January 5, 2006 posted by maita buensucesooebanda in musings, this blog. Introduction judging from personal experience, two questions have been most frequently directed at former internees of the japanese civilian concentration camp in manila known as stic santo tomas internment camp. Life and liberation at santo tomas, manila, in world war ii. On february 3, 1945, santo tomas internment camp in manila, where nearly 4,000 allied civilian pows were held, was liberated by the american forces. Only hours after the pearl harbor attack, the notorious zero fighter warplanes of the empire of japan flew in tight formation from the north, bombing the resort capital of baguio, then directed their attention to manila, bombing strategic military targets such as nichols field, pier 7, and ships in manila harbor. Santo tomas internment camp by mervyn brown of the shanghai evening post a graphic description of the happy and contented conditions prevailing among the little cluster of allied internees in santo tomas university, manila, since the inception of the greater east asia war was given this morning by mrs. A story of a nurse who was prisioner book authors, books, twinkle lights. Jan 01, 20 surviving a japanese internment camp book.
The complex was turned into a concentration camp for chilean socialists, communists and anarchists under president gabriel gonzalez videla in 19471948. Roster of exinternees, escapees, and refugees 1945 edition. On page 26, there is a photo of ernest stanley, a missionary who worked as an interpreter during the talks between american colonel brady and the japanese lt. Battle of manila survivors, 70 years later coconuts manila. Name sex nationality age source santo tomas internment camp adamopoulos, eudoxia f greek 22 stic no. As captivity and starvation take their toll, the music lees father composed for her thirteenth birthday inspires and sustains her.
She further comments that stanley was number one on the american shooting list. Dec 15, 2009 santo tomas internment camp by frederic h. Roster of exinternees, escapees, and refugees by santo tomas internment camp manila, philippines, 1945, headquarters san carlos camp, office of. For more than 3,000 men, women and children, the university grounds would become their prison camp for the next three years.
Surviving a japanese internment camp does a valuable service by opening promising new lines of inquiry for students and historians of world war ii in the philippines. I would also like to clarify that while the life archive refers to the santo tomas complex as a prison, it was in fact an internment camp not that naming conventions matter to those who were subject to its walls and discipline. Liberated nurses evacuating from santo tomas internment camp, manila. San francisco state university at the time, the japanese people living at poston were not privy to the future of their internment camp, much less whether they would be able to return home at all. Nov 18, 2016 here are books about japanese internment camps for children. Smilitary nurses languished for 3 years as prisoners of the japanese in santo tomas internment camp in manila.
Manilas santo tomas internment camp became home, school, theater, but always jailhouse for lee. Santo tomas internment camp, also known as the manila internment camp, was the largest of several camps in the philippines in which the japanese interned enemy civilians, mostly americans, in world war ii. Nurse taken prisoner in wwii ensures her story survives, too. Advance to manila 02 young girl that was standing in front of santo tomas internment camp when the first japanese shell hit, feb. Carolina this is an extraordinary book recounting the details of one of the largest concentration camps for civilians that the japanese established in manila, philippines in early 1942. Jan 31, 2017 kathleen massara on the japaneseamerican artist isamu noguchi and his experiences as a detainee at an internment camp during the second world war. The march 5, 1945, issue of life magazine pp 2529 ran a story titled santo tomas is delivered. Tribute to ernest stanley internment 19411945 santo tomas. Santo tomas internment camp stic in verse and reverse stictoons and stictististics 19421945 by james e mccall, c. Santo tomas internment camp, luzon philippine internment. Jul 09, 2017 the diplomats daughter is a story of love in an internment camp karin tanabe talks with host a martinez about her new novel, the diplomats daughter, which follows characters growing up and. He clarifies how internees survived their ordeal in santo tomas and how the imprisonment experiences of allied soldiers differed from those of civilians.
Born in 1936, william is the son of samuel and mary hamilton. At 92, a japaneseamerican reflects on the lessons of. At first diary entries were written down in a record book. White in an exclusive interview to the shanghai evening post. Frank family papers, 18981992 manuscript collection no. Former stic internee, william reese hamilton, has just released a fictional work based on his time in stic. Santo tomas internment camp, also known as the manila internment camp, was the largest of several camps in the philippines in which the japanese interned. Hotel on the corner of bitter and sweet by jamie ford, snow falling on cedars by david guterson, when the emperor w. Childrens books about japanese internment camps no time.
Hartendorp 1964 editor of philippine magazine at the outbreak of war and interned at santo tomas and regarded as camp historian. It was early monday morning, the 8th of december, 1941. Later, when greater care had to be taken to keep accounts of prevailing conditions secret from the. American and british civilians in manila were rounded up and were sent to the university of santo tomas. Whether stanley was in fact a british agent, i dont know, although i doubt it. From 1943 to 1945, pisagua became the site of wartime internment for citizens of enemy nations when chile entered world war ii on the allied side. Mom wrote a book, behind barbed wire and high fences published by sunbury, camp hill, pa and also available in paperback and on kindle through amazon. Evelyn whitfield 1999 the book shares crisp details of the authors life inside civilian camps during her three year internment in the philippines. On february 15, 1942, two men attempted to escape the camp. Among them was marie adams, a red cross worker, approximately fifty years old, who was held there from may 1942 until the camp was liberated in february 1945. When manila was occupied by the japanese imperial army in december of 1941, the university of santo tomas an educational institution established and run by spanish dominican priests, then already more than 300 years old was used as an internment camp for civilian allied. During the internment, japanese american teens created this. This surreptitious picture was taken in early september, 1942 in the santo tomas internment camp, manila, philippines by internees jerry sams and patricia chittick.
Bilibid and santo tomas both were liberated sunday, although santo tomas was reached sunday night by several hundred 1st cavalry division yanks. Internees were starving at santo tomas prisoners camp upi. I am interested in finding all the information i can about the internment and people involved. The majority of them were kept in internment camps in the philippines. Wonks a new fictional book on santo tomas internment camp. This is the story of a family that spent world war ii in the japanese civilian internment camp in manila in the philippines.
The diplomats daughter is a story of love in an internment. Those yanks had passed right by pockets of japanese in a mad dash to santo tomas and the situation at the university internment camp was tense until reinforcements got through the next day. Santo tomas internment camp how is santo tomas internment. Release department the prisoners executive committee of the santo tomas internment camp. Feb 18, 2017 a detail from ou of the desert depicts the camps stark isolation. Life and liberation at santo tomas, manila, in world war ii 9780786465705. We were in camp john hay, camp holmes and finally bilibid. The japaneseamerican artist who went to the camps to help. Internmentpow camps china national aviation corporation. Roster of exinternees, escapees, and refugees 1945. Santo tomas internment camp stic in verse pow 1945 wwii. Life and liberation at santo tomas, manila, in world war ii ebook written by rupert wilkinson.
Though many of the 4,000 internees died of disease or starvation, all of the nurses returned home. But the voices in the scrapbook resist their imprisonment. During world war ii the japanese imprisoned more amer. Santo tomas internment camp 1946 edition open library. Aug 02, 2012 roster of exinternees, escapees, and refugees by santo tomas internment camp manila, philippines, 1945, headquarters san carlos camp, office of the commandt edition, microform in english. The campus of the university of santo tomas in manila was utilized for the camp. Manilas santo tomas internment camp, 19421945 by bruce e. Celia lucas in prisoners of santo tomas gives an extensive description of stanley and concludes that he was possibly the most hated man in camp. Santo tomas university, in downtown manila, was converted to an internment camp that held more than 4,000 civilians. The story of a young girls life as a prisoner of war in the santo tomas internment camp by michael mccoy and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read surviving a japanese internment camp. Mccall wrote the following book, santo tomas internment camp stictoons and stictistics 1942 1945 1945 october 26, 2008 thank you for your site it brought tears to my eyes to view the lives of the pows and to see what you have accomplished.
Santo tomas internment camp stic was the largest of several camps in the philippines in which the japanese interned enemy civilians, mostly americans. Young girl that was standing in front of santo tomas internment camp when the first japanese shell hit, feb. It describes the plight of prisoners of this japanese camp for enemy aliens in the philippines from november 1944 to february 1945. The following books provide unusual first person accounts of survival within the walls of santo tomas and japaneseoccupied philippines. Nov 18, 2008 i would also like to clarify that while the life archive refers to the santo tomas complex as a prison, it was in fact an internment camp not that naming conventions matter to those who were subject to its walls and discipline.
The diary was written in the spirit of captain robert f. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1, 2, or 3 months new customers receive 15% off your. Aside from being the largest internment camp in the country, santo tomas also had the largest number of prisoners of war. A list of 309 civilians who were processed through bilibid prison camp in the philippines can be found here click on the civilians tab at bottom right of page. The campus of the university of santo tomas in manila was utilized for the camp, which housed more than 3,000 internees from january 1942. Hope, replied sascha jean weinzheimer jansen, 82, who recalled how, on their final year at santo tomas, there was nothing to eat but very watery porridge. Parents and educators who want to teach their children about this very important and very horrific part of north american history or learn about it themselves can use these very accessible, touching, and historical books as tools. See more ideas about military nurses, internment, internment camp. For an excellent comparison of civilian internment under the imperial japanese, see lou gopals website, victims of circumstance santo tomas internment camp. Toshio hayashi to negotiate a release of the civilian prisoners. Gone with the wind, 1 of the of wallpaper wall murals at magic murals. The weapon appears to be a japanese nambu machine gun nambu keikikanju with tripod. Leonores suite is a story of courage, friendship, faith, and the indomitable human spirit.