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Battery Morrison

© 1999 Edward Michaud

 

Just prior to the capitulation of the island to the Japanese, thirty-six Philippine Scouts filled two metal lockers with gold ingots taken from the "vault’ located at the Stockade. After dragging them on foot over the island roads to a point just in front of the Morrison Battery the soldiers dug two large pits. After depositing the two large lockers in the pits, the men connected them with a small chain leading from one hole to the other.

Unfortunately, just as they completed covering the lockers with earth a Japanese shell burst nearby, killing all but two of them. Before dying a few years ago the last survivor drew a map showing the location of the buried lockers and gave it to one of the Corregidor inhabitants. This man, along with a Philippine Army Colonel, has been searching for the elusive deposit ever since, but to no avail.

During my visit to the island in 1988 I had the opportunity to help search for this treasure. The original map shows the location to be in the center of three large trees, set in a triangular pattern just in front of the battery. Since I believed that such a large target could not escape a good Pulse Detector that I had brought along with me, we believed that perhaps our chances in locating were pretty good. After scanning the entire area that these men claimed to be the spot I walked away, having discovered only the normal remnants of a battlefield such as spent ammunition, shell fragments, and pieces of American and Japanese helmets.

If these lockers of gold were ever there on the island, they are certainly not there now!*

 

POST-WAR RECOVERY OPS 1945-88 | SPEEDY GONZALES  |   BATTERY MORRISON  | AH-MOON'S   |  THE ENGINEERING TUNNEL   |   GRAVE - GOLD   |   THE MARCOS CONNECTION   |   THE NORTH DOCK GOLD HOLE   |   THE FOURTH LATERAL   |   THE NORTH HARBOR SALVAGE BARGE   |    THE PRESIDENTIAL YACHT "CASIANO"   |   THE LORCHA DOCK   |  SILVER PESOS    |  NO MORE GOLD   |   CONCLUSION

CORREGIDOR - THE TREASURE ISLAND OF WWII    |    GOLD IS ALSO BALLAST    |    THE GOLDEN PATROL OF THE USS TROUT |  SALVAGING A SILVER TREASURE  | THE JAPANESE OVERSTRIKE

H Version 09.09.11

 

*Another great story, seemingly plausible - except if you are the slightest bit aware that all gold was subject of a detailed inventory when it was transferred for evacuation off the island by submarine.  The thoughts of Philippine Scouts dragging metal lockers (filled with gold) across the island is ridiculous. All  the treasury gold was accounted for, and transferred off the island.