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September 25, 2007 My uncle, William Philip Reed or known as W P Reed on the lists captured January 6, 1942 liberated February 5, 1945 interned at Santo Tomas He was mining engineer for the Acoje Mining Company, Santa Cruz Zambales, Philippine Islands. He was in Manilla on business for his mining firm when the Japanese took the city. He remained at the office of his company in down-town Manilla but when two bombs struck the building ad reduced one end to a mass of rubble, he decided that it was time he moved. Fortunately he was in the right end of the building at the time of the bombing. He went to hotel and stayed one night but feared that the large buidings of the business section would be destroyed so he went to the home of friends, an English couple whom he had known for some time. They graciously welcomed him to their quarters and he was there when the Japanese took him into custody. The arrest was rather a formal affair and the Japanese officer and soldiers were polite enough but firm.. He was seated on the porch of their home as they watched the station wagon with the officer, followed by a truck, working slowly down the street in their direction. The officers went to each home, the soldiers went in and all American and British subjects were ordered to the trucks. The strange procession finally reached them and the officer came up onto the porch. "You American?" the Jap inquired, and Phil proudly admitted the fact. Then the officer pulled from his pocket an official looking document neatly rolled, and handed it to Reed. He unrolled the paper much as an official might unroll a scroll of importance and read the contents. It briefly said that he was to collect a few personal belongings, food for 3 days and come with them in the truck. "One would have thought that I was surrendering the whole city of Manila, it was that serious and formal," Phil chucked. "I didn't have any clothes with me except a spare sweat shirt and an extra pair of sox, so it didn't take me long to pack. My friends supplied the three days rations and I went to the truck and joined several others from the truck who had been arrested. We rode out to the edge of the city and after stopping at a headquarters to give our name and address, we entered the grounds of Santo Tomas University which was to be our home for the next three years."The Elkhorn Independent Elkhorn, Wisconsin, Turusday April 12, 1945 Volume 93 No. 2 If you are interested in the rest of the story let me know. Sincerely, Quin Paul Indianapolis, IN  or would like to be added to my POW/Internee e-mail distribution list, please let the me. Tom Moore, know. Thanks! |