No. Guns Cal. Type Manned by Range Yards
2 6-inch DC C Company 91st Coastal Artillery 14,000 yards
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Battery Morrison was commenced in December of 1907 and completed and turned over to the coast artillery on November 10, 1910. It's cost to date of transfer was  $79,845.99. The battery's main source of power was central power plant, but it also had a 25 kW gasoline motor-generator in reserve. The guns were two 6-inch model of 1905 (Watervliet Arsenal) on disappearing carriage model of 1905MI (Watertown Arsenal). The Number one gun was # 31 on carriage # 12; the Number 2 gun was # 32 on carriage # 13.  There was a Battery Commander's station and plotting room located on and in hill directly to rear of the battery (it was unusual to have a separate plotting room for a 6-inch battery) [1]


 

 

"Casualties during the first days of the bombardment were low. At the first sign of an air attack or artillery bombardment those men whose batteries were not in action would take shelter in one of the numerous tunnels that had been and were still being built. But only the thick reinforced concrete shelters could provide protection against a direct hit.

 On the 15th seventy Filipinos died a terrible death when they took shelter in excavations behind their battery on Morrison Hill. So intense was the enemy fire that the overhanging cliffs collapsed and sealed the entrances to the shelters, burying the Filipinos alive." [2]

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        H  I  K  I  N  G      C  O  R  R  E  G  I  D  O  R       

Battery Morrison can be found by walking the unpaved road which begins at the rear of Middleside Barracks and leads towards Morrison Point.  The road is between Middleside and the aviary. Turn right when several hundred yards along the trail when you see a walking track veer off up the hill to the right. If you follow the track, which runs around the flank of Morrison Hill, you'll come to an entrance to a series  of underground  rooms.  You'll know you've missed them if you see a 6-inch gun barrel along the right side of the road.  As you continue along the path, you'll suddenly come upon Battery Morrison, swathed in long grass and looking all the world like hardly anyone ever goes there - because hardly anyone ever does go there.

 

Morrison prior to it being remounted on the carriage.

 

 

There is a track from the parapet in front of Morrison #2. If you keep walking the track, you'll come back to the road just near Btty. James. You can continue along the road around  to the right towards Battery Point, and you'll be rewarded with glimpses of Bataan through the trees. The road,  overgrown and not traversable by vehicle (in January 1999) has lately been reopened by the CFI (Jan 2000) . If you persevere, you'll arrive behind the power-plant and cold-store which are nestled in the ravine below the road near Engineers Dock. At the point where you round the bend into Engineer's ravine, there is a Japanese gun about 50 yards up on the high side of the road, roughly behind the destroyed water tank.

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Morrison No. 1 hasn't been allowed to become overgrown, though it has been allowed to be grown-in. The trees overwhelm the parapet, blocking the view towards  Bataan.  Both the gun and carriage are in good condition, and have thankfully been allowed to rust in peace.

 

 

You can hardly  see Morrison No. 2 for the clinging vines and creepers growing out from it's pit. There is graffiti over the walls of the battery's ammunition stores, and I particularly recall one which says:

The bastards bulldozed the battlefield at Watertower Hill -  'History Be Dammed' -  Motto of the Department of Tourism 

 

 

The Battery is named after 1st Lt. John Morrison, Jr. Cavalry who was killed in action at Gapan, Luzon in 1901.

 

 

  

     F  O  O  T  N  O   T   E   S     

[1] Bolling W. Smith of the Coastal Artillery Defense Group has helped me out here with some details from the Report of Completed Works, January 1, 1920 . 4

[2] Extract from The Last 27 Days. The casualties were manning Btty. James.  4