41 letters, 64 manuscript and typed pp., dated 24 November 1942 to 25 August 1945; with 100 manuscript pages, papers and notes written while in captivity, including a significant group of 66 manuscript pages of eyewitness notes on the bombardment and siege of Corregidor written by Chase at the time, dated circa 1942-1945; plus, over 30 pieces of ephemera, both printed, and manuscript, as well as artifacts.
Col. Theodore “Mosher” Chase (1887-1963)
Theodore M. Chase was born 29 October 1887, the
son of LTC Constantine Chase (1845-1902) and his wife Mary May Mosher
(1852-1918). He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy, at West Point, New
York, Class of 1909. His classmates included future WWII Generals George
Patton, Jacob Devers, Robert Eichelberger, and William H. Sampson.
Chase served
stateside during WWI as a member of the Coast Heavy Artillery Corps. Between
the wars he served in a number of assignments and rose in rank, becoming a full
Colonel on 12 August 1938. He was stationed in Manilla, Philippine Islands by
April 1941, and was captured by the Japanese after the fall of Corregidor. He
was the Commanding Officer of the 60th Coast Artillery Corps and in charge of
Anti-Aircraft protection.
Col. Chase was
held prisoner by the Japanese first at Karenko POW Camp #4, then later at
Shirakawa POW Camp #4A, both in occupied Taiwan. In all he was a prisoner from
21 May 1942 until early 1945 at these camps, and was then transferred to POW
Camp Hoten, Mukden, Manchuria, from which he was liberated in August 1945. He
was listed as “Prisoner #33 in squad #3” while at Shirakawa, the camp he was at
the longest.
After returning home to the United States
in the fall of 1945, he was awarded the Legion of Merit medal for service as a
POW and the Purple Heart for injuries received during the Corregidor battle.
Colonel Chase retired with a disability on 31 March 1947 with 42 years of
service.
Chase’s wife Page
Wray was born in 1886 and died in Highland, New York, on 22 July 1942. She died
while her husband was a POW. Chase was not notified of her death until almost
two years later in 1944, while still a prisoner. Col. Chase died on 31 July
1963 and was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.
Description of Collection
The archive
offered here gives great insight into Col. Chase’s time as a Japanese
prisoner of war. Included in this archive are correspondence, papers,
and ephemera as follows:
Correspondence:
41 letters, 64
manuscript and typed pp., dated 24 November 1942 to 25 August 1945, as follows:
-19 outgoing
letters, 32 manuscript pp., of Col. Theodore M. Chase, dated 24 November 1942
to 25 August 1945; the letters were written by Col. Chase while he was a
prisoner of war. The letters were written to his wife Mrs. Page Wray Chase (7),
c/o The Washington Loan & Trust Co., Washington, D.C.; to his brother
Constantine Chase, of Washington, D.C. (5); to his sister Mrs. Louise C.
Ralston, of Washington, D.C. (6); and to his niece Ms. Betty Ralston,
Washington, D.C. (1). Of these 19 letters, 6 of the letters (6 manuscript pp.)
have letter drafts attached to them, thus the 19 letters are comprised of 26 manuscript
pp., plus the additional 6 manuscript pp. of copies. Chase
was held prisoner by the Japanese at Shirakawa POW Camp (Taiwan POW Camp #4)
from 21 May 1942 until early 1945 and then transferred to POW Camp Hoten,
Mukden, Manchuria from which he was liberated in August 1945
-11 incoming
letters, 13 manuscript and typed pp., written to Col. Theodore M. Chase, while
he was a prisoner of war, dated 1 February 1943 to 7 March 1945; of these 11
letters, 7 were written by his brother Constantine Chase, 3 were written by his
sister Louise C. Ralston; and 1 was written by his sister H.W. Ellett, “via
steamship Gripsholm.” Chase was held prisoner by the Japanese at Shirakawa POW
Camp (Taiwan POW Camp #4) from 21 May 1942 until early 1945 and then
transferred to POW Camp Hoten, Mukden, Manchuria from which he was liberated in
August 1945.
-11 letters, 19
manuscript pp., dated 9-11 March 1943, addressed to Col. Chase’s wife Mrs. Page
Chase. These letters were sent by various people throughout the country,
telling her about the message they heard on the radio about her husband being
captured by the Japanese. Col. Chase was allowed by the Japanese to recite a
short message over short wave radio on a Tokyo radio program. He asked people
listening to let his wife know of his whereabouts, health, and if she needed
money to use her power of attorney. Many public-spirited people in the western
United States forwarded the message to Mrs. Chase. There are also 12 postcards
sent to her (see Ephemera section).
Papers:
100 manuscript pages of papers and
notes, dated circa 1942-1945; papers include:
- A significant group of approximately 66
manuscript pages comprising Col. Chase’s notes on the bombardment of Corregidor
by the Japanese. Colonel Chase was in command of the anti-aircraft guns and
coast artillery on Corregidor. Chase’s notes outline the events and operations
which occurred during the siege of Corregidor. The events related by Chase took
place during the time period of late December 1941 to early May 1942, during
which time the Americans had been under attack at the southern tip of Bataan
and at the island of Corregidor. The American resistance to the Japanese
landing forces was savage and heroic. The American forces only surrendered when
faced with overwhelming Japanese force and finding themselves outgunned. Corregidor
was eventually captured by the Japanese resulting in the surrender of the
American military forces on the island, on April 29, 1942. Col. Chase was among
the men who found themselves prisoners of War.
The papers and notes are in no
particular order, but with reading could likely be put in better order to
outline the operations and events of the battle.
The collection also includes - 1
hand drawn map, ink on paper, measuring 15” x 10”, entitled “Corregidor Island. Fort Mills, Philippine
Islands. Showing 3” Gun and 50 Cal. Machine Gun Batteries of the 60th Coast
Art. (A.A.),” drawn on the reverse of a sheet of Japanese graph paper. Also shows “Japanese Landing 11 P.M. May 5,
1942.” Drawn by Lt. Wm. A. Hamilton, Jr., “F” 60th C.A.”
Also included in these papers are
the following items:
- Report on mistreatment of Col.
Chase by a Japanese sentinel, dated 25 February 1943.
-“Memo to Senior American Officer,
PW Camp Surikawa, Taiwan, 10 July 1943,” lists complaints of being overworked
in heat during the middle of day in the hot sun, which goes against Geneva
Convention.
- “Meeting of Squad Leaders,” 11/12/43.
-“My opinion of 2 Articles
Appearing in a Nipponese Newspaper – Submitted 11/13/43 by Order of Nipponese
Authorities, Shirakawa” includes commentary about a newspaper article
concerning not receiving mail since captured (18 months plus) and wartime
propaganda about American mistreating interned Japanese;
- “Result [Camp] Inspection
[Report] of 12/21/43.”
- “Individual Package from LCR
Rec’d 17 July 1944,” list of contents of the packages.
-
“Regulations Effective Immediately, 6/12/44.” List
of POW camp regulations.
- “Room Corporal Conference
11/30/43 (Visit of Chief Taiwan Prisoner Camps) group of US Generals & Col.
Howard.”
- Hand drawn chart showing weight
loss during his captivity, dated April 1942 to September 1944.
-“Compilation of Information
Contained in H Station Duty Officers Notes,” 24 March to 1 April, no year.
- List of work assignments, names
of prisoners grouped together, notes on if “excused,” or given “water,” etc.
- “Notes from Diary,” not dated.
Ephemera:
- 1 manuscript recipe book, 27 manuscript pp., plus blanks,
bound in wrappers, measures 10” x 7”; contains recipes, hand written, it is
highly unlikely that these recipes were for food prepared in the camp, may have
been done to occupy time. Front wrapper has Japanese printed lettering, with
the hand-written name of “Col. T.M. Chase, U.S. Army, Prisoner of War No. 33,
Taiwan Prisoner Camp No. 4.”
- 12 postcards
from various people throughout the country, written to Col. Chase’s wife Page,
telling her about the message they heard on the radio that her husband had been
captured by the Japanese, dated 10-12 March 1943. Col. Chase was allowed by the
Japanese to recite a short message over short wave radio on a Tokyo radio
program. He asked people listening to let his wife know of his whereabouts, his
health, and if she needed money to use her power of attorney. Many
public-spirited people in the western United States forwarded the message to
Mrs. Chase, including one person from South Africa.
- 3 sets of
“dog-tags” worn by Col. Chase, one set Chase’s pre-war issue metal dog-tags
that were worn during the Battle of Corregidor and kept by him while a prisoner;
one a set of metal dog-tags post release ID tags worn after release; and one
Japanese ID made of cloth and ink, worn by Chase as a POW, listing him as POW
#33 written in Japanese.
-1 telegram, dated
19 April 1944, to Col. Chase, from his sister Louise Ralston, offering prayers
on the death of his wife.
- 1 “loincloth”
stated to have been worn by British and Australian POW’s in labor units who
worked on the Burma-Siam Railway, which was fictionally portrayed in the film
“The Bridge on the River Kwai.”
- 1 cardboard box
(approx. 9”x10”) marked “American Red Cross Prisoner of War Food Package No.10
for Distribution through International Red Cross Committee.” One of Chase’s
letters refers to receiving this box. Col. Chase stored the materials offered
here in this box.
- 1 pair of shorts
crudely made from a burlap food bag. Worn by Col. Chase in captivity. Shows much
wear.
- 1 “Pocket Prayer
Book” (John Murphy Co., Baltimore 1913), 12 mo., 178 pp., wrappers, marked
“Col. T.M. Chase P.W. No.33,” contained in a cloth pouch with Japanese writing;
with “The Shield of Faith: Reflections and Prayers for Wartime,” by Rt. Rev.
Msgr. Fulton J. Sheen, 12mo., 96 pp., wrappers, includes a small piece of an
envelope, tucked in, with instructions how to say the “Rosary.”
- 1 deck of bridge cards, 52 cards and
instructions on how to play Bridge, with leather case to hold cards.
- 1
complete box of 10 small cigars marked “Daiton/Monopoly Bureau Formosa Gov’t”
- 1
“Clix” brand shaving razor in the original box.
- 1 small piece of silvered steel intended for
use as a mirror for shaving, with a small hole for hanging.
- 1 aluminum eye wash cup.
- 1 small metal can opener, in envelope.
- 1 copy of a
Reader’s Digest, 168 pp., dated July 1942, Vol. 41, No. 243. Has penciled
notation “Save for Col. T.M. Chase,” lead story is “Eyewitness Epic – The
Heroic Defense of the Philippines by Lieut. Col. Warren J. Clear, U.S.A.”
- 2 newspaper
clippings, one a small article about “Defend the Philippines?” the other 4
pages of a Japanese newspaper “The Mainichi,” published in English, dated
Sunday 4 April 1943, with edges torn, damaged.
Surrender (1942) and Recapture (1945) of
Corregidor
Corregidor Island is an island located at
the entrance of Manila Bay in southwestern part of Luzon Island in the
Philippines. Due to this location, Corregidor has historically been fortified
with coastal artillery to defend the entrance of Manila Bay and Manila from
attacks by enemy warships.
During World War Two “The Japanese opened
their attack on Corregidor with an aerial bombardment on 29 December 1941,
several days after MacArthur moved his headquarters there, but the heaviest
attacks throughout the siege were from artillery based on nearby Cavite and
later, on Bataan. When the last American and Filipino troops on the peninsula
surrendered on 9 April 1942, the Japanese were able to mass artillery for an
all-out attack of the Rock and its antiquated batteries.
The tunnel network that ran through the
island's hills afforded protection to the defending garrison, but much of the
defense activity had to be carried out in the open. By 4 May, many of the guns
had been knocked out, the water supply was low, and casualties were mounting.
Heavy shellfire preceded Japanese attempts to land the next night, the Japanese
later admitted their amazement at the savage resistance, which accounted for
the sinking of two thirds of their landing craft and losses amounting to 900
killed and 1,200 wounded, against US losses of 800 dead and 1,000 wounded.
The Battle for the Recapture of Corregidor
took place from 16–26 February 1945 and pitted American forces against the
defending Japanese garrison on the island fortress. The retaking of the island,
officially named Fort Mills, along with the bloody battle to liberate Manila
and the earlier recapture of the Bataan Peninsula, by invading U.S. forces from
the occupying Japanese, marked the redemption of the American and Filipino
surrender on 6 May 1942 and the subsequent fall of the Philippines.
The surrender of Corregidor in 1942 and
the ensuing fate of its 11,000 American and Filipino defenders led to a
particular sense of moral purpose in General Douglas MacArthur, and as shown in
the subsequent campaigns for the liberation of the Philippine archipelago, he
showed no hesitation in committing the bulk of US and Philippine forces under
his command. To the American soldier, Corregidor was more than a military objective;
long before the campaign to recapture it, the Rock had become an important
symbol in United States history as the last Pacific outpost of any size to fall
to the enemy in the early stages of the Pacific War.”1
Brief History of Taiwan POW Camp #4 –
Karenko (Camp Opened: 08/17/42 - Camp Closed: 06/6/43)
After the Japanese conquered all of the
Asian colonies in late 1941 and the spring of 1942, they got the idea that they
should separate the senior officers and chain of command from the regular
enlisted men, so that the latter would not be able to function and would be
easier for the Japanese to control. So, in August and early September 1942 they
began to move these highest-ranking officers to their island fortress of Taiwan
which had been a Japanese possession since the end of the Sino - Japanese War
in 1895. Since Chase was a colonel, he was separated out and put with other
high-ranking officers. He at first was at imprisoned at Karenko Camp.
The first group of highest-ranking officers
to arrive in Taiwan were the Americans under Lieut. General Jonathan Wainwright
and Major Generals King and Moore from the Philippines. 179 officers and men
arrived at Takao (Kaohsiung) Harbor in mid-August 1942 on the Nagara Maru and
were transferred to a local coastal steamer which the POWs called the Otaru
Maru, but which was later correctly identified as the Suzuya Maru, for the
remainder of the journey which took them to Karenko Camp mid-way up the east
coast of the island and today is known as Hualien.
Next, the top-ranking officers from
Singapore and the Dutch East Indies - Lieut. Generals Percival and Heath and
Major General Callaghan of the Australian Forces from Singapore, and Lieut.
General H. ter Poorton from the Dutch East Indies, were transported to Taiwan
on the England Maru along with many brigadiers and colonels and their batmen.
This group also included the governors and civil officials from Singapore, the
Federated Malay States, Straits Settlements and Sumatra. After spending about a
week at Heito Camp, they were moved out to join their American counterparts at
Karenko Camp.
From the outset of their stay at Karenko
the Japanese tried to humiliate the senior officers and treated them very
badly. Many were beaten and forced to do work which was beyond their ability as
older men. The Japanese made the POWs work a local farm project to supposedly
grow food to supplement their diet and then it was taken by the Japanese guards
for their own use. The senior officers and the governors were also made to herd
goats which was a difficult task for them.
Food was always a problem and the Japs
enjoyed playing games with the POWs when it came to withholding food and
supplies from them. As a result of the poor diet and withheld medical supplies,
three of the POWs died in this camp. British Maj/Gen. Merton Beckwith-Smith was
the first to die on November 11, 1942, followed on February 11, 1943 by M/Sgt.
James Cavanagh and later by Co. Paul Bunker on March 16, both of the US Army.
In April 1943 it was decided to send 117 of
the higher-ranking POWs and governors to another camp inland south of Karenko
called Tamazato as the Red Cross wished to pay a visit, and because conditions
were so deplorable at Karenko this new camp provided a better opportunity to
show how well the prisoners were supposedly being treated. At Tamazato the men
had better food and did not have to do any work. They were allowed to rest and
relax and consequently were in better health and more fit by the time the Red
Cross visited in June.
Following the Red Cross visit, all but 28
of the highest-ranking officers and governors were transferred back to Karenko
once again and a couple of days later were moved to Shirakawa Camp in
south-central Taiwan along with the remainder of the men who had been at
Karenko. The 28 senior officers and governors were then sent to Taihoku Camp 5
and Karenko Camp was closed. Col. Chase was one of the officers sent to
Shirakawa Camp.
Brief history of Taiwan POW Camp #4A –
Shirakawa, Formosa (Camp Opened: 06/06/43 - Camp Closed: 08/26/45)
“Shirakawa
POW Camp was opened in June 1943 with the transfer of over 300 POWs from
Karenko Camp. It was formerly a Japanese army training camp and barracks. The
camp was near a wooded hillside occupying around 10,000 sq. meters and was
surrounded by a bamboo fence. The buildings were one-story, made of wood with
tile roofs and wooden floors. There were also stables for livestock (believed
to have been used to house some of the POWs of lower rank); there was a
cookhouse, infirmary, isolation hut, and bathhouse and latrines.
It
became known as the “officers’ camp”, as most of the men in the camp were
senior officers, although there were quite a number of enlisted men there as
well. The camp was in operation from June 1943 to August 1945, and there were
from 300 - 500 POWs in the camp at various times.
The
POWs were forced to work at farming which was hard and back-breaking work for
the older men on the starvation diet they were given. The POWs cultivated crops
and raised livestock - mostly for consumption by the Japanese. They also had to
do such demeaning tasks as hauling water for the camp and emptying the contents
of the latrines on the farm fields.
The
men did have some respite from the harsh life at times. For some months during
1944 they were allowed to write stories, poems, articles and sketches and
publish them in a camp magazine called “Raggle Taggle”. Material was
contributed by the officers and men and it gave a great boost in morale. After
the war in 1947 a compilation of articles that had appeared in the camp
magazine were compiled into a hardcover book of which only 400 copies were ever
produced.
Also,
a Scout Rover Crew was started at Shirakawa Camp by some of the officers and a
great number of former Boy Scouts - as well as some who had never been in
Scouting, eagerly joined up. This group of men provided much needed care for
some of the sick and weaker men and in keeping with the true spirit of
Scouting, many good deeds were performed in the camp.
There
was a wooded hilly area just outside the bamboo fence on one side of the camp
that was used as a recreation area where the POWs could take walks and read,
and where church services were conducted on Sundays. It was nick-named “Yasume
Park”. Later during harder times in the camp these privileges were withdrawn.
The
population of the camp increased in number throughout 1944 as POWs from other
camps and some of those men being transported on various hellships arrived. In
October 1944 about 300 of the officers and some enlisted men were sent to the
northern port of Keelung and put on a ship called the Oryoku Maru and
moved via Japan to Mukden in North China and they remained there till the end
of the war. Col. Chase was one of the officers that was moved to Mukden in
Manchuria.
After
the officers left, Shirakawa became a sort of hospital camp - a place where
sick and over-worked POWs from other camps could come to recover as the medical
facilities were better there. That said, there were still quite a number of
deaths in the camp. In March 1945, Dr. Wheeler took the last sick party from
Kinkaseki to Shirakawa, and this move is credited by many of the current
survivors as the only thing that saved their lives. Still several of those men
died later.
When
the war ended in August 1945, the remaining men at Shirakawa were moved to
Taihoku and temporarily housed in the Maruyama Hospital Camp until their
evacuation by the American and British navies from the port of Keelung in early
September.”3
Notes:
1.As viewed
on “Battle of Corregidor (1945),” on 28 Feb 2018:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Corregidor_(1945)
2.As viewed
on “Never Forgotten: The Story of the Taiwan POW Camps and the men who were
interned in them,” on 28 Feb 2018:
http://www.powtaiwan.org/The%20Camps/camps_detail.php?Taiwan-POW-Camp-4---Karenko-3&name=Karenko
3.As viewed
on “Never Forgotten: The Story of the Taiwan POW Camps and the men who were
interned in them,” on 28 Feb 2018:
Sample Quotations:
From Colonel Chase’s Papers, POW
Experiences and Notes on the Siege of Corregidor
“Feb
25/43
3:15
A.M.
At
bout 3:15 A.M. on 25 February 1943 upon leaving the latrine building in rear of
the barracks at the POW Camp at Korenko, Taiwan…I halted stood at attention and
wearing a cap, executed the hand salute to a Japanese sentinel who stood in the
so-called laundress. The sentinel, who was above average in size for a
Japanese, yelled something at me in Japanese, approached me and slapped me hard
on the left side of my face using his right hand. After yelling at me again in
Japanese, he pointed at my left hand – which was at my side with fingers
extended downward and joined and then slapped me hard on the right check with
his left hand. He then hit me with his right fist on the left side of the face,
put his hand between my left leg and left hand, withdrew it, struck my left
hand with the [butt] of his rifle stock and then slapped the left side of my
face again, sharply. During this physical mistreatment the sentinel
continuously yelled at me in Japanese. When he had done I was permitted to
salute him and return to the room in which I was quartered. While I suffered no
lasting physical injury from the above-mentioned punishment, my left jaw was
sore for two or three days.
The
name of the sentinel is unknown to me. The CO of the camp was Captain Imamura,
Imperial Japanese Army. Colonel Gilman Bell was present during the episode.”
“Period
24 March – 2 April (incl.)
23
a. After having received replacement for losses suffered in his operations over
Bataan and the fortified island, mainly during January; but also, to a more
limited extent subsequently, and having been reinforced by additional bomber
units; the enemy air forces, on 24 March 1942, resumed their bombing attacks on
the Harbor Defenses. These attacks were a part of renewal by the enemy of his
general attack in Luzon and were daily occurrences from 24 March to 2 April,
both dates inclusive. During that period of ten days there were a total of 64
air raid alarms of which 34 were during daylight hours and 30 at night. The
periods under air raid alarm totaled 73 hours and 57 minutes (in quantum) of
which 55 hours and 15 minutes were during daylight and the remainder at night…
24
a. Operations during the period of 24 March – 2 April were numerous. There were
morning and afternoon bombing attacks, and defensive fire actions throughout
the period excepting on 2 April when the attacks were continued to the morning
hours. On 25, 26, 29, 31 March and 1 April attacks begun in the morning were
continued into the early afternoon.
There were also one or more attacks, or attempted attacks, each night
excepting the night 2/3 April.”
“Corregidor
was the objective of all attacks on the harbor defenses. On a number of
occasions there were also bombing operations against Mariveles,
Alas-Asin, and Cabcaben, in Bataan, whence Globe and Cebu and in some cases
gun batteries on Corregidor, were in action.
The
enemy operations against Corregidor on 24 March were spoken of in the regular
edition of the Japan Times. Advertises of that date as ‘The largest air raid so
far carried out in the Philippines.’ On that date, according to the only
recorded information available at this time, 53 bombers, one formation of 9,
27,17 bombers attacked during the period 9:24 A.M. to approximately 9:50 A.M.
and a formation of 9 and another of 7 bombers attacked at 2:35 P.M. and 2:33
P.M. respectively. There was also an attack during the 3:52 – 4:20 P.M. air
raid alarm period, but no information of enemy strength in that attack is
available at present. Allowing for the latter attack and for other probable
omissions from the (recorded) information available, a conservative estimate
would place the total number of attacking planes in the daylight attacks of 24
March at least 80, of which some formations may have been ‘repeaters,”
considering the intervals between bombings and between air raid periods, and
the time distance to Clark Field…”
“31.a.
The enemy’s first night operation against the fortified islands occurred on the
night 24-25 March 1942, when a single bomber, or a formation of two or three
bombers, succeeded eluding the search lights, or pushing home the attack in
spite of illumination and on 9:15 o’clock P.M. dropping three light bombs in
Cheney Ravine, Corregidor. In a second attack on the same night a similar force
in a like manner succeeded at 9:50 P.M. in dropping a few light bombs on the
Bottomside area.
b.
No damage, nor casualties resulted from the above bombings. But early in the
evening 25 March a similar attack resulted in the burning of an empty warehouse
in the dock area, Bottomside, Corregidor, and a barge fire off the engineer
wharf, which constituted the greatest damage from night air attacks during the
entire period of operations...”
“There
were bombing attacks during 19 of the 25-daylight air raid alarm periods of the
eight days 26 March to 2 April, inclusive. Of those attacks three (1 each on
27, 28, and 31 March) were directed against Mariveles, and/or other areas in
the southern extremity of Bataan. All others were directed against Corregidor.
During the remaining six-day light alarm periods (1 each on 27 and 28 March, 2
on 30 March and 1 each on 31 March and 1 April) there was hostile activity in
or near the areas covered by the defenses, but no bombings or other forms of
actual attack. During one of the latter periods however, viz. one of the two on
the afternoon of 30 March, a formation of two twin engine bombers approached
Corregidor at an altitude of around 20,000 feet in what might have been an
attempted attack. Both of those bombers were shot down in a brief fire action
participated in by Denver, Chicago, Boston and perhaps one other of the
Corregidor gun batteries.”
“44.a.
On 8 April, it being apparent that the fall of Bataan was a matter of but a few
hours’ time, orders were issued for withdrawal of the 2d Battalion 60th
Coast Artillery (AA) (less Batteries F and H) with Cebu attached to Corregidor
via Mariveles. There were but few motor trucks available, boat space was
limited and it was anticipated the movement along the roads in Bataan would be
difficult and slow. (Accordingly, and) in as much as an additional gun battery
at Corregidor was deemed to be more important to the Defense after the fall of
Bataan (than part or all of) Erie’s searchlights and RDF’s, first priority in
the movement was ordered to be given to Globe. It was also ordered that all
equipment and ammunition which could not be brought to Corregidor be destroyed,
special attention to be given to the destruction of SCR 268 sets, 3-inch guns
and fire control equipment, and search light units.
b.
The withdrawal was accomplished 8-9 April, the water movement and
disembarkation being made at night. Much difficulty was encountered in the
movement in Bataan. There was much congestion and confusion along the roads and
in the Mariveles area caused by disorganized troops of the Luzon Force and
civilian refugees. Occasioned by these conditions forcible intervention by
military police, Globe had to leave two guns behind. Erie and Cebu had to
abandon practically all of their heavy and bulky artillery equipment including
2 RDF’s, searchlights and allied equipment, 3-inch guns fire control equipment,
and ammunition. All guns and other artillery equipment which could not be
withdrawn from Bataan was destroyed to prevent its use by the enemy.”
“48.
Usually during the period 9 April – 1 May the bombing attacks started between
the hours 8:15 A.M. and 10:00 A.M and the last one occurred sometime between
2:35 P.M. and 6:00 P.M. On 18 April, however, the attacks were confined to the
morning hours and on 21, 22, 24, 27 and 28 April they were confined to the
afternoon hours. There were enemy aerial activities during the morning of 26
April, but no attacks were made on that day. These were also hostile aerial
activities, which may or may not have been attempted attacks, by very small
forces, on the nights 9/10, 13/14 and 14/15 April. From 2 to 5 May (both dates
included), there were one or more morning and one or more afternoon attacks
each day.
49.
In total daily volume, the enemy operations from 9 to 12 April and from 29
April to 1 May (all dates inclusive) were almost on par, day for day, with
those of 24 March. On each of the remaining days of the period 9 April – 5 May
(inclusive) the enemy operations were of smaller scale. On 18, 22, 24, 26 &
28 April, they were of very small volume.
50….”
“50.a.
An extremely large majority of the attacks were directed solely at Corregidor.
It was attacked one or more times daily, excepting 20, 22, 24, 26, and possibly
19 April. Fort Hughes was and objective on 10, 15, 16, 17,19, 20, 21, 25, 29
and 20 April and on 2, 3, 5 and perhaps also on 4 May. It was the sole
objective on 22 April. Fort Drum was an added objective on 20, 23, 29 April and
1 May, as was Fort Frank on 10 and 20 April. Boats at anchor near Corregidor or
Fort Hughes were attacked on 19, 23, 24, 25 and 28 April and 2 and 4 May.”
Correspondence:
“November 24, 1942
My
Precious Page:
We
have now been permitted to write a letter home and needless to say, I am
thankful for the privilege. To me the most unhappy phase of this war is the
prolonged separation from you and our family and the very long period during
which we have had to go without a letter or other form of message to each
other.
I
wrote you four or five brief letters between December 8th and mid-April
and hope that at least one of them reached you. My last message from you was
your radiogram of April 15th, saying you were well and at the
Chamberlin’s still – which reached me via official radio April 16th,
signed “Ellis.” (the latter named is Assistant A.G., War Department) and you
were smart in sending the message that way. That message was like food to a
starving man. Thank you so much!
Of
course, we are limited as to what we may write about now so I must be careful
not to overstep bounds. The main thing is to let you and our families know that
I am alright. The climate and weather at the place where we are now located has
been very nice so far and our camp is comfortable. I am well, and in good
spirits, considering the fact of my being a prisoner of war and the enforced
separation from you.
My
principal concern is as to your health and happiness. I could use some
concentrated foods, such as “Klim” (powered milk) and sweet chocolate but doubt
that anything other than a very small parcel would have any chance of reaching
me.
The
first letters received by any of us came a few days ago. Of course, those
receiving them, they were few, were overjoyed. I understood the proper address
was published in “Life” and the “Army-Navy Journal” and can be obtained from
the Red Cross.
I
lost practically all of my belongings at Corregidor, including check books and
the receipts for a U.S. Savings Bond and my Prudential Insurance policy
certificate, which the Washington Loan and Trust Co. hold for me. Will you
please check up on these at the bank? It might be well to put them in my safe
deposit box. Also, please have my address at the bank changed so as to be in
care of you or the same as yours. Open any mail they send you then after take
any needed action and keep the important papers for me, including the bank
statements and deposit slips.
I
hope you are receiving the $285 I asked the bank to transfer from my account to
yours the first of each month. Also, the $50 allotment I made payable to your
account each month. If not please consult the bank and the War Department
respectively. If you need funds please use the authority given in the Power of
Attorney against my account.
How
are you Precious? I hope and pray that you are well and comfortably located.
Are you at the Chamberlain’s still? I am “c/o The Washington Loan and Trust” as
your address as it should take care of any change in your address or place of
residence.
In
case you are approached about Income Tax remember that your income comes from
my pay and it has been decided that pay of officers serving on foreign service
(Philippines) is earned outside the U.S. and is exempt from the tax.
Will
you please save for me any newspapers you may have containing items about the
Philippines Campaign (December 8/41- May 1942)? We have gotten little news of
the war and I’d like to read of it when I get back...
We
are limited to two pages in writing this letter so I must close now. I hope we
are to be permitted to write home more frequently hereafter. I crave “talking”
with my sweetheart often.
Please
do not worry about me, there is no reason to do so for you know I am a
“toughie.” And please take the very best of care of yourself for me. Happy days
are bound to come along…Yours Ted
Theodore
M. Chase”
“May
21, 1943
My
Precious Page,
We
now have permission to write our second letter home. My first was written last
November. I have received no mail since the first days of December 1941.
I
frequently hope and pray you are well, comfortable and cheerful. Please be your
optimistic self and all will turn out nicely. Do not worry about me for I am
well and reasonably comfortable. At present we are receiving and enjoying some
Red Cross food supplies.
Please
do not allow my deposit, loan and trust, to be too high. Suggest you use part to
buy government bonds, or start savings account bearing interest for me.
I
expect to me home within a year, but why not get some of our furniture out of
storage and furnish a small apartment for yourself?
Limited
to 150 words; May not tell where I am, etc. But all’s well. Please tell Louise,
Con.
With
deepest love, your Ted
Col.
Theodore M. Chase, U.S. Army (P.W. 33)”
“To:
Mr. Constantine Chase, 1809 20th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., USA
March
3, 1944
Dear
Con:
Your
letter of June 9 and Betty’s of August 22 received February 22. One from you
before. Many thank to you both. News of Page’s death very great shock.
Heartbroken, but will “carry-on” somehow. My thanks to Betty for handling
funeral arrangements. Am worried about payment of illness and funeral expenses
and any debts, such as rent and unpaid account with stores, owed by Page.
Please do what you can to pay all of them for me. I do not know where she had
been living, so have no idea as to names of possible creditors. “Sis,” who has,
or had, a position with Public Health Service, in Old Bureau Engraving, may
know of some or she may get some clues from Page’s trunk or luggage.
Page
usually had account at local store like Woodward Lothrop’s, or Jellef’s, also
drug store. Please ask bank to forward to you or Louise all mail for me. Open
mail and do what you can about my investments, etc. Would like to invest some
of bank balance if can be arranged. Hope you and all family are well. Don’t
worry about me, am well. Please present this letter at Washington Loan and
Trust Company as your authority for and draw from my account there such amounts
as you deem necessary to pay Page’s debts and all expenses of her illness and
funeral.
Love
to all family,
Theo.
M. Chase
Colonel
Theodore M. Chase, U.S. Army”
“Mr.
Constantine Chase, 1809 20th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., USA, March
11, 1945
Dear
Con:
My
last letter was in August. Am now in Manchukuo. Am in good h health. Will you
or Louise please ask Prisoner War Information Bureau, War Department to have my
allotment of pay to my account loan and trust stopped. I hope, pray you and all
family are well.
Affectionally your brother…” [copy of letter]
“Former
POW Camp, Mukden, Manchukuo, 18 August 1945
Dear
Louise,
I
am writing this hurried note to you with the hope of getting it off to you
ahead of our departure from here – through the kindness of one of the officers
or men who are now in the hospital and are to leave by plane within twenty-four
hours’ time.
Yesterday
was indeed a big day for us for we received official word of the armistice from
the senior of a group of five American officers and men who arrived via plane
and parachutes the day before yesterday to look after us. The Japanese guard
has now left our camp and we expect to be out of here within a few days’ time.
Don’t know whether we are to go by train, or plane, to a seaport, nor to what
part we are to go. That is in the hands of our U.S. Army headquarters in China,
but the big thing is our “sentence” is served and we should be back in the good
old USA ere long. I will send you another message enroute if possible. There
are about 1600 of us, officers and men, American, British & Dutch, here
including a remnant [of] 7 officers and about 200 men of my old regiment.
Received
a letter from you dated March 5 and one from Con dated March 4, 1945 yesterday.
It was so very good to get them as I had received no mail for a year.
I
am a little thin, but thank God for my good fortune in surviving when so many
have perished. “Au voir” “I’ll be seeing you!”
Very
best love to all, Mosher”
“Hoten
Camp, Mukden, Manchukuo, August 25, 1945
Dear
Louise:
I
have already written hurried letters to you and Con which were supposed to go
from here by plane. In as much as a plane with 32 of the sick left here
yesterday, I hope those letters are now on the way.
It
is still doubtful when and how we are to be moved from here and our routing and
means of transportation to the states. We are in a peculiar situation –
railroad transportation is not available for us, fact that the erstwhile
Japanese employees reportedly quit their jobs in mass when Japan surrendered
and also by damages to bridges, etc. incidental to the recent fighting; - and
also the need of all available railroad transportation to move the Russian
forces of occupation. Furthermore, it is said all seaports are mined and that
it will take some time to sweep the mines.
Two
U.S. Army bombers from China have landed at one of the local airfields since
August 19tjh and the first brought a young major who is to take charge of
getting us away from here. According to the major it is planned to fly us out,
15 or 20 at a time by bomber to a place in China about 1000 miles southeast of
here and then to some Chinese port and there to the States by boat. Another
rumor has us flying from Chunking all the way to Florida via India and North
Africa; and yesterday there was talk of our being flown to Okinawa and thence
to San Francisco. In any case it seems we are to leave here at the rat of above
20 per day, to start with, - the first lot (Generals) to leave in two or three
days, probably. At that rate it will take some time to get everyone out of this
camp. I am in no rush but I surely would like to get to some place where
conditions are a bit better and cleaner than in this crowded camp. At any rate
I expect to be back in the USA within from three to six weeks’ time.
I
am feeling right well although I am down to about 112 pounds in weight and need
new glasses and considerable dental treatment. Have been unable to get
attention as to teeth and no satisfactory eyeglasses since capture in 1942!
The
generals (except Wainwright, King and George Moore) and we colonels who were in
the Philippines have been together practically ever since early in June 1942.
It seems almost a miracle that but five of our number [have died] …
When
I arrived at this camp on May 21st, I found [x] officers and about
190 men of my 60th CA (AA). They are the first and only ones of the
70 officers and approximately 1800 men of the regiment whom I have seen since
leaving Manila on June 3, 1942! We are almost sure that at least 35 of the
officers have died or been killed in bombings since becoming prisoners of war and
probably a like proportion of the men have also passed on. It is very sad, but
probably typical of Japanese treatment of war prisoners…
My
love to you and all of the family…Affectionately Mosher”