My Biological Father
While a member of the Machine Gun Troop, 1st Squadron, 12th Cavalry Regiment, that while involved in the 1940 Army Maneuvers, the troop commander watched a group of tanks moving around. They decided to attack them while still on horseback. Dad said that they knew they would be declared killed by the referees. He stated that they ran the tanks around in circles, having fun doing so. I guess it was some sort of protest against the introduction of tanks that were set to replace the horse cavalry. I'm sure some-one got chewed out for their action.
While waiting at the Mariveles Docks, at the southern end of Bataan, Dad was preparing his section to return to Corregidor. A Colonel approached him & asked where his unit was headed. He replied that his section was returning back to his unit on Corregidor. The Colonel ordered his unit back to the front line to locate the line of defense & re-establish communications, per the original orders. Dad told the Colonel, that the front line was in retreat & did not exist. The Colonel then repeated the order, & said, if he did not, Dad would be put under guard. Dad refused again. Dad was then, put under guard & was escorted to the end of the docks, when, General Jonathan Wainwright, the Commanding General, who replaced General D. MacArthur, when he & his family & entourage left for Australia, approached & asked what was happening. Where-upon, the Colonel the situation to General. Per Dad: General Wainwright berated the Colonel for not being in touch with the continuing retreat on Bataan & stated to the Colonel, that, if they were not in short of men, that he would have disciplined the Colonel for irresponsible action. Dad & his section were then continued on to Corregidor.
He was required to learn Japanese because he was the highest ranking American in one or more POW camps, or, he would been executed if he didn't learn it. He could still speak some of it before he passed away.
At one of the POW Camps, Dad refused an order from an English Major to line up all American troops for inspection by him. Dad refused the order, because, he stated that his men were mal-nutritioned & weak, &, the sun was out & unbearable. Most had served with him in the Philippines. The Major said that he would see that he was court-martialed when the war ended. He replied "Go ahead, we probably won't survive internment." He told me that he despised the British commanders in the Far East. All British territories on the mainland surrendered early in the war. Hong Kong & Singapore fell to the Japanese about a month into the war. Both were commanded by English, not Scottish, officers. He admired the Scottish troops that were in his POW Camps.
Dad said that he was tortured by the Japanese. He said that they pulled his fingernails & toenails off. And he said that they, also, hammered bamboo shoots under his fingernails to the point that the points came out at the 1st joint.
While a member of the Machine Gun Troop, 1st Squadron, 12th Cavalry Regiment, that while involved in the 1940 Army Maneuvers, the troop commander watched a group of tanks moving around. They decided to attack them while still on horseback. Dad said that they knew they would be declared killed by the referees. He stated that they ran the tanks around in circles, having fun doing so. I guess it was some sort of protest against the introduction of tanks that were set to replace the horse cavalry. I'm sure some-one got chewed out for their action.
While waiting at the Mariveles Docks, at the southern end of Bataan, Dad was preparing his section to return to Corregidor. A Colonel approached him & asked where his unit was headed. He replied that his section was returning back to his unit on Corregidor. The Colonel ordered his unit back to the front line to locate the line of defense & re-establish communications, per the original orders. Dad told the Colonel, that the front line was in retreat & did not exist. The Colonel then repeated the order, & said, if he did not, Dad would be put under guard. Dad refused again. Dad was then, put under guard & was escorted to the end of the docks, when, General Jonathan Wainwright, the Commanding General, who replaced General D. MacArthur, when he & his family & entourage left for Australia, approached & asked what was happening. Where-upon, the Colonel the situation to General. Per Dad: General Wainwright berated the Colonel for not being in touch with the continuing retreat on Bataan & stated to the Colonel, that, if they were not in short of men, that he would have disciplined the Colonel for irresponsible action. Dad & his section were then continued on to Corregidor.
He was required to learn Japanese because he was the highest ranking American in one or more POW camps, or, he would been executed if he didn't learn it. He could still speak some of it before he passed away.
At one of the POW Camps, Dad refused an order from an English Major to line up all American troops for inspection by him. Dad refused the order, because, he stated that his men were mal-nutritioned & weak, &, the sun was out & unbearable. Most had served with him in the Philippines. The Major said that he would see that he was court-martialed when the war ended. He replied "Go ahead, we probably won't survive internment." He told me that he despised the British commanders in the Far East. All British territories on the mainland surrendered early in the war. Hong Kong & Singapore fell to the Japanese about a month into the war. Both were commanded by English, not Scottish, officers. He admired the Scottish troops that were in his POW Camps.
Dad said that he was tortured by the Japanese. He said that they pulled his fingernails & toenails off. And he said that they, also, hammered bamboo shoots under his fingernails to the point that the points came out at the 1st joint.
My Biological Father
While a member of the Machine Gun Troop, 1st Squadron, 12th Cavalry Regiment, that while involved in the 1940 Army Maneuvers, the troop commander watched a group of tanks moving around. They decided to attack them while still on horseback. Dad said that they knew they would be declared killed by the referees. He stated that they ran the tanks around in circles, having fun doing so. I guess it was some sort of protest against the introduction of tanks that were set to replace the horse cavalry. I'm sure some-one got chewed out for their action.
While waiting at the Mariveles Docks, at the southern end of Bataan, Dad was preparing his section to return to Corregidor. A Colonel approached him & asked where his unit was headed. He replied that his section was returning back to his unit on Corregidor. The Colonel ordered his unit back to the front line to locate the line of defense & re-establish communications, per the original orders. Dad told the Colonel, that the front line was in retreat & did not exist. The Colonel then repeated the order, & said, if he did not, Dad would be put under guard. Dad refused again. Dad was then, put under guard & was escorted to the end of the docks, when, General Jonathan Wainwright, the Commanding General, who replaced General D. MacArthur, when he & his family & entourage left for Australia, approached & asked what was happening. Where-upon, the Colonel the situation to General. Per Dad: General Wainwright berated the Colonel for not being in touch with the continuing retreat on Bataan & stated to the Colonel, that, if they were not in short of men, that he would have disciplined the Colonel for irresponsible action. Dad & his section were then continued on to Corregidor.
He was required to learn Japanese because he was the highest ranking American in one or more POW camps, or, he would been executed if he didn't learn it. He could still speak some of it before he passed away.
At one of the POW Camps, Dad refused an order from an English Major to line up all American troops for inspection by him. Dad refused the order, because, he stated that his men were mal-nutritioned & weak, &, the sun was out & unbearable. Most had served with him in the Philippines. The Major said that he would see that he was court-martialed when the war ended. He replied "Go ahead, we probably won't survive internment." He told me that he despised the British commanders in the Far East. All British territories on the mainland surrendered early in the war. Hong Kong & Singapore fell to the Japanese about a month into the war. Both were commanded by English, not Scottish, officers. He admired the Scottish troops that were in his POW Camps.
Dad said that he was tortured by the Japanese. He said that they pulled his fingernails & toenails off. And he said that they, also, hammered bamboo shoots under his fingernails to the point that the points came out at the 1st joint.
While a member of the Machine Gun Troop, 1st Squadron, 12th Cavalry Regiment, that while involved in the 1940 Army Maneuvers, the troop commander watched a group of tanks moving around. They decided to attack them while still on horseback. Dad said that they knew they would be declared killed by the referees. He stated that they ran the tanks around in circles, having fun doing so. I guess it was some sort of protest against the introduction of tanks that were set to replace the horse cavalry. I'm sure some-one got chewed out for their action.
While waiting at the Mariveles Docks, at the southern end of Bataan, Dad was preparing his section to return to Corregidor. A Colonel approached him & asked where his unit was headed. He replied that his section was returning back to his unit on Corregidor. The Colonel ordered his unit back to the front line to locate the line of defense & re-establish communications, per the original orders. Dad told the Colonel, that the front line was in retreat & did not exist. The Colonel then repeated the order, & said, if he did not, Dad would be put under guard. Dad refused again. Dad was then, put under guard & was escorted to the end of the docks, when, General Jonathan Wainwright, the Commanding General, who replaced General D. MacArthur, when he & his family & entourage left for Australia, approached & asked what was happening. Where-upon, the Colonel the situation to General. Per Dad: General Wainwright berated the Colonel for not being in touch with the continuing retreat on Bataan & stated to the Colonel, that, if they were not in short of men, that he would have disciplined the Colonel for irresponsible action. Dad & his section were then continued on to Corregidor.
He was required to learn Japanese because he was the highest ranking American in one or more POW camps, or, he would been executed if he didn't learn it. He could still speak some of it before he passed away.
At one of the POW Camps, Dad refused an order from an English Major to line up all American troops for inspection by him. Dad refused the order, because, he stated that his men were mal-nutritioned & weak, &, the sun was out & unbearable. Most had served with him in the Philippines. The Major said that he would see that he was court-martialed when the war ended. He replied "Go ahead, we probably won't survive internment." He told me that he despised the British commanders in the Far East. All British territories on the mainland surrendered early in the war. Hong Kong & Singapore fell to the Japanese about a month into the war. Both were commanded by English, not Scottish, officers. He admired the Scottish troops that were in his POW Camps.
Dad said that he was tortured by the Japanese. He said that they pulled his fingernails & toenails off. And he said that they, also, hammered bamboo shoots under his fingernails to the point that the points came out at the 1st joint.
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