SANTO TOMAS INTERNMENT CAMP
(1942 - February 3, 1945)

Page Started: about 2000
Page Updated: 9-26-2021

Background music to this page can be controlled here.
Remember this song? Pat does...
"Good Morning, Good Morning"
<bgsound src="good_morning_good_morning_01.mp3" loop=infinite>

For those in camp you may remember the musical selection you might have heard as your wake-up call: Horace Heidt and His Musical Knights.


Of the three women and four children; left to right:
Mrs. Howard J. (Mary Virginia) Schlereth and daughter Linda; Columbus, Ohio
Mrs. Robert (Beatrice) Wabraushek and daughter Leslie; Los Angeles, California
Mrs. Tom Yule and daughters Rosalind and Sheila; Flushing, New York
Mrs. Paul (Janina H.) Malone (barely visible); New York


Victims of Circumstance

Held captive during the tide of Japanese aggression against the United States, this film draws the viewer into the horror lived by 3,700 American and allied civilians beginning in that fateful year of 1941.The American presence in the Philippine Islands stranded businessmen, housewives, school children - whole families, who through no fault or plan of their own, were thrown into a set of circumstances which would lead many to sickness, starvation and even death. They were forced to leave their homes and belongings; forced to leave their friends and way of life to live under the domination and whims of the mighty Imperial Forces of Japan. They were interned within the walls of an old university now known as the Santo Tomas Internment Camp. Their poignant saga is a celebration of the human spirit and the will to organize and survive.

This documentary is presented through the personal recollections of the internees themselves, eyewitness accounts by those who lived through three years and one month under Japanese control. The film includes original photographs from personal collections as well as old film footage and photos from the National Archives.

For more information, please contact: lougopal@hotmail.com

Kawayan Productions
Producers: Lou Gopal and Michelle Bunn
Website: www.lougopal.com

Do you know this boy or woman?
Photo taken in or near Santo Tomas

Back of photo says, "American Internees, March 10, 1945"


Click HERE to see the Santo Tomas Internment Camp INTERNEWS.

Just a few of the people interned at Santo Tomas were:

Airriess Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Dr. Beulah Ream Allen
Robert Coleman Allen (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Arundell Family
Atkinson Family
Alvin K. Aurell
Aviado Family
Bailey Family
Baker Family
Baldwin Family
Balfour family
Wilfred Rufus Barnes
Barnett Family
Barrett Family
Bateman Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Harold Raymond Bayley (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Herman Knight Beaber (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Frank Emil Becker (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Beliel Family
Bennett Family
Bennett and Connor Families
Captain Ethel "Sally" Blaine
Blair Family
Blake Family
Blechynden Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Boni Family
Bramble Family
Brambles Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Brazee Family
Bridgeford and Rowley Families
Broad Family
Broaddus Family
Curtis B. Brooks
Katherine Ellis Brown (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Beatrice Hooper Bruns
Margaret Mary Bruel aka Mary Bruel Boguslav
Brush Family
Eugene M. Brush
Brussolo Family
Frank Woodruff Buckles (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Martha Bullert
Wilber and Gladys Bunnell
Harry and Helen Burmeister
Burnham Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Bush Family
Samuel W. Bushman
Byde Family
Cadwallader Family
Cameron Family
Canson and Chickese Families (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Capen Family
Clinton Floren Carlson
Carlson Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Earl Carroll
Francis Xavier Cassera
Lowell C. Cates and Tressa Roka
Chapman Family
Geraldine V. Chappell
Arthur Thomas Chenoweth
Chittick Family
Vivian V. Clark
Cleland Family
Cobb Family
Douglas Phipps Coles
Colquhoun Family
Coote Family
Thomas Copello (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Cotterman Family
Cowie Family
Crabb Family
Crawford Family
Uncle Jim Cullins
Ethel R. Cunningham
Curran Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Cutting Family
Donald Ming Dang
Danner and Gurney Families
Davies Family
Davies Family (British)
Davis Family
William and Mary Davis
Another Davis family
Edward Braxton Davis
Samuel Deebel
DeVries Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Clyde Alton DeWitt (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
William H. Donald (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Doolan Family
William Douglas (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Willard Bruce Drummond
Alfred Francois Duggleby
Edrington Family
Dyer Sisters
Hyman Cohen Elie
Thurman Clifford Erickson
Faggiano Family
Fairchild Family
Falkner Family
Fanton Family
Fee Family
Ferroggiaro Family
Fisher Family
Joe and Hattie Flanagan
Flannery Family
Foley Family
Fonger Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Ford Family
Joyce Barbara Ford
Forster Family
Fossum Family
Fox Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
James Roy Fox (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
David William Fry
Fulstone Family
Gage Family
Emil Henry Gallit (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Garner Family
Elwood Llewellin Garrett (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Marcia Lou Gates
Getz Family
Green Family
Carroll Calkins Grinnell
Gunn Family
David Garfield Gunnell and Dorothy Ellis Obert
Hackett Family (John and Alice Hackett, later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Hagans Family
David Henry Hahn
Hair Family
Hall Family
Hamilton Family
Harden Family
Harn Family
Harper Family
Harper and Wichman Families
Harrington Family
Harrow Family
Dave Harvey
William Henry Hastings
Lewis and Charlotte Haven (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Hazzard family
Heinrich Family
Henderson Family
John Henderson and Bertha Dworsky
Hess Family
Hinds Family
Hodges Family
Arthur John and Eleanora Hodges (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Hoffmann Family
Holdsworth family
Holland Family
Ruth Ann Holmes
Holter Family
Honnor Family
Hoover Family
John Welsh Hoover
Mary Irene Hoover
Hornbostel Family
Howie Family
Hughes/McAlpine Families
D'Arcy Swain Hunt (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Hyde Family
Irwin Family
Iserson Family
James/Vasquez Family
John Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Johns Family
Edward Heard and Virginia Pigford Johnson
Alvah Eugene Johnson
Reta Eva Johnson
Jones Family
Judge family
Merrill R. Keaton
Keeney Family
Keiffer Family
Kernot Family
Kerns Family
Roy Keyser
Kibbee Family
Kneale Family
Kneedler Family
Waldmar Ivan Konkoff
Koesling Family
Kramer Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Kreutz Family
Laing Family
Lapham Family
Larsen Family
LaSage Family
Bertram Godfrey Leake
Paul Francis Xavier Leary (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Ansie Lee (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Lehman Family
Harold Bertram Leney
Lt Frankie Lewey, USANC
Lewis Family
Another Lewis Family
Raymond Leyerle
Frances Long
George Herman Louis
Linder and Clear families
Saul Lubarsky (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Dorothy Ludlow and Donald McCann
Carl Axel Lundquist (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Lyman Family
MacDonald family
MacKay family
Clarissa Mackie (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Elmer Madsen (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
MaGee Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Magnuson Family
Main and Harrington families
Mangels Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Marsh Family
Marx Family
Mattocks Family
James E. McCall
Mcvey-Hally Family
McKinney Family
McNaughton Family
Meadows Family
Miles and Searl Families
Mill Family
Mills Family
William Mitchell (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Ruth Mladinich
Charles Pleydell Moat
Montesa Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Moore Family
Morrison Family
another Morrison Family
Moote Family
Muir Family
William Elmer Murray, Jr. (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Carl and Shelly Mydans
Nash Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Nathanson Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
John Nicholson
Nielson Family
Eva Anna Nixon
Rev. Edward L. Nolting and his wife Rosalie Nolting
Oss Family
Elbert Monroe "Al" Overton (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Hoyle William Owens (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Page Family
Pascoe Family
Walter Bruce Patey (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Harold Ray Penny (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
The Perkins and Anderson Families
Phillips and Thomas Families
Max Polin
Poole Family
Edward J. Powers
Prising family
Harold and Margaret Rather
Ralston family
Grace Rand (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Rennolds and Thompson families
William Philip Reed
Vincent Reinstein and Frances Gispert
Peter Clifton Richards
Riley Family
RobertYelton Robb
Robertson Family
Rockwell Family
Hugh Laughlin Robinson
Rose Family (some, later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Rose Gartman Rosenbaum
Charles Alvin Ross
Donald Paul Rounds
Rowland family
Donald Rutter
Sams family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Jack Sanders
Millie Brown Sanders
Sansom Family
Frederick Malone Satterfield (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Schade family (later the son, Roger D. Schade, was sent to Los Banos Internment Camp for awhile then returned to his parents at Santo Tomas)
Scaff family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp
Schlereth family
Schuster Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Elizabeth "Georgi" Scott (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Searl Family
Seater Family
Seawell Family
Self Family
Semmelink Family
John Roy Shaw
Dwight Shouse
Joseph Moses Shurdut (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Arthur Frank Skiles
Dr. Floyd Olin Smith
Smith Family (John Smith, Charles Smith, Dorothy Keaton and son Richard Keaton) (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
John Alwynne George L. Smith (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Louise M. Smith
Robert Smith family
Walter E. Smith Family
Southerton Family (later to YuYuan Road, then to Chapei, then YuYuan Road in Shanghai and finally Yantzepoo)
Stagner Family
Staight Family
Ernest Stanley
Frederic Stevens
Stock Family
Stopford family
Herman Edwin Strong
David Lenox Stuart (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Raymond George Sudhoff (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Ruth Pauline Swanson
Swinton Family
Joe Terry (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Thiele Family
Thomas Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Marie Jeannette Thomas
Joseph, Joseph, Jr. and Emma Thomas Family
Samuel and Pauline Thompson
Ella Frances Thompson
Pendleton David Thompson
Robert James Thomson
Tonkin Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Tremblay Family
Martha Bowler Trogstad (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Tuohy Family
Arthur and Tatania Turner
Vaughan Family
Vittaly Family
Von Stetten family
Wabraushek Family
Walker and Butler Families
Luella Walters
Louis Walton
Albert Edward Waterstradt (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Watkins Family
Watt Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Weibel Family
Weinzheimer Family
Werff Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Whitacre Family
Whitaker Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Jenifer White
White family
Wichman and Harper Families
Wienke Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Wilkinson family
Richard Douglas Willard
James Gunn Williamson
Wills Family (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Wilson Family
Edith Marie Wimberly
S. Davis Winship (later to Los Banos Internment Camp)
Glenn and Leonette Wishard
Evelyn M. Witthoff
Woodham Family
Marion Wells Woodward
Wrinch Family
Olin Robertson Wycoff
Wygle Family
Yarborough Family
Young Family
Luther Alexander Young
Zelikovsky Family

If you would like to add yours or a family member's name to this list just let me, Tom Moore, know.


The spear-head fence at Santo Tomas before the war. The Japanese covered it with matting and barbed wire: they objected to Filipino friends feeding us through the bars like "animals in a zoo." After the Battle for Manila, the field at left was filled with the graves and crosses of the dead.
(Courtesy of Robin Prising)



Anxious, confused arrivals at Santo Tomas, 1942; note frightened boy on right -- clinging to his mother (Japanese photo)
(Courtesy of Robin Prising)



Patio in Santo Tomas "Internment" Camp, 1942: Mr. and Mrs. Wishard
(Japanese propaganda photo - looks like a country club)
(Courtesy of Robin Prising)



Santo Tomas Supervisors and Monitors
left to right
Charles Schelke, Fay C. Bailey, Neil Crawford, John McCord, Roy Bennett,
Horace Pond, Arthur H. Evans, Fred Berry, Ken Day and Eddie Tait.
(Courtesy of Robin Prising)



Vegatable Garden in front of the Main Building, circa 1942
poor soil and frequent floods permitted only roughage greens: talinum, pechay and kangkong (Japanese photo)
we turned our backs to any Japanese photographer.
(Courtesy of Robin Prising)



The same Patio in Santo Tomas Prison Camp, 1945: men cooking at sheds
Do you know these men's names? (Courtesy of Robin Prising)



The Front Gate At Santo Tomas
1944 or 1945



Map of Overview of Back of Santo Tomas
(Courtesy of Robin Prising)



1942
left to right
Donald Rutter (U.S. Navy -- no shirt), one of the Coote's brothers, Unknown, Bill Hoffmann, Earl Hornbostel and an Unknown mistiso.
Rutter was taken with 25/26 other military men from Santo Tomas Internment Camp
and sent to Cabanatuan Military Prison Camp.
(Photo courtesy of Tom Moore and information from Patricia "Pat" Chittick Remley.)



1942-1943
Behind the main building
Bathtub for hair washing
Margaret Evalyn Whitaker on right in the blouse with flowers on the blouse's pockets
Margaret's mother, Evalyn Eddy Whitaker, in the middle
Others are unknown
(Photo courtesy of Tom Moore)


This surreptitious picture was taken in early September, 1942 in the Santo Tomas Internment Camp, Manila, Philippines
by internees Jerry Sams and Patricia Chittick.
It depicts a Japanese machine gun drill. The weapon appears to be a Japanese Nambu machine gun (Nambu Keikikanju) with tripod. The officer in charge is to the left, followed by four soldiers carrying the weapon and two soldiers bringing up the rear in march step.



Back View of Education Building with Shacks, Latrines, etc.
(Courtesy of Robin Prising)



Overview of Back of Santo Tomás (see Map): showing Annexe, Isolation Hospital, Main Building, Education Building, the Cook Sheds, the Garden and Shanties areas, the Jap Bodega & Guardhouse—the Wall with unseen Barbed Wire backing onto Calle Dapitan.
(Courtesy of Robin Prising)



Crowd around U. S. jeep -- February 4, 1945.
On the left: F. W. Prising, wearing khaki hat; Dr Beulah Ream Allen (thin woman, short hair)
Can you identify other people in this photo?
(Courtesy of Robin Prising)



Battle for Manila, February 1945
The devastated city with Santo Tomas standing clearly in the background.
(Courtesy of Robin Prising)





Photo Courtesy of Tom Moore


(Courtesy of Kay Cotterman Hoskins)


If you would like to share any information about Santo Tomas Internment Camp
or would like to be on my POW/Internee e-mail distribution list,
please let the me, Tom Moore, know.
Thanks!

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