Evening star., 1944-02-13

learned that q tnOuSanQ prisoners
were to be transferred to a camp or
the island of Mindanao, to tn,
southwark. Both Mccoy and I were
among those selected. We did not
know what to expect, but we both
felt anything would be an improve
ment.
Comdr. Mccoy:
At the time of the transfer none
of us as yet had formed any clear
plan of escape, although it was
always in our minds. There were
less than 200 Navy and Marine
Corps personnel in the camp, as
against some 5000 Army men, so q
portion of our number was allowed
to volunteer to 60 to the new camp
I was one of the volunteers.
On October 26, 1912, the 1,00t
prisoners left for Manila. There We
were loaded into the holds of 9
7,000-ton freighter, but since there
was not room for all hands, a num-
ber were placed on the deck. I was
one of the lucky ones topside, while
Mellnik was in the almost unbear-
ably crowded confines of cargo
hold.
During the 11-day voyage to Davae
Gulf the japanese at no time made
any effort to identify this vessel as
having prisoners of war aboard
I am sure that any number of my
fellow prisoners joined me in the
hope that one of our Albs would poI
& fish into her, letting us take our
chances, in the water. The most
memorable high light of this trir
was the food. At noontime we were
given a bit of dried fish with our
rice, and at the evening meal we
enjoyed a super-luxury-each of us
was given a morsel of the canned
corned beef which the Japs had
captured when they took over the
Cavlte navy yard.
Except for a few with money, none
OF us had tasted meat in months
or little else substantial. I can
remember how those on deck turned
this tidbit over-in our mouths and
luxuriated in the taste.
At 8 am. November 6 we tied UP
at the Lasang lumber dock neal
Davao City. We were marched
ashore and, waiting for the extreme
heat OF the day, as was usual with
the japanese when moving Amer
lean prisoners, we began the 17-mile
march to the Davao penal colony
Col. Mellnik:
In prewar days the Davao prison
colony had been operated by the
Filipino Bureau of Prisons, and had
contained some 1000 convicts. All
but $50 of these convicts had been
transported to another prison near
Puerto Princessa, Palawan, the $50
being retained to aid in the manage
ment of the prison farm. These $50
felons had been convicted of killing
their fellow man in all the various
degrees, ranging from manslaughter
to murder; but'it is no exaggeration
to say that not one of them but was
kinder and more human than any
OF our Japanese guards. In fact
two of these convicts came along az
willing guides when 10 of us finally
got free.
AS We marched into the prison
colony we were lined up for review
by Maj. Mazda, the japanese COM
mander. We could see he was furious.
He pointed at the great number in
our ranks who were SO Ill they could
barely stand. He stormed about,
declaring he had asked for prisoners
capable of doing hard labor Instead,
he shouted, he had been sent a batch
OF walking corpses.
Maj. MAZDA outlined the kinds of
work which awaited us, no matter
what our wishes in the matter
This work included planting and
harvesting rice, corn, camotes and
mongo beans; logging, the building
OF field Notifications, barbed wire
entanglements and parapets fol
rlf1emen; plowing, and the miscel-
laneous slavey.
You have been used to a soft
easy life since your capture" Mai
Mazda told us. "All that will be
different here. Now you will learn
about hard labor. Every prisoner
Will continue to work until he is
actually hospitalized. Punishment
for malingering will be severe"
Maj Maida's orders were neve,
relaxed.
Shortly after our arrival, the to-
tai number of American prisoners at
Davao was brought to approximately
1000 by the addition of prisoners
captured in the Visayan Islands and
on Mindanao itself.
Relatively Healthy.
None of us will ever forget how
good these prisoners looked when
they first arrived-they were all in
good physical condition, by compari-
son, making us look like scarecrows
They had not been exposed to pol
luton, disease and hunger as we
had, most of them having surren.
dered or been captured some time
after the fall of Corregidor. But il
Gid not take them long to join ou,
ranks.
When I escaped some five months
later, only 1,100 prisoners were
working. The other 900 were tot
sick to work. American doctors ir
the prison hospital told me that
since almost no medicines were
available, very few had a chance tt
live.
Discipline at Davao was strict
and we soon found that one of oul
chief tormentors was First 1t. Ho.
sumo. We quickly named him tn,
Grown Prince of Swat"
According to a guard at the pris.
on, Hosume had distinguished him.
self in couple of actions by doin,
his fighting at the rear. He seemed
bent on proving his bravery b,
clubbing every American prisoner II
reach. I am only one of severa
hundred prisoners who quickly
learned to cherish a fond hope O.
meeting up with 1t. Hosume aftel