Investigating History: The Former Japanese Naval HQ of Bamban Hills
ARCHEOLOGICAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT: GOVERNOR SUSAN YAP’s VISIT TO THE ON-GOING FIELD STUDY – トンネル内にある旧日本海軍司令部司令部。
Naval Headquarters command tunnel.
WITH MOJI CHIKANORI
In 2001, while working in Japan, I used the opportunity to look for former military personnel who fought or deployed in Bamban during the war. In a twist of circumstance, I was able to meet and befriended Moji Chikanori, an aide (staff officer) of Vice-Admiral Onishi Takijiro; who commanded the 5th Base Air Force of the Imperial Japanese Navy in the Philippines in the last quarter of 1944.
Moji-San was 83 years old when I first met him at Oiso Station, near Tokyo, and told me the existence of the Japanese Naval Headquarters of the First Combined Air Fleet in Bamban.
was done by Rhonie Dela Cruz and the Field Recon Team of the Bamban Historical Society, circa 2002.
NAVAL HEADQUARTERS HILL
With full of information from the only man who lived from among the staff of Vice-Admiral Onishi at that time, I was able to identify and locate the former Japanese Naval Headquarters in Bamban Hills. I came back from Japan in October 2001 and worked in preserving the headquarters and the tunnel command center. The location was on two small hills, about 150 feet on the north side of the Rotary Hill, which is covered by Barangay San Nicolas, Bamban, Tarlac. The Japanese during the war called the first hill as East Hill, where the tunnel used for the command center was located, and the second hill as West Hill, where the communication tunnel was curved. The whole headquarters complex is now covered by the Tuazon, Mallari Families and Atty. Louie Balceda properties.
PRESERVING THE WWII JAPANESE NAVAL HEADQUARTERS
24 years passed and through my initiatives, the former Japanese Naval HQ and the tunnel command center are recognized as part of the Tarlac Province historical sites. The tunnel HQ can be visited by guests and tourists. In support for the development of WWII historical sites in Bamban, the Provincial Government of Tarlac embarked on field study by sending team of archeologists, anthropologists and historians, conducting Archeological Impact Assessment on the former Japanese Naval HQ tunnel. The following photographs show the activities and projects made by Rhonie Dela Cruz and the Bamban Historical Society / Bamban WWII Museum since October 2001 to present, that paved the way for the initial development of the WWII historical sites and preservation efforts.
A VISIT BY GOVERNOR SUSAN YAP
No less than our Governor Susan Yap, accompanied by her son, concurrent Representative Christian Yap (2nd District, Tarlac) and staff, made visit to the on-going field archeological survey of the said tunnel. Our Governor Susan Yap, on her visit to the WWII Historical Site, met with the representatives from the UP Department of Anthropology, conducting the field survey.
This Archeological Impact Assessment is a welcome development on the preservation of Bamban’s historical sites and heritage and fostering tourism development in the region.
Photographs:
Images are grouped showing the former Japanese naval headquarters post-war, and the tunnel command center taken recently. Also, the visit of our Governor Susan Yap at the tunnel with the field survey team from UP Anthropology Department, as well as the photographs taken at the early days of clearing and cleaning of the tunnel conducted by BHS Field Recon and Investigating Team in late 2001 and early 2002.
