaborative encylopedia .

But I'll bet if portions of the material were supporting the alleged treasure, you would certainly subscribe to those portions of the article. Right ? Hence it's just a matter of picking and choosing.

I challenge you to read the portion of the article on the skeptic's view. And FORGET THAT IT'S "WIKI". Instead: Go to the footnotes of the VERY AUTHORS that they are citing for those statements. To get the source material in the bibliography that those statements are coming from. Because it's not "wiki" saying those things. It's drawn from the balanced comments from each side's proponents. And wiki is nothing more than an encyclopedia, where they are simply reporting what the different viewpoints are saying. The footnote sources are right there David.
 
Japanes treasue

And such has been the sad history of mankind in ALL the past wars. Looting and sacking of each other's countries has gone on. And sure, sometimes those goodies are found 100s, or 1000's of years later. But to jump from that factoid, to somehow saying "there's a treasure in every cave", is a leap of logic.



This is up for dispute. It is an assumption that is only conjecture. And is, in fact, counter-intuitive. I mean, think about it: JAPAN was the conqueror in this case. The Philippines was only one of their conquered zones. And would have required shipping to this location. Why oh why oh why would they simply not have taken the looted goodies back to their own HOME country ?

Like if you got goodies and had a treasure, don't you take it back to YOUR OWN headquarters ? Rather than squirreling it away at someone else's remote location :?: This has been the bone of contention by those scholars who have challenged this whole notion. I'm sure the "Yamashita faithful" will come up with all sorts of colorful conspiracy theories of how "anything's possible". But just saying that when you ask yourself if there's a "more plausible explanation", you begin to see that the freighting of those plunders to some off-shore colony (as opposed to their own coffers and home-base) it starts to make little sense.



But I'll bet if portions of the material were supporting the alleged treasure, you would certainly subscribe to those portions of the article. Right ? Hence it's just a matter of picking and choosing.

I challenge you to read the portion of the article on the skeptic's view. And FORGET THAT IT'S "WIKI". Instead: Go to the footnotes of the VERY AUTHORS that they are citing for those statements. To get the source material in the bibliography that those statements are coming from. Because it's not "wiki" saying those things. It's drawn from the balanced comments from each side's proponents. And wiki is nothing more than an encyclopedia, where they are simply reporting what the different viewpoints are saying. The footnote sources are right there David.

Got to say i am still not convinced that there was no treasure , in the same article there are materials on there supporting the alleged treasure. Including Imeldia Marcos claiming that Yamashita's gold accounted for the bulk of their wealth. I guess we will have to agree to disagree on the subject. I have read all kinds of things on the Philippines over the years including a history book from over there with their points of view ( beleave me the Americans didn't look so good in it from their point of view after the Spanish -American war) lots of books on the World War II ,i love history. I have a intrest in the Philippines for years , my dad servied over there in the last year of the war, and i married my wife over there in 1989 she is from Bohol. While i would personally not look for the treasure it would be fun to find some Japanese relics. I take one of my detectors with me for beach hunting coins and jewlery. There have been some reports on the internet recently about found treasure over there in a flooded cave, booby traped with explosives and some videos but i am waiting to see a lot more before i beleave it to be fact. The pictures apear to show lots of gold bars but are not that clear .
 
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Well? Yeah...I got short skinny little legs, which has proved to be a benefit in this Sport of picking up pennies. Plus, Most of the fat on my body is from the neck up as these pictures will attest......

I got really wide toes just like Him from going barefoot all the time, seriously.. But, unlike Him, I'm baldheaded and shoot a Remington...thats all I meant here....

Like this guy, I do carry a 2" snubby down the front of my shorts though...Have all my Life! Mint condition! Ive been married for 38yrs! It rarely gets used and hardly ever pulled, maybe 6 times per year! Not even broke in yet! :laughing:

I can go right up a tree though, like an Opposum, with those feet...
 

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Well? Yeah...I got short skinny little legs, which has proved to be a benefit in this Sport of picking up pennies. Plus, Most of the fat on my body is from the neck up as these pictures will attest......

I got really wide toes just like Him from going barefoot all the time, seriously.. But, unlike Him, I'm baldheaded and shoot a Remington...thats all I meant here....

Like this guy, I do carry a 2" snubby down the front of my shorts though...Have all my Life! Mint condition! Ive been married for 38yrs! It rarely gets used and hardly ever pulled, maybe 6 times per year! Not even broke in yet! :laughing:

I can go right up a tree though, like an Opposum, with those feet...

And all this time I thought you were referring to his white legs:D
 
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