Zo693

-03. A Google Earth image of the former Olongapo Naval Station, then the Subic Bay Naval Base and now the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ). The Tappan Park, then and now, (also was the Olongapo Square) is the clearest landmark (prewar & postwar) to identify areas today and in the past!

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-02. A cropped image of a US. WWII reconnaissance image of the Olongapo Naval Station under Imperial Japanese occupation. The red markings are from John Duresky and the yellow markings are from Karl Welteke. This image was provided by John Duresky.

Zo691

-01. 1941 Olongapo, Chet Britt Sr.at the Olongapo Fleet Boat Landing and Waiting Shed. It looks like the Army Coastal Defense Force of Fort Wint on Grande Island in Subic Bay used the same boat landing area as the US Fleet in the Olongapo US Naval Station. This image was provided by John Duresky.
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Army Lt Chester K Britt, was one of 1,619 POWs that were on the Oryoku Maru. Lt Britt was first assigned to Fort Wint on Grande Island in 1940, then when it was abandoned on about December 24, 1941, he fought on Bataan, was on the Bataan Death March, then spent the next 2-1/2 years at Camp O’Donnell, Cabanatuan, Davao Penal Colony, and Bilibid Prison which he left at the end to board the Oryoku Maru. He survived the Oryoku Maru, then the Enoura Maru, then the Brazil Maru, then 3 months at Fukuoka POW Camp #3, then almost 4 months at the POW camp in Mukden Manchuria. He was freed on August 16, 1945. He died in 1953 due to health problems from his time as a POW. When he died my friend was only four years old. This is Lt Britt’s memorial page from West Point. He graduated on June 11, 1940 or click here:

https://www.westpointaog.org/memorial-article?id=73a5cf7f-479b-48de-baa0-c2214732cc7a

Lt Col David Britt, USAF (Ret), Lt Britt’s son and family loved and cherished him!

John Duresky is the friend of Lt Col David Britt, USAF (Ret) and he is going to write a book about Army Lt Chester K Britt.

Karl-Wilhelm Welteke is a retired USN Sailor and resident of Olongapo. During his research, John Duresky asked me for information and we shared them. He found some interesting pictures and gave me permission to use them. I post them here in my Flickr account because one can do it in high resolution and viewers can download them in high resolution to be able to read or view them properly.

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-07. This is one of two newspaper clippings about the capture of the Olongapo Naval Station by the Japanese Imperial Forces with pictures of the Naval Station in 1942. This is the main reason I uploaded them here into the Flickr account because you will be able to download them in high resolution. These pictures were found by John Duresky for his project to write a book about Army Lt Chester K Britt, a victim of the Imperial Japanese Hell Ship Oryoku Maru. This image was provided by John Duresky.

Zo696

-06. This is one of two newspaper clippings about the capture of the Olongapo Naval Station by the Japanese Imperial Forces with pictures of the Naval Station in 1942. This is the main reason I upload them here into the Flickr account because you will be able to download them in high resolution. These pictures were found by John Duresky for his project to write a book about Army Lt Chester K Britt, a victim of the Imperial Japanese Hell Ship Oryoku Maru. This image was provided by John Duresky.

Zo657

Zo657. This is the focsle of USS Teak AN-35, Net tender, recruited for this salvage job. There may have been other ships. A Navy deep sea diver is getting dressed into the MK-V Hard Hat Rig. This is the Philippine Silver Recovery in 1945, image curtesy as stated above.

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Zo656. A screen shot of the WWII Philippine Facebook webpage with the address of the East European Gentleman who posted the pictures.

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Zo661. Philippine silver by the bucket and heaps. There was also gold involved. If you like to know more, dig in the three URLs above. This is the Philippine Silver Recovery in 1945, image curtesy as stated above.

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Zo660. A Navy deep sea diver almost dressed on the USS Teak AN-35 at San Jose Bay between Corregidor and Caballo Islands in 1945. Doesn’t he wish? But I’m sure the authorities let the sailors have a few souvenirs. This is the Philippine Silver Recovery in 1945, image curtesy as stated above.

Zo659

Zo659. A Navy deep sea diver is going over the side in San Jose Bay between Corregidor and Caballo Islands in 1945. This diver seems to take a long a metal search gadget. This is the Philippine Silver Recovery in 1945, image curtesy as stated above.