Big Bird in Asia - Part 7 - Corregidor island

The last trip that David and I made together was out to the historical island of Corregidor which lies 50 kilometres to the west of the Filipino capital. 

Shaped a little like a giant tadpole, Corregidor (or 'The Rock' as it became known) assumed huge significance throughout the Second World War due to its location at the entrance of Manila Bay.

From December 1941 until May 1942 the U.S. military bravely defended the island in the face of 

the Japanese onslaught in the form of continual aerial, naval and artillery bombardment. This ensured its legendary status as the final remaining Allied outpost in the Filipino archipelago.

General Douglas MacArthur was successfully evacuated in March 1942 under the cover of darkness, but not before uttering his famous words "I shall return".

There was considerable Allied suffering during the 5-month siege, so it was not without controversy when a Japanese war memorial was erected after the war to commemorate and honour the bravery of the Japanese soldiers who died in battle there.

One returning Allied war veteran is said to have been so angry upon seeing the memorial when re-visiting the island that he removed the inscription "brave soldiers" with his penknife. 

The memorial forms part of the Japanese Garden of Peace, which also houses some of the battery guns used to defend the island.

The memorabilia on display includes a Japanese flag from the time of the occupation.

Part of the trip includes a sound and light show in Malinta Tunnel which re-enacts some of the decisive events that took place there. As the location of General MacArthur's military headquarters, it developed a huge strategic importance to the attacking Japanese.

The network of tunnels was reinforced with concrete walls, floors and overhead arches, all of which provided a furnished bombproof shelter for the hospital. However, with mounting Allied casualties from the relentless Japanese attacks, over 1,000 helpless wounded troops were being treated there in May 1942, when it became clear that the tunnel could no longer be protected. The Americans consequently surrendered, thereby rendering the whole of the Philippines under Japanese control. 

When Corregidor when retaken by the U.S. military in 1945, Japanese soldiers who were trapped inside Malinta Tunnel refused to surrender. Instead they chose to commit suicide using explosives, thereby partially destroying the tunnel complex.

The Middleside Barracks were destroyed by Japanese bombs in December 1941.

Battery Way was constructed between 1908 and 1914.

It housed 4 coastal defence mortars, each of which was designed to destroy enemy naval vessels in Manila Bay by firing armour-piercing shells.

By the end of the First World War, however, advances in naval gunnery and ship design had rendered these weapons largely obsolete. The mortars were easily vulnerable to attack and by the time the Japanese landed on Corregidor, only one of the guns remained in use.

Battery Hearn gun emplacement was captured almost intact by the Japanese when Corregidor fell. It was repaired by the Imperial Army and subsequently used to defend the island against the Allies.

However, it was completely neutralized by U.S. aerial bombardment in January and February of 1945.

Billeting up to a maximum of 5,000 soldiers, Topside Barracks were one of the longest barracks ever constructed.

The Pacific War Memorial was built to honour the Filipino and American soldiers who fought against the Japanese.

The central structure is a rotunda with a circular altar directly under the dome's oculus, thereby enabling its illumination during daylight hours.

The memorial stands on the highest part of the island and it was completed in 1968 at a cost of 3 million US dollars.

Exhibits in the museum include a photograph of U.S. troops once more hoisting the Stars and Stripes after recapturing the island in 1945.

Battery Crockett was completed in 1908 and its main armaments were two 12-inch disappearing guns.

Both guns were knocked out of action when the Japanese scored a direct hit on the gun emplacement in April 1942.

As the storm clouds closed in on us once more, our trip to Corregidor came to an end, and sadly so did David's 3-week trip to Asia along with it.

As David prepared to fly back to Ireland in order to dry off, we drank one more beer to his health.

It was an incredible experience from start to finish Big Bird and a real pleasure to spend so much time with you again. Slainte!