Scramble to get back inside the West entrance during Japanese shelling.

1942 photo of men working in one of the laterals. Note the fluorescent lighting.

Another 1942 Photo

MacArthur and Sutherland in their HQ Lateral.

A look at a Hospital lateral. They are empty now, still look like that, strips painted, other parts not painted.

This video capture is from a Japanese newsreel recorded shortly after the 1942 surrender. Hospital bunks are stacked three high.

I wonder if the more seriously injured men were those kept in the individual beds.

A group of patients relax in the fresh air outside  the main Hospital entrance (i.e. the Malinta Tunnel North entrance).

A 1942 photo of Mass being held inside one of the laterals.

Here we see a video capture of the West entrance during wartime but before it was heavily damaged. Note the difference between this photo and the next one.

This and the next two surrender photos (in May of 1942) are said to have been staged by the Japanese for their cameras to record. We are seeing the West entrance here.

1942 surrender photo taken at the Malinta Tunnel East entrance.

This photo was taken within a few seconds of the previous photo…same people.

This 1945 aerial view of Malinta Hill shows its north (photo’s left side) and western slopes (photo’s mid to right side). Much of the south western part of the hill has been pulverized into rubble. Japanese guns on Bataan had a clear view of this part of Malinta Hill.

February 16th 1945 view of the western part of Malinta Hill facing Bottomside. (photo courtesy EXO)

Here we see more of Malinta Hill with the south side at photo centre. Pre-war concerns that the South Shore Road would be easily blocked by bombs or shellfire turned out to be valid. Quite a few trees remain on the top and eastern side of the hill.

At wars end, the East entrance was still intact as we see in the following five photos. On March 2nd 1945, General MacArthur returned to Corregidor and his visit to the East entrance gives us a good view of what it looked like at that time.

The West entrance was not so fortunate. It was destroyed to the point of nearly being sealed. Only part of the arch remains.

A close-up view of the West entrance in 1945. 

Prison labor built the Malinta Tunnel and prison labor would clean it up. The difference now was that the labor would be Japanese POWs. This photo shows part of the Bottomside south POW camp. Notice that the base of Malinta Hill has already been leveled off by the bulldozers.

This is the second Japanese POW camp located on Bottomside north. This area is now a mostly open field with some ‘sponsored’ trees planted in it. The field lies between Lorcha Dock and the present day Church. The 12-inch gun barrel seen near bottom right still lies at this same location today.

The POWs with picks, shovels and wheelbarrows have not been working too long as the West entrance is just now being cleared.

The West entrance is clear and work is being done inside the tunnel.

Japanese POWs working inside Malinta Tunnel.

Two POWs head back inside the tunnel.

This is a great view of the west side of Malinta Hill during the post-war clean-up. The West entrance is straight ahead and the Gasoline Tunnel entrance is near bottom left. (photo courtesy rainbowtrout1)

This crop of the previous photo shows a better view of the two tunnel entrances. POWs are dumping their wheelbarrow loads then heading back into the main tunnel.

The clean-up seems to be complete in this photo. Malinta Tunnel West entrance basically looked the same until the 1975 to 1977 restoration got underway.

Here is a closer look at the West entrance taken in 1946.

The Malinta Tunnel West entrance in 1946. (photo courtesy of armyjunk)

Looking out the same entrance. (photo courtesy of armyjunk)

It does not take long for vegetation to envelop the island if left unchecked. This is the East entrance. (photo courtesy of armyjunk)

This undated post-war photo of the East entrance shows 12-inch shells lined up along the road. I wonder if this was a continuation of the tunnel clean-up done in later years.

1963 View of the West entrance.
(Video capture from "Fortress in the Sea".)

1967 view of the West entrance. The top of the post-war church can be seen at the bottom. This is not the same church that is at the same location today.

Close-up view of the West entrance taken in 1967.

Warnings at the West entrance.

1969 view of the West entrance. The Gasoline Tunnel entrance is hidden in the bushes to the left.

This 1981 photo shows the reconstructed West entrance. The metal doors have not been added yet.

Part 3 will containcurrent photos of Malinta Tunnel.

This 1981 photo shows the reconstructed West entrance. The metal doors have not been added yet.

Part 3 contains current photos of Malinta Tunnel.