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World War II Pacific Theater -- the Philippines liberatiing Manila
Liberating Santo Tomas and Bilabao (February 3, 1945)
Figure 1.--Here we see kids from the Santo Tomas Internment Camp a couple weeks after liberation. The captiona read, "Yanks entertain youngsters freed in Manila -- U.S. tank men who helped free Americans held at the Santo Tomas Internment Camp in Manilalet three youngsters have some fun sitting on the gun barrel of thir vehicle [Sherman tank]. Left to right: PFC Olen Ogles, Montecello, Ark.; Joe and Barbara Huber of Akron, O,; , And New Orleans, La.;Charles Brussolo, Los Angeles; and Corp. Howard Bkair, Duluth, Minn. The photograph was dared Feb. 15, 1945. Photo by Frank Filan, Associated Press photographer wjith the wartime still npicture pool.
The POWs and internees at Santo Tomas were the highest priority for the Americans. General MacArthur was so impressed by the Ranger raid on Cabanatuan which was still in progress that he ordered Major General Mudge's 1st Cavalry Division to form a 'Flying Column' to accomplish the same thing with the 3,700 civilians interned at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila.
The Santo Tomas Internment Camo, also known as the Manila Internmernt Camp, was the largest of several camps in the Philippines in which the Japanese interned enemy civilians, mostly Americans.
The campus of the University of Santo Tomas in Manila was utilized for the camp. Forttunately as it would turn out, the University was no located in the center of the city. There was not much teaching going on after the Jaoanese arrived and thus the University had no real use. The internment camp was opened immediateltly afyter the Japanese occupied the city (January 1942). Conditions for the internees deteriorated as the War began to go against Japan. Many of the internees were near death at the time U,S. Army units reached them. The primary problem was the inadequate food the Japanese provided.
The advancing American units were unaware of the 1,300 Allied prisoners at the old Bilibid prison which was only a few blocks from Santo Tomas. After some heavy fighting in confusing outskirts of Manila, the Santo Tomas Column encountered Captain Manuel Colayco, a Filipino newspaperman and clandestine intelligence officer. He guided the Americans to the main gate of the prison camp (February 3). After a brief fire fight in the evening with surprised Japanese guards, the M-4 Sherman 'Battlin Basic', followed closely by the 'Georgia Peach', of the 44th Tank Battalion broke through the gate of the prison. Unfortunately Cpt. Colayco was killed in the action. The stunned internnes and POWs were finally free. his occurred before the battle for Manila began. It is unclear if the Japanese commanders in Manila had given any thoughts to the internees and POWs, but given what they did to the Philippino civilians in Manila, it is fortunate that the Ameriucans got to Santo Thomas before the Battle of Manila began.
