http://www.historynet.com/besieged-on-the-rock-1942-siege-of-corregidor.htm From the World's Largest History Magazine Publisher Fri, 24 May 2013 06:48:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 http://www.historynet.com/besieged-on-the-rock-1942-siege-of-corregidor.htm#comment-783579 Everett M. Perry Mon, 05 Dec 2011 03:39:34 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/?p=13682257#comment-783579 Major Harold A. Dalness, writing at the Army Infantry School in 1946 was a Company Commander of one of the four companies in the 4th Marines Reserve Battalion. GHOSTS OF CANOPUS, by Everett M. Perry contains nearly the full account of the Reserve Battalion. It was made up of 500 Sailors and a few Marines. 321 of the sailors were from the scuttled USS Canopus and the rest of the 500 were from the scuttled tugboat Napa, the minesweeper Bittern and the section base at Mariveles. Just like this article states, the 500 bivouaced on Geary Trail just below Battery Geary in an area today refrered to as the "Wall of Caves". Sailors dug the caves and lived in them till midnight on the 5th of May when they were called down to the west entrance of Malinta Tunnel. The story of Talmadge A. Smithey, mentioned int he article follows almost exactly the trail of my uncle, S1c Paul Edward Perry from Canopus, the reserve battalion, the 92nd Garage seaplane ramp, Bilibid, and the hell hole POW camps at Cabanatuan. Smithey only went to Zentsuji instead of Osaka where at least 100 Canopus sailors went. Everett M. Perry Major Harold A. Dalness, writing at the Army Infantry School in 1946 was a Company Commander of one of the four companies in the 4th Marines Reserve Battalion. GHOSTS OF CANOPUS, by Everett M. Perry contains nearly the full account of the Reserve Battalion. It was made up of 500 Sailors and a few Marines. 321 of the sailors were from the scuttled USS Canopus and the rest of the 500 were from the scuttled tugboat Napa, the minesweeper Bittern and the section base at Mariveles. Just like this article states, the 500 bivouaced on Geary Trail just below Battery Geary in an area today refrered to as the "Wall of Caves". Sailors dug the caves and lived in them till midnight on the 5th of May when they were called down to the west entrance of Malinta Tunnel. The story of Talmadge A. Smithey, mentioned int he article follows almost exactly the trail of my uncle, S1c Paul Edward Perry from Canopus, the reserve battalion, the 92nd Garage seaplane ramp, Bilibid, and the hell hole POW camps at Cabanatuan. Smithey only went to Zentsuji instead of Osaka where at least 100 Canopus sailors went.
Everett M. Perry

]]> http://www.historynet.com/besieged-on-the-rock-1942-siege-of-corregidor.htm#comment-783491 Ralph Phillips Sat, 03 Dec 2011 16:28:00 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/?p=13682257#comment-783491 Great article & one that actually mentions our Uncle CWO Talmadge Smithey. He was on the Canopus & survived almost 4 years as a POW. We are very interested in other comments or info from anyone who has further knowlege. Great article & one that actually mentions our Uncle CWO Talmadge Smithey. He was on the Canopus & survived almost 4 years as a POW. We are very interested in other comments or info from anyone who has further knowlege.

]]> http://www.historynet.com/besieged-on-the-rock-1942-siege-of-corregidor.htm#comment-258101 Binden Shovel Fri, 23 Apr 2010 07:46:43 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/?p=13682257#comment-258101 It must have been really gaulling to find out after the war that the US had decided to focus whtat limited military strength existed at the beginning of the war towards Europe and all but abandon the Far East. The British had to do the same. Churchill persuaded Roosevelt that whilst the military machine was gaining momentum the majority of US output should go towards defeating the Nazi's. Churchill argued that the loss of Europe and Britain to the Nazi's would have had disastorous consequences for the US and could have hampered the ability of the US to defeat Japan. Keeping the Japs at bay whilst defeating Hitler, was the most likely path to ultimate victory. Absolutely no comfort to anyone stationed in the Far East but I believe Churchill was correct. I spent 4 years researching Churchill for a book I recently published called Churchill's Secret Skills. In his memoirs Churchill details how he managed to persuade Roosevelt to start with Europe. This was no easy task as a significant proportion of the US military wanted to go after the Japs first. Presently glued to watching The Pacific which gives a small flavour of the Far East campaign. I think the guys in the Far East had the toughest job having to fight the Japs and the Jungle, if it is possible for a non military limey to make such a comparison. It must have been really gaulling to find out after the war that the US had decided to focus whtat limited military strength existed at the beginning of the war towards Europe and all but abandon the Far East. The British had to do the same. Churchill persuaded Roosevelt that whilst the military machine was gaining momentum the majority of US output should go towards defeating the Nazi's.
Churchill argued that the loss of Europe and Britain to the Nazi's would have had disastorous consequences for the US and could have hampered the ability of the US to defeat Japan.
Keeping the Japs at bay whilst defeating Hitler, was the most likely path to ultimate victory.
Absolutely no comfort to anyone stationed in the Far East but I believe Churchill was correct.
I spent 4 years researching Churchill for a book I recently published called Churchill's Secret Skills. In his memoirs Churchill details how he managed to persuade Roosevelt to start with Europe. This was no easy task as a significant proportion of the US military wanted to go after the Japs first.
Presently glued to watching The Pacific which gives a small flavour of the Far East campaign. I think the guys in the Far East had the toughest job having to fight the Japs and the Jungle, if it is possible for a non military limey to make such a comparison.

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