Corregidor ,Philippines

[davidlhyde63366]

For those researching World War II in the Philippines and the south pacific there is a web site that is loaded with data and photos of our defenses there as well as equipment that were used. The site is corregidor.org ,if you go to the bottom of the page the is a bar that says see this site as we intended it. Click it ,there are a number of sites that have all linked together.

 

[Waterhead]

Old Memories

My dad was in the Navy and we were stationed in the PI when I was a kid. I've been to Corregidor many times.

We lived at Sangley Point which was not too far from Manila. I'll never forget that the remains of 7 Japanese soldier were excavated in our back yard.

The neat thing about living in the PI was the fact my father was raised there. My grandparents raised their 3 kids there in Manila; they were from California. When my father turned 17, he went to California and enlisted in the Navy. The rest of my family were taken POW'S and were interned at Santo Tomos POW Camp by the Japanese.

Very brutal times. My aunt is now 90 and is still alive. She hasn't forgotten. We sent her a letter about the soldiers and I don't believe that she was sad over those bones.

Anyhow, you could dig almost anywhere and find something from the war. No shortage of war relics there. Of course, when your a kid, you don't care about that stuff.

 

[davidlhyde63366]

Philippines

My dad served in the Philippines during the later part of the war ,he served on some of the smaller islands in a medical unit. Never liked to talk about it much. I think thats why i found it interesting, I married my wife from Bohol Philippines in 1989 and still married. I have been to Bohol several times that is where i got to use my detector for the first time. I would like to check out Corregidor on some future visit. In the mean time i have been doing research on my wife's island history during the war and possibly get some targets that i may be able to hunt. Still lots of tales of hidden Japanese gold there and a number of reports of small finds made. I am a lot more interested in the large silver coins that the us minted after the take over of the Philippines the first few years 1903-1906,and old Spanish coins. It might be nice if you can get your aunt to tell her first hand account of the war there on the site ( corregidor.org ).

 

[jbkelly3]

With so much of the island being a virtual gravesite from unrecovered remains would digging there not be like digging in a cemetery? For me I would have to stick to areas where WW2 activity was known, but cleared after the war before I could put coil to soil. What about the rest of you?

 

[davidlhyde63366]

I am sure most of the area has restricted hunting.

The site shows the creation of our defenses there , maps and photos ,the weapons we used ,first hand accounts of the events. They all so show the recapturing of the island. Many detectors are all so are big history fan and this site is full of good details. I would like to tour the site just because my dad served over there in the Philippines ,and i have a interest in the country and their history.

 

[MoBob]

Thanks for great info. Always a good thing to have .

 

[davidlhyde63366]

Some pictures of Corregidor Philippines https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/corregidor-island

 

[Soil Surgeon]

Great post Dave !

 

[davidlhyde63366]

Great post Dave !

With the long military history there from the Spanish to the Americans to the Japanese and back to the Americans there has to be relics all over that place.

 

[davidlhyde63366]

detecting is off limits there

With so much of the island being a virtual gravesite from unrecovered remains would digging there not be like digging in a cemetery? For me I would have to stick to areas where WW2 activity was known, but cleared after the war before I could put coil to soil. What about the rest of you?

Pretty sure it is off limits to all treasure hunters , just would be interesting to think what is buried there . You can tour it though which I would like to do on some future trip.

 

[davidlhyde63366]

A new article I came across with some pictures .https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/corregidor-island

 

[davidlhyde63366]

Davedude has been posting some great pictures of his trip on this thread http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?t=249416&page=4

 

[davidlhyde63366]

This site is loaded with information on the subject.http://corregidor.org/

 

[davidlhyde63366]

Another article on the dumping of silver coins in Manila bay during the war.https://www.pcgs.com/news/manila

 

[Junkminer]

Thanks for the info. I had an uncle that was in the islands during the later part of the war. I look forward to checking out the website you mentioned.

 

[davidlhyde63366]

Philippines worldwar II

Thanks for the info. I had an uncle that was in the islands during the later part of the war. I look forward to checking out the website you mentioned.

My dad also served over there during the last part of the war, he never would talk much about it . Described it as a hell hole . He served with a medical unit on a island that he couldn't recall the name of. He has passed on so I will never learn much about his service and a lot of the war records were destroyed in a big fire. During the first part of the war he worked in California in the ship yards. Since he had only 1 eye, lost other as youth, they wouldn't let him enlist but as the war went on they accepted him as a medical male nurse where they wouldn't let women nurses serve. I have been over there a number of times now mainly to Bohol and Cebu , first time was in 1989 pre internet days . Went over to meet my pen-pal (yes people used to write real letters and mail them) Met my wife to be and was married 10 days later . Still married and we have a family home over there on Bohol, as well as our home in Missouri . This site is full of good information , firsthand accounts , http://corregidor.org/

 

[davidlhyde63366]

A article on the coin dump in the PHILIPPINES with a picture of one of the divers trying to recover it.https://philippinehistoryuntoldstor...ar-corregidor-some-of-it-remains-unretrieved/

 

[davidlhyde63366]

A very good article on the Japanese effort to recover the silver from the bay,https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/2...n-caballo-bay-japans-sabotaged-treasure-hunt/

 

[HistoryStudent]

I would love to detect a place like that. So much history

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[Tom_in_CA]

... Still lots of tales of hidden Japanese gold there and a number of reports of small finds made....

I know this is a very old post, but .... re.: the supposed Yamashita treasure legend :

I say that it's exactly as you say : Merely "tales". And I am highly doubtful of the supposed "reports of finds made". They are typically just attempts to raise $ investors for treasure hunts.

There is just so much cultural superstition lore over there. They are very keen on suspecting treasure in "every cave" or in "every swamp" blah blah. And sure, it's always "someone who told someone who told someone who told someone" blah blah. Typically traced back to supposed WWII witness who 'saw something suspicious" ,etc... And it's always nothing more than embellished lore. Always a "bit deeper". A "bit more to the right", and a "bit more to the left", etc... (kind of like Oak Island, eh ?) .

And the entire Rogela Roxas bologna has been debunked. Ie.: sure as heck, nothing to show, despite all the hoopla. But sure, that's all because of a giant conspiracy. Right ? Yup.

Sorry, but I lump all the Yamashita treasure lore into the same category of Oak Island, Lost Dutchman, Dents Run, etc... Just fun camp-fire stories, and nothing more.