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Cpl. James Robert Martin was the son of Harry. A. Martin and Mary O'Brien-Martin. He was born on January 2, 1918, in Chicago. As a child, he and his one sister and four brothers grew up first in Lombard, Illinois, and then moved to 1409 South Sixth Avenue in Maywood. He was used Robert as his first name and was known as "Bob" to his friends. Bob graduated from Garfield Grade School, in Maywood, and was a 1937 graduate of Proviso Township High School. After high school, he worked in a sandwich shop.
In 1939, Bob joined the Illinois National Guard's 33rd Tank Company in Maywood to be with his friend, Harry K. Smith. It is not known when Bob left the National Guard, but when the Selective Service Act took effect on October 16, 1940, he registered for the draft and named his mother as his contact person. Knowing he was going to be drafted, he reenlisted in the tank company to fulfill his one year of military service.
As it turned out when the company was federalized on November 25, 1940, Bob went with the company to Fort Knox, Kentucky. One group of 17 soldiers left Maywood on Wednesday, November 27 at 7:00 A.M. in a convoy of one command car (or jeep), two trucks carrying supplies, and three private cars owned by members of the company. The trip was not easy since for 120 miles the road was covered in ice which cleared up near Indianapolis. They had dinner and spent the night at Ft. Benjamin Harris in Indianapolis. After showering and getting cleaned up, they continued the trip. As they got closer to Ft. Knox. the weather got warmer and the snow disappeared. During the trip one of the main topics was were they going live in tents or barracks. They reached the base late in the day on Thursday and found they were housed in barracks for the night which they would not stay in.
Most of the soldiers made the trip to Ft. Knox by train on Thursday, November 28th. They marched down Madison Street to Fifth Avenue in Maywood and then north to the Chicago & Northwestern train station. In B Company's case, they rode on the same train as A Company. In Chicago, the train was transferred onto the tracks of the Illinois Central Railroad which took them to Ft. Knox. Once at the fort they were met by Army trucks at the station which took them to the fort where they reunited with the men who drove. The soldiers lived in six-man tents which had stoves for heat since they were assigned to a newly opened area of the fort and their barracks were not finished.
When they arrived at the base they lived in six men tents with stoves that provided heat. They spent the first six weeks in primary training. During week 1, the soldiers did infantry drilling; week 2, manual arms and marching to music; week 3, machine gun training; week 4, was pistol usage; week 5, M1 rifle firing; week 6, was training with gas masks, gas attacks, pitching tents, and hikes; weeks 7, 8, and 9 were spent learning the weapons, firing each one, learning the parts of the weapons and their functions, field stripping and caring for weapons, and the cleaning of weapons.
1st Sgt. Richard Danca – on December 26 – was given the job of picking men to be transferred from the company to the soon to be formed Hq Company. 35 men were picked because they had special training. Many of these men received promotions and because of their rating received higher pay. The men assigned to the company still lived with the B Company since their barracks were unfinished until February.
A typical day for the soldiers started at 6:15 with reveille, but most of the soldiers were up before this since they wanted to wash and dress. Breakfast was from 7:00 to 8:00 A.M., followed by calisthenics from 8:00 to 8:30. Afterward, the tankers went to various schools within the company. The classes consisted of .30 and .50 caliber machine guns, pistol, map reading, care of personal equipment, military courtesy, and training in tactics.
At 11:30 the soldiers stopped what they were doing and cleaned up for mess which was from noon to 1:00 P.M. Afterwards, they attended the various schools which they had been assigned to on January 13, such as mechanics, tank driving, radio operating. The classes lasted for 13 weeks. Bob qualified as a tank driver at this time.
At 4:30, the soldiers called it a day and returned to their barracks and put on dress uniforms and at five held retreat and followed by dinner at 5:30. After they ate they stood in line to wash their mess kits since they had no mess hall. About January 12, 1941, their mess hall opened and they ate off real plates with forks and knives. They also no longer had to wash their own plates since that job fell on the men assigned to Kitchen Police. After dinner, they were off duty and lights were out at 9:00 P.M., but they did not have to turn in until 10:00 when Taps was played. The game that many of the men began to play was chess and one group became known as "The Chess Clique."
The company also moved into its barracks in January 1941. Before this, they had lived in six men tents with stoves. Most of the members of B Company were assigned to Barracks 53. The bunks were set up along the walls and alternated so that the head of one bunk was next to the foot of another bunk allowing for more bunks to be placed in the least amount of space. The one problem they had was that the barracks had four, two-way speakers in it. One speaker was in the main room of each floor of the barracks, one was in the sergeant's office, and one was in the Lt. Donald Hanes' office. Since by flipping a switch the speaker became a microphone, the men watched what they said.
The area outside the barracks was described as muddy and dusty most of the time. An attempt was made to improve the situation with the building of walkways and roads around the barracks.
It was also at this time that all the companies had 16 operational tanks and the first men from selective service were assigned to the company. On January 10th, these men took their first tank ride and all of them had the chance to drive the tanks. They would permanently join the company in March 1941.
During their free time during the week, the men could go to one of the three movie theaters on the outpost. They also sat around and talked. As the weather got warmer, the men tried to play baseball as often as possible in the evenings. At 9:00 P.M., when lights went out, most went to sleep.
On weekends, men with passes frequently went to Louisville which was 35 miles north of the fort, while others went to Elizabethtown sixteen miles south of the fort. Those men still on the base used the dayroom to read since it was open until 11:00 P.M.
At 7:00 AM. on Monday, June 16, the battalion was broken into four detachments for a three-day tactical road march. The most important part of this march was to train the soldiers in loading, unloading, and setting up the battalion's administrative camps. It also prepared them for the Louisiana maneuvers which they were scheduled to take part in during September.
The battalion traveled with 20 tanks, 20 motorcycles, 7 armored scout cars, 5 jeeps, 12 peeps (later called jeeps), 20 large 2½ ton trucks (these carried the battalion's garages for vehicle repair), 5, 1½ ton trucks (which were the battalion's kitchens), and 1 ambulance. The battalion traveled through Bardstown and Springfield before arriving at Harrodsburg at 2:30 P.M. where they set up their bivouac at the fairgrounds. The next morning, they moved to Herrington Lake east of Danville, where the soldiers swam, boated, and fished. The battalion returned to Ft. Knox on Wednesday, June 18th through Lebanon, New Haven and Hodgenville, Kentucky.
In the late summer of 1941, the tank battalion was sent to Camp Polk, Louisiana, to take part in maneuvers from September 1 through 30. The entire battalion was loaded onto trucks and sent in a convoy to Louisiana while the tanks and wheeled vehicles were sent by train. During the maneuvers, Hq Company made sure that the tanks were supplied and repaired as needed.
The tanks held defensive positions and usually were held in reserve by the higher headquarters. For the first time, the tanks were used to counter-attack and in support of infantry The tanks held defensive positions and usually were held in reserve by the higher headquarters. Many of the men felt that the tanks were finally being used like they should be used and not as "mobile pillboxes."
The maneuvers were described by some men as being awakened at 4:30 A.M. and sent to an area to engage an imaginary enemy. After engaging the enemy, the tanks withdrew to another area. The crews had no idea what they were doing most of the time because they were never told anything by the higher-ups. Some felt that they just rode around in their tanks a lot.
During their training at Ft. Knox, the tankers were taught that they should never attack an anti-tank gun head-on. One day during the maneuvers, their commanding general threw away the entire battalion doing just that. After sitting out a period of time, the battalion resumed the maneuvers. At some point, the battalion also went from fighting in the Red Army to fighting for the Blue Army.
One of the major problems was snake bites. It appeared that every other man was bitten at some point by a snake. The platoon commanders carried a snakebit kit that was used to create a vacuum to suck the poison out of the bite. The bites were the result of the nights cooling down and snakes crawling under the soldiers' bedrolls for warmth while the soldiers were sleeping on them.
There was one multicolored snake – about eight inches long – that was beautiful to look at, but if it bit a man he was dead. The good thing was that these snakes would not just strike at the man but only struck if the man forced himself on it. When the soldiers woke up in the morning they would carefully pick up their bedrolls to see if there were any snakes under them. To avoid being bitten, men slept on the two and a half-ton trucks or on or in the tanks. Another trick the soldiers learned was to dig a small trench around their tents and lay rope in the trench. The burs on the rope kept the snakes from entering the tents. The snakes were not a problem if the night was warm.
They also had a problem with the wild hogs in the area. In the middle of the night while the men were sleeping in their tents they would suddenly hear hogs squealing. The hogs would run into the tents pushing on them until they took them down and dragged them away.
The food was also not very good since the air was always damp which made it hard to get a fire started. Many of their meals were C ration meals of beans or chili that they choked down. Washing clothes was done when the men had a chance. They did this by finding a creek, looking for alligators, and if there were none, taking a bar of soap and scrubbing whatever they were washing. Clothes were usually washed once a week or once every two weeks.
The major problem for the tanks was the sandy soil. On several occasions, tanks were parked and the crews walked away from them. When they returned, the tanks had sunk into the sandy soil up to their hauls. To get them out, other tanks were brought in and attempted to pull them out. If that didn't work, the tankers brought in a wrecker from Camp Polk to pull the tank out.
The one good thing that came out of the maneuvers was that the tank crews learned how to move at night. At Ft. Knox this was never done. Without knowing it, the night movements were preparing them for what they would do in the Philippines since most of the battalion's movements there were made at night. The drivers learned how to drive at night and to take instructions from their tank commanders who had a better view from the turret.
At night a number of motorcycle riders from other tank units were killed because they were riding their bikes without headlights on which meant they could not see obstacles in front of their bikes. When they hit something they fell to the ground and the tanks following them went over them. This happened several times before the motorcycle riders were ordered to turn on their headlights.
After the maneuvers, they were ordered to Camp Polk, Louisiana, instead of returning to Ft. Knox. On the side of a hill, the battalion learned that they were being sent overseas. Men who were married or 29 years old or older were allowed to resign from federal service. Replacements for these men came from the 753rd Tank Battalion. Most of the remaining soldiers were given leaves home to say their goodbyes.
The reason for this move was an event that took place in the summer of 1941. A squadron of American fighters was flying over Lingayen Gulf when one of the pilots, who was flying at a lower altitude – noticed something odd. He took his plane down and identified a flagged buoy in the water and saw another in the distance. He came upon more buoys that lined up, in a straight line for 30 miles to the northwest, in the direction of a Japanese occupied island that a large radio transmitter. The island was hundreds of miles away. The squadron continued its flight plan and flew south to Mariveles before returning to Clark Field. When the planes landed, it was too late to do anything that day.
The and the next day, another squadron was sent to the area and found that the buoys had been picked up by a fishing boat that was seen making its way to shore. It was at that time the decision was made to build up the American military presence in the Philippines.
After the companies were brought up to strength with replacements, the battalion was equipped with new tanks and half-tracks with came from the 753rd Tank Battalion. The battalion traveled over different train routes to Ft. Mason in San Francisco, California, where they were taken by the ferry, the U.S.A.T. General Frank M. Coxe, to Angel Island. At Ft. McDowell, on the island, they received physicals and inoculations. Men found with minor medical conditions were held back and scheduled to rejoin the battalion at a later date. Other men were simply replaced.
The 192nd boarded onto the U.S.A.T. Gen. Hugh L. Scott and sailed on Monday, October 27. During this part of the trip, many tankers had seasickness, but once they recovered they spent much of the time training in breaking down machine guns, cleaning weapons, and doing KP. The ship arrived at Honolulu, Hawaii, on Sunday, November 2 and had a two-day layover, so the soldiers were given shore leave so they could see the island.
On Wednesday, November 5, the ship sailed for Guam but took a southerly route away from the main shipping lanes. It was at this time it was joined by, the heavy cruiser, the U.S.S. Louisville and, another transport, the U.S.A.T. President Calvin Coolidge. Sunday night, November 9, the soldiers went to bed and when they awoke the next morning, it was Tuesday, November 11. During the night, while they slept, the ships had crossed the International Dateline.
On Saturday, November 15, smoke from an unknown ship was seen on the horizon. The Louisville revved up its engines, its bow came out of the water, and it shot off in the direction of the smoke. It turned out the smoke was from a ship that belonged to a friendly country, while two other intercepted ships were Japanese freighters hauling scrap metal to Japan.
When they arrived at Guam on Sunday, November 16, the ships took on water, bananas, coconuts, and vegetables before sailing for Manila the next day. At one point, the ships passed an island at night and did so in total blackout. This for many of the soldiers was a sign that they were being sent into harm's way.
The ships entered Manila Bay, at 8:00 A.M., on Thursday, November 20, and docked at Pier 7 later that morning. One thing that was different about their arrival was that instead of a band and a welcoming committee waiting at the pier to tell them to enjoy their stay in the Philippines and see as much of the island as they could, a party came aboard the ship – carrying guns – and told the soldiers, "Draw your firearms immediately; we're under alert. We expect a war with Japan at any moment. Your destination is Fort Stotsenburg, Clark Field." At 3:00 P.M., most of the soldiers were taken by bus to Ft. Stotsenburg. Those who drove trucks drove them to the fort, while the maintenance section remained behind at the pier to unload the tanks. At 3:00 P.M., most of the soldiers were taken by bus to Ft. Stotsenburg.
At the fort, they were greeted by Colonel Edward King who apologized that the men had to live in tents along the main road between the fort and Clark Field. He made sure that had what they needed and that they all received dinner – which was stew thrown into their mess kits – before he went to have his own dinner. Ironically, November 20 was the date that the National Guard members of the battalion had expected to be released from federal service.
The members of the battalion pitched the ragged World War I tents in an open field halfway between the Clark Field Administration Building and Fort Stotsenburg. The tents were set up in two rows and five men were assigned to each tent. There were two supply tents and meals were provided by food trucks stationed at the end of the rows of tents.
The area was near the end of a runway used by B-17s for takeoffs. The planes flew over the tents at about 100 feet blowing dirt everywhere and the noise from the engines as they flew over was unbelievable. At night, they heard the sounds of planes flying over the airfield which turned out to be Japanese reconnaissance planes. In addition, the khaki uniforms they had been issued also turned out to be a heavy material which made them uncomfortable to wear in the tropical heat.
The day started at 5:15 with reveille and anyone who washed near a faucet with running water was considered lucky. At 6:00 A.M. they ate breakfast followed by work – on their on the tanks and other equipment – from 7:00 A.M. to 11:30 A.M. Lunch was from 11:30 A.M. to 1:30 P.M. when the soldiers returned to work until 2:30 P.M. The shorter afternoon work period was based on the belief that it was too hot to work in the climate. The term "recreation in the motor pool," which they borrowed from the 194th, meant they actually worked until 4:30 in the afternoon.
For recreation, the soldiers spent their free time bowling or going to the movies on the base. They also played horseshoes, softball, badminton, or threw footballs around during their free time. On Wednesday afternoons, they went swimming. Men were given the opportunity to be allowed to go to Manila in small groups.
At Ft. Stotsenburg, the soldiers were expected to wear their dress uniforms. Since working on the tanks was a dirty job, the battalion members wore coveralls to do the work on the tanks. The 192nd followed the example of the 194th Tank Battalion and wore coveralls in their barracks area to do work on their tanks, but if the soldiers left the battalion's area, they wore dress uniforms everywhere; including going to the PX.
Ten days before the attack on Pearl Harbor, the reconnaissance pilots reported that Japanese transports were milling around in a large circle in the China Sea. On Monday, December 1, the tanks were ordered to the perimeter of Clark Field to guard against paratroopers. The 194th guarded the north end of the airfield and the 192nd guarded the south end. At all times, two members of each tank and half-track remained with their vehicles. Meals were served to the tankers from food trucks.
On December 8, 1941, December 7 in the United States, just ten hours after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Bob lived through the Japanese attack on Clark Field. The tanks had been given the duty of guarding the perimeter of the airfield.
The tank battalion received orders on December 21st that it was to proceed north to Lingayen Gulf. Because of logistics problems, the B and C Companies soon ran low on gas. When they reached Rosario, there was only enough for one tank platoon, from B Company, to proceed north to support the 26th Cavalry.
On December 22, 1941, Bob was sent north to Agoo as a member of the tank crew of S/Sgt. Al Edwards. All the members of his tank crew were from Maywood. It had been reported to the Americans that the Japanese had landed troops near there. In response, a platoon of tanks under the command of Lt. Ben Morin was sent north to Lingayen Gulf to engage the enemy and to allow the 26th U. S. Calvary to disengage from the battle.
Bob, as the tank driver, was sitting next to his friend from Maywood, Henry Deckert. It was during the Battle of Agoo, that Bob saw Henry die when a 40-millimeter shell hit the machine gun port. The concussion from the shell came through the port and decapitated Deckert. Bob was covered in Deckert's blood but continued to drive the tank. According to members of 17th Ordnance, Bob was in shock when they removed the body of Henry Deckert from the tank.
On December 23 and 24, the battalion was in the area of Urdaneta. The bridge they were going used to cross the Agno River was destroyed and the tankers made an end run to get south of the river. As they did this, they ran into Japanese resistance early in the evening. They successfully crossed the river in the Bayambang Province.
On December 25, the tanks of the battalion held the southern bank of the Agno River from Carmen to Tayung, with the tanks of the 194th holding the line on the Carmen-Alcala-Bautista Road. The tanks held the position until 5:30 in the morning on December 27.
The tankers were at Santo Tomas near Cabanatuan on December 27, and at San Isidro south of Cabanatuan on December 28 and 29. On January 1, conflicting orders were received by the defenders who were attempting to stop the Japanese advance down Route 5. Doing this would allow the Southern Luzon Forces to withdraw toward Bataan. General Wainwright was unaware of the orders since they came from Gen. MacArthur's chief of staff.
Because of the orders, there was confusion among the Filipinos and American forces defending the bridges over the Pampanga River. Due to the efforts of the Self-Propelled Mounts, the 71st Field Artillery, and a frenzied attack by the 192nd Tank Battalion the Japanese were halted. From January 2 to 4, the 192nd held the road open from San Fernando to Dinalupihan so the southern forces could escape.
During the withdrawal into the peninsula, the company crossed over the last bridge which was mined and about to be blown. The 192nd held its position so that the 194th Tank Battalion could leapfrog past it and then cover the 192nd's withdraw. The 192nd was the last American unit to enter Bataan.
Over the next several months, the battalion fought battle after battle with tanks that were not designed for jungle warfare. The tank battalions, on January 28, were given the job of protecting the beaches. The 192nd was assigned the coastline from Paden Point to Limay along Bataan's east coast. The Japanese later admitted that the tanks guarding the beaches prevented them from attempting landings.
The company also took part in the Battle of the Pockets – from January 23 to February 17 – to wipe out Japanese soldiers who had been trapped behind the main defensive line after a Japanese offensive was stopped and pushed back to the original line of defense. The tanks would enter the pocket one at a time to replace a tank in the pocket. Another tank did not enter the pocket until a tank exited the pocket. Doing this was so stressful that each tank company was rotated out and replaced by one that was being held in reserve.
To exterminate the Japanese, two methods were used. The first was to have three Filipino soldiers ride on the back of the tank. As the tank went over a Japanese foxhole, the Filipinos dropped three hand grenades into the foxhole. Since the grenades were from WWI, one out of three usually exploded.
The other method used to kill the Japanese was to park a tank with one track over the foxhole. The driver gave the other track power resulting in the tank going around in a circle and grinding its way down into the foxhole. The tankers slept upwind of their tanks so they wouldn't smell the rotting flesh.
While the tanks were doing this job, the Japanese sent soldiers, with cans of gasoline, against the tanks. These Japanese attempted to jump onto the tanks, pour gasoline into the vents on the back of the tanks, and set the tanks on fire. If the tankers could not machine gun the Japanese before they got to a tank, the other tanks would shoot them as they stood on a tank. The tankers did not like to do this because of what it did to the crew inside the tank. When the bullets hit the tank, its rivets would pop and wound the men inside the tank. It was for their performance during this battle that the 192nd Tank Battalion would receive one of its Distinguished Unit Citations.
Since the stress on the crews was tremendous, the tanks rotated into the pocket one at a time. A tank entered the pocket and the next tank waited for the tank that had been relieved to exit the pocket before it would enter. This was repeated until all the tanks in the pocket were relieved.
What made this job so hard was that the Japanese dug "spider holes" among the roots of the trees. Because of this situation, the Americans could not get a good shot at the Japanese.
The tankers, from A, B, and C Companies, were able to clear the pockets. But before this was done, one C Company tank which had gone beyond the American perimeter was disabled and the tank just sat there. When the sun came up the next day, the tank was still sitting there.
During the night, its crew was buried alive, inside the tank, by the Japanese. When the Japanese had been wiped out, the tank was turned upside down to remove the dirt and recover the bodies of the crew. The tank was put back into use.
At the same time, the company took part in the Battle of the Points on the west coast of Bataan. The Japanese landed troops but ended up trapped. One was the Lapay-Longoskawayan points from January 23 to 29, the Quinawan-Aglaloma points from January 22 to February 8, and the Sililam-Anyasan points from January 27 to February 13. The defenders successfully eliminated the points by driving their tanks along the Japanese defensive line and firing their machine guns. The 45th Infantry, Philippine Scouts followed the tanks eliminating any resistance and driving the Japanese Marines over the edge of the cliffs where they hid in caves. The tanks fired into the caves killing or forcing them out of them into the sea.
In February 1942, B Company was also given the job of defending a beach, along the east coast of Bataan, where the Japanese could land troops. One night while on this duty, the company engaged the Japanese in a firefight as they attempted to land troops on the beach. When morning came, not one Japanese soldier had successfully landed on the beach.
After being up all night, the tankers attempted to get some sleep. Every morning "Recon Joe" flew over attempting to locate the tanks. The jungle canopy hid the tanks from the plane. Walter Cigoi aggravated about being woken up, pulled his half-track on the beach and took a "potshot" at the plane. He missed. Twenty minutes later, Japanese planes appeared and bombed the position. Frank took cover under a tank.
After the attack, the tankers found Pvt. Richard Graff and Pvt. Charles Heuel dead, and Pvt. Francis McGuire was wounded. Another man had his leg partially blown off. The tankers attempted to put the man in a jeep, but his leg got in the way. To get him into the jeep, his leg was cut off by T/4 Frank Goldstein.
The soldiers were hungry and began to eat everything they could get their hands on to eat. The Carabao were tough but if they were cooked long enough they could be eaten. They also began to eat horse meat provided by the 26th U. S. Cavalry. To make things worse, the soldiers' rations were cut in half again on March 1, 1942. This meant that they only ate two meals a day.
The Japanese also were dropping surrender leaflets with a scantily clad blond on them. The Japanese would have been more successful at getting the Americans to surrender if the picture had been hamburger since the men were so hungry that they most likely would have surrendered for a good meal.
In March, the amount of gasoline was reduced to 15 gallons a day for all vehicles except the tanks. This would later be dropped to ten gallons a day. At the same time, food rations were cut in half again. Also at this time, Gen. Weaver suggested to Gen. Wainwright that a platoon of tanks be sent to Corregidor.
On April 3, 1942, the Japanese launched an all-out attack supported by artillery and aircraft. A large force of Japanese troops came over Mount Samat and descended down the south face of the volcano. This attack wiped out two divisions of defenders and left a large area of the defensive line open to the Japanese.
A counter-attack was launched – on April 7 – by the 57th Infantry, Philippine Scouts which was supported by tanks. Its objective was to restore the line, but Japanese infiltrators prevented this from happening. During this action, one tank was knocked out but the remaining tanks successfully withdrew. C Company, 194th, was attached to the 192nd and had only seven tanks left.
It was the evening of April 8 that Gen. Edward P. King decided that further resistance was futile, since approximately 25% of his men were healthy enough to fight, and he estimated they would last one more day. In addition, he had over 6,000 troops who sick or wounded and 40,000 civilians who he feared would be massacred. His troops were on one-quarter rations, and even at that ration, he had two days of food left. He also believed his troops could fight for one more day. Companies B and D, 192nd, and A Company, 194th, were preparing for a suicide attack on the Japanese in an attempt to stop the advance.
It was at 10:00 P.M. that the decision was made to send a jeep – under a white flag – behind enemy lines to negotiate terms of surrender. The problem soon became that no white cloth could be found. Phil Parish, a truck driver for A Company realized that he had bedding buried in the back of his truck and searched for it. The bedding became the "white flags" that were flown on the jeeps. At 11:40 P.M., the soldiers heard a thud and the ammunition dumps went up in flames. At midnight Companies B and D, and A Company, 194th, received an order from Gen. Weaver to stand down.
At 2:oo A.M. April 9, Gen. King sent a jeep under a white flag carrying Colonel Everett C. Williams, Col. James V. Collier, and Major Marshall Hurt to meet with the Japanese commander about terms of surrender. The driver was Cpl. Bill Burns who had been a member of B Company. Shortly after daylight Collier and Hunt returned with word of the appointment.
At 6:45 A.M., the order "CRASH" was sent out and the tank crews circled their tanks. Each tank fired an armor-piercing shell into the engine of the tank in front of it. They also opened the gasoline cocks inside the tank compartments and dropped hand grenades into the tanks. Most of the company waited in their bivouac for the Japanese to make contact, while others attempted to reach Corregidor which had not surrendered.
As Gen. King left to negotiate the surrender, he went through the area held by B Company and spoke to the men. He said to them, "I'm going to get us the best deal I can." He also said, "When you get home, don't ever let anyone say to you, you surrendered. I was the one who surrendered."
Gen. King with his two aides, Maj. Wade R. Cothran and Captain Achille C. Tisdelle Jr. got into a jeep carrying a large white flag. They were followed by another jeep – also flying another large white flag – with Col. Collier and Maj. Hurt in it. As the jeeps made their way north they were strafed and small bombs were dropped by a Japanese plane. The drivers of both jeeps and the jeeps were provided by the tank group and both men managed to avoid the bullets. The strafing ended when a Japanese reconnaissance plane ordered the fighter pilot to stop strafing.
About 10:00 A.M. the jeeps reached Lamao where they were received by a Japanese Major General who informed King that he reported his coming to negotiate a surrender and that an officer from Japanese command would arrive to do the negotiations. The Japanese officer also told him that his troops would no attack for thirty minutes while King decided what he would do.
After a half-hour, no Japanese officer had arrived from their headquarters and the Japanese attack had resumed. King sent Col. Collier and Maj. Hunt back to his command with instructions that any unit inline with the Japanese advance should fly white flags.
Shortly after this was done a Japanese colonel and interpreter arrived. King was told the officer was Homma's Chief of Staff and he had come to discuss King's surrender. King attempted to get insurances from the Japanese that his men would be treated as prisoners of war, but the Japanese officer – through his interpreter – accused him of declining to surrender unconditionally. At one point King stated he had enough trucks and gasoline to carry his troops out of Bataan. He was told that the Japanese would handle the movement of the prisoners. The two men talked back and forth until the colonel said through the interpreter, "The Imperial Japanese Army are not barbarians." King found no choice but to accept him at his word.
On April 9, 1942, the Filipino and American forces on the Bataan were surrendered to the Japanese. It was on this date that Bob became a Prisoner of War. Bob recalled that many of the POWs were already ill when they began the march to Camp O'Donnell. Many of the men were barely able to march. The prisoners were covered with mud which resulted in sores. Their feet also blistered from the march.
According to Bob, the heat on the march was intolerable, and those who begged for water were beaten by the guards with their rifle butts because they had asked. Those who were exhausted or suffering from dysentery and dropped to the side of the road were shot or clubbed to death.
Food on the march was minimal when it was given to the prisoners, each would receive a pint of boiled rice. The Filipino people seeing the condition of the prisoners attempted to aid them by passing food to the Americans. If the Filipinos were caught doing this, they were beheaded. By the time the POWs arrived at Camp O'Donnell, they were half-starved and half dead. Bob would spend six weeks at Camp O'Donnell.
The camp was an unfinished Filipino training base that the Japanese pressed the camp into use as a POW camp on April 1, 1942. When they arrived at the camp, the Japanese confiscated any extra clothing that the POWs had and refused to return it to them. They searched the POWs and if a man was found to have Japanese money on them, they were taken to the guardhouse. Over the next several days, gunshots were heard to the southeast of the camp. These POWs had been executed for looting.
There was only one water faucet in the camp, and the prisoners stood in line from two to eight hours waiting for a drink. The Japanese guards at the faucet would turn it off for no reason and the next man in line would stand as long as four hours waiting for it to be turned on again, but the Japanese never had a shortage of water. This situation improved when a second faucet was added.
There was no water for washing clothes, so the POWs would throw out their clothing when it had been soiled. In addition, water for cooking had to be carried three miles from a river to the camp, and mess kits could not be washed. The slit trenches in the camp were inadequate and were soon overflowing since most of the POWs had dysentery. The result was that flies were everywhere in the camp including the POW kitchens and in the food.
The POWs received three meals a day. For breakfast, they were fed a half cup of soupy rice and occasionally some type of coffee. Lunch each day was a half of a mess kit of steamed rice and a half of cup of sweet potato soup. They received the same meal for dinner. All meals were served outside regardless of the weather.
There was not enough housing for the POWs and most slept under buildings or on the ground. The barracks were designed for 40 men but those did sleep in one slept in a barracks it was with as many 80 to 120 men.
The camp hospital had no soap, water, or disinfectant. When the ranking American doctor at the camp wrote a letter to the camp commandant, Capt. Yohio Tsuneyoshi, asking for medical supplies, he was told never to write another letter. When the Archbishop of Manila sent a truckload of medical supplies to the camp, Tsuneyoshi refused to allow the truck into the camp. When the Philippine Red Cross sent medical supplies to the camp the Japanese took 95% of the supplies for their own use. A second truck with medical supplies sent by the Red Cross to the camp was turned away at the gate.
The POWs in the camp hospital lay on the floor elbow to elbow and only one medic – of the six medics assigned to care for 50 sick POWs in the hospital – was healthy enough to care for them. When a representative of the Philippine Red Cross stated they could supply a 150-bed hospital for the camp, he was slapped in the face by a Japanese lieutenant.
Each morning, the bodies of the dead were found all over the camp and were carried to the hospital and placed underneath it. The bodies lay there for two or three days before they were buried in the camp cemetery by other POWs who were suffering from dysentery and/or malaria. In an attempt to stop the spread of disease, the dead were moved to one area, and the ground was scraped and lime was spread over it. The bodies of the dead were placed in the cleaned area, and the area they had lain was scraped and lime was spread over it.
Work details were sent out on a daily basis. Each day, the American doctors gave a list of names to the Japanese of the POWs who were healthier enough to work. If the quota of POWs needed to work could not be met, the Japanese put those POWs who were sick but could walk, to work. The less sick from the hospital were required to dig latrines and were given a canteen of water that was expected to last three days. The sick who went out on work details came back to the camp and died. The death rate among the POWs reached 50 men dying a day.
The POWs on the burial detail often had dysentery and/or malaria. When they buried the dead, the next morning many were found sitting up in their graves or that the dead had been dug up by wild dogs. The Japanese finally acknowledged that they had to do something, so they opened a new camp at Cabanatuan.
"Dear Mrs. M. Martin:
"According to War Department records, you have been designated as the emergency addressee of Corporal Robert J. Martin, 20,600,457, who, according to the latest information available, was serving in the Philippine Islands at the time of the final surrender.
"I deeply regret that it is impossible for me to give you more information than is contained in this letter. In the last days before the surrender of Bataan, there were casualties which were not reported to the War Department. Conceivably the same is true of the surrender of Corregidor and possibly other islands of the Philippines. The Japanese Government has indicated its intention of conforming to the terms of the Geneva Convention with respect to the interchange of information regarding prisoners of war. At some future date, this Government will receive through Geneva a list of persons who have been taken prisoners of war. Until that time the War Department cannot give you positive information.
"The War Department will consider the persons serving in the Philippine Islands as "missing in action" from the date of surrender of Corregidor, May 7, 1942, until definite information to the contrary is received. It is to be hoped that the Japanese Government will communicate a list of prisoners of war at an early date. At that time you will be notified by this office in the event that his name is contained in the list of prisoners of war. In the case of persons known to have been present in the Philippines and who are not reported to be prisoners of war by the Japanese Government, the War Department will continue to carry them as "missing in action" in the absence of information to the contrary, until twelve months have expired. At the expiration of twelve months and in the absence of other information the War Department is authorized to make a final determination.
"Recent legislation makes provision to continue the pay and allowances of persons carried in a "missing" status for a period not to exceed twelve months; to continue, for the duration of the war, the pay and allowances of persons known to have been captured by the enemy; to continue allotments made by missing personnel for a period of twelve months and allotments or increase allotments made by persons by the enemy during the time they are so held; to make new allotments or increase allotments to certain dependents defined in Public Law 490, 77th Congress. The latter dependents generally include the legal wife, dependent children under twenty-one years of age and dependent mother, or such dependents as having been designated in official records. Eligible dependents who can establish a need for financial assistance and are eligible to receive this assistance the amount allotted will be deducted from pay which would otherwise accrue to the credit of the missing individual.
"Very Truly yours
J. A. Ulio (signed)
Major General
The Adjutant General"
On June 1, 1942, the POWs formed detachments of 100 men each and were marched to Capas. There, they were put in steel boxcars with two Japanese guards. At Calumpit, the train was switched onto another line which took it to Cabanatuan. The POWs disembarked and were taken to a schoolyard where they were fed cooked rice and onion soup. From there, they were marched to Cabanatuan which had been the headquarters of the 91st Philippine Army Division and was known as Camp Pangatian.
The camp was actually three camps. Camp 1 was where the men who captured on Bataan and taken part in the death march where held. Camp 2 did not have an adequate water supply and was closed. It later reopened and housed Naval POWs. Camp 3 was where those men captured on Corregidor were taken. In addition, men from Bataan who had been hospitalized when the surrender came were sent to the camp. Camp 3 was later consolidated into Camp 1.
Once in the camp, the POWs were allowed to run the camp. The Japanese only entered if they had an issue they wanted to deal with. In early June, four POWs escaped and were recaptured. They were brought back to the camp and tied to posts and beaten. After three days they were cut loose from the posts and made to dig their own graves. They stood in graves facing a Japanese firing squad and were shot. After they had been shot, a Japanese officer used his pistol and fired a shot into each grave.
The barracks in the camp were built to house 50 POWs, but most had between 60 to 120 POWs in them. The POWs slept on bamboo slats, without mattresses, bedding, or mosquito netting. Many quickly became ill. The POWs were assigned to barracks and divided into groups of ten men. This meant that the members of their group lived together, went out on work details together, and would be executed together since they were Blood Brothers.
The POWs were sent out on work details one was to cut wood for the POW kitchens. The two major details were the farm detail and the airfield detail which lasted for years. A typical day on any detail lasted from 7:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M. The POWs on the farm detail would have to go to a shed each morning to get tools. As they left the shed, the Japanese guards thought it was great fun to hit them over their heads.
The detail was under the command of "Big Speedo" who spoke very little English. When he wanted the POWs to work faster, he told the POWs "speedo." Although he was known to have a temper, the POWs thought he was fair. Another guard was "Little Speedo" who was smaller and also used "speedo" when he wanted the POWs to work faster. The POWs also felt he was pretty fair in his treatment of them.
"Smiley" was another guard who always had a smile on his face but could not be trusted. He was the meanest of the guards and beat men up for no reason. He liked to hit the POWs with the club. Any prisoner who he believed was not working hard enough got knocked over with it. Any prisoner who he believed was not working hard enough got knocked over with it. Each morning, after arriving at the farm, the POWs went into a tool shed to get their tools. As they left the shed, the guards hit them on their heads.
Other POWs worked in rice paddies. While working in the fields, the favorite punishment given to the men in the rice paddies was to have their faces pushed into the mud and stepped on by a guard to drive their faces deeper into the mud. Returning from a detail the POWs bought or were given, medicine, food, and tobacco, which they somehow managed to get into the camp even though they were searched when they returned.
Rice was the main food given to the POWs fed to them as "lugow" which meant "wet rice." During their time in the camp, they received few vegetables and almost no fruit. Once in a while, they received bread. If they received fish it was rotten and covered with maggots.
During June, the first cases of diphtheria appeared in the camp, and by July, it had spread throughout the camp. The Japanese finally gave the American medical staff anti-biotics to treat the POWs, but before it took effect, 130 POWs had died from the disease by August.
On 26 June 1942, six POWs were executed by the Japanese after they had left the camp to buy food and were caught returning to camp. The POWs were tied to posts in a manner that they could not stand up or sit down. No one was allowed to give them food or water and they were not permitted to give them hats to protect them from the sun. The men were left tied to the posts for 48 hours when their ropes were cut. Four of the POWs were executed on the duty side of the camp and the other two were executed on the hospital side of the camp.
In July 1942, his parents received another message from the War Department. The following is an excerpt from it.
The last report of casualties received by the War Department from the Philippines arrived early in the morning of May 6. Through this date, Corporal Robert J. Martin had not been reported as a casualty. The War Department will consider the persons serving in the Philippine Islands as "missing in action" from the date of the surrender of Corregidor, May 7, until definite information to the contrary is received.
Efforts to secure prisoner of war lists from the Philippines have not been successful to this date due to the lack of communication and the fact that the Japanese Government has not yet given permission for the Swiss representative and the International Red Cross delegates to make visits to prisoner of war camps in the islands. When the lists of prisoners are received, we will clear the name of your son and send you any additional information that we may have.
The camp hospital was known as "Zero Ward" because it was missed by the Japanese when they counted barracks. The sickest POWs were sent there to die. The Japanese put a fence up around the building to protect themselves, and they would not go into the building. There were two rolls of wooden platforms around the perimeter of the building. The sickest POWs were put on the lower platform which had holes cut into it so they could relieve themselves. Most of those who entered the ward died.
The POWs had the job of burying the dead. To do this, they worked in teams of four men. Each team carried a litter of four to six dead men to the cemetery where they were buried in graves containing 15 to 20 bodies. Since the water table was high, a POW held the body down in the grave with a pole until it was covered with dirt. The death rate remained 9 POWs a day into November.
On August 7, one POW escaped from the camp and was recaptured on September 17. He was placed in solitary confinement and during his time there, he was beaten over the head with an iron bar by a Japanese sergeant. The camp commandant, Col. Mori, would parade him around the camp and use the man as an example as he lectured the POWs. The man wore a sign that read, "Example of an Escaped Prisoner."
Three POWs escaped from the camp on September 12, 1942, and were recaptured on September 21 and brought back to the camp. Their feet were tied together and their hands were crossed behind their backs and tied with ropes. A long rope was tied around their wrists and they were suspended from a rafter with their toes barely touched the ground causing their arms to bear all the weight of their bodies. They were subjected to severe beatings by the Japanese guards while hanging from the rafter. The punishment lasted three days. They were cut from the rafter and they were tied hand and foot and placed in the cooler for 30 days on a diet was rice and water. One of the three POWs was severely beaten by a Japanese lieutenant but later released.
On September 29, the three POWs were executed by the Japanese after being stopped by American security guards while attempting to escape. The American guards were there to prevent escapes so that the other POWs in their ten men group would not be executed. During the event, the noise made the Japanese aware of the situation and they came to the area and beat the three men who had tried to escape. One so badly that his jaw was broken. After two and a half hours, the three were tied to posts by the main gate and their clothes were torn off them. They also were beaten on and off for the next 48 hours. Anyone passing them was expected to urinate on them. After three days they were cut down and thrown into a truck and taken to a clearing in sight of the camp and shot.
He would remain there until July 1943 and remembered life in the camp as one of endless punishment. Bob remembered that the prisoners were punched in the mouths, made to stand bareheaded, at attention, in the sun until they passed out. They were also kicked in the stomach or hit with rifle butts. It was a common practice for a dozen POWs on the farm detail to be randomly picked out and beaten with a hoe or pick handle. Hundreds died every day due to torture and poor health. Each morning, the surviving POWs would see the piled corpses of the men who had died during the night.
It was while Bob was in this camp that he became extremely ill. Bob was so ill that he was taken to what was called the camp hospital. The hospital was a hospital in name only since the POWs had little to no medicine to treat the sick. Bob was given a place in the hospital next to his friend from high school Sgt. Bob Bronge. It was while he was in the hospital that Bob watched Bob Bronge die from dysentery.
In late July 1943, Bob was sent to Bilibid Prison in Manila to await transport to Japan. He was boarded on the Clyde Maru in late July 23, 1943. The ship sailed and arrived at Santa Cruz, Zambales. There, it was loaded with manganese ore. Three days later, on July 26, it sailed again.
On July 28, the Clyde Maru reached Takao, Formosa. On August 5th, it sailed again for Moji, Japan, arriving there on August 7. The POWs were marched to a train station on August eight and took a two day trip to Omuta. Upon arrival in there, they were marched eighteen miles to Fukuoka #17, In Japan, Bob was given the Bongo number of 98. The barracks for the POWs at the camp were 20 feet wide by 120 feet long. Each one was divided into ten rooms which were shared by four to six POWs each.
The POWs worked in a condemned coal mine. They worked bent over since they were taller than the average Japanese miner. At the mine, each prisoner was expected to load three cars of coal a day. The POWs worked 12 hour work days in areas of the mine which had cracks in the ceiling indicating a cave-in might take place. One was known as the "hotbox" because of its temperatures. To get out of working, the POWs would intentionally have their arms broken by another POW.
Daily meals consisted of seven spoonfuls of water and one fourth a cup of very poor quality watery rice a day. To supplement their diets, the prisoners also ate dog meat, radishes, potato greens, and seaweed. To get a meal, when entering the food line, the POWs had to shout out their number, in Japanese, and another man would put a nail in a hole opposite the man's number on a wooden board to show he had been fed. The nails remained on the board until all the POWs had been fed.
Corporal punishment was an everyday occurrence at the camp. The guards beat the POWs for the slightest reason and continued until the POW was unconscious. The man was then taken to the guardhouse and put in solitary confinement without food or water for a long period of time.
His parents were notified by the War Department that he was a Prisoner of War in October 1943. When they received it, they had no idea that he had already been transferred to Japan.
Within days of receiving the first message, they received a second message:
Mary Martin
1409 South Sixth Avenue
The Provost Marshal General directs me to inform you that you may communicate with your son, postage free, by following the inclosed instructions:
It is suggested that you address him as follows:
Corporal Robert J. Martin, U.S. Army
Interned in the Philippine Islands
C/O Japanese Red Cross, Tokyo, Japan
Via New York, New York
Packages cannot be sent to the Orient at this time. When transportation facilities are available a package permit will be issued you.
Further information will be forwarded you as soon as it is received.
Howard F. Bresee
Colonel, CMP
Chief Information Bureau
On one occasion in November 1944, shirts had been stolen from a bundle, sent by the British Red Cross, from a building. The Japanese ordered all the POWs to assemble and told them that they would not be fed until the shirts were returned. The men who stole the shirts returned the shirts anonymously, and the POWs received their meal at 10:00 P.M.
During the winter, the POWs, being punished, were made to stand at attention and had water thrown on them as they stood in the cold, or they were forced to kneel on bamboo poles. It is known that the POWs were made to stand in water and shocked with electrical current. At some point, two POWs were tied to a post and left to die. This was done they had violated a camp rule.
One day, as Bob worked, there was a cave-in. Bob was seriously injured and when he could walk again, he was assigned to work in the camp kitchen. The meals were cooked in the camp kitchen which was manned by 15 POWs. Seven of the POWs were professional cooks. The kitchen had 11 cauldrons, 2 electric baking ovens, 2 kitchen ranges, 4 storerooms, and an icebox. To supplement their diets, the prisoners also ate dog meat, radishes, potato greens, and seaweed.
While assigned to the kitchen, Bob was responsible for saving the lives of at least a dozen POWs by bringing them food while they were confined to the camp's internal guardhouse. The men in the guardhouse were aware of the risk that Bob took to do this. One of them, Pvt. Lester Tenenberg, a member of Bob's own tank company, would later speak of Bob's actions for years. Both men would remain friends for life.
To steal the food, Bob had to sneak past the Japanese guards without being seen. He also had to make sure that he did not spill a grain of rice. If he had been caught, he would have been killed instantly. The camp mess hall was supervised by Navy Lt. Comdr. Edward N. Little. The other POWs in the camp considered him to be a collaborator who had turned in other POWs for stealing. Two of those men, Pfc. Noel Heard, C Company, 194th Tank Battalion, and Pvt. William Knight were executed by the Japanese.
For Bob, life as a POW was not easy. Bob had to use every bit of strength that he could muster to stay alive. With his physical and mental condition getting worse each day, Bob did not know how long he could survive. He would pray that the war would soon end and that somehow he would make it home. Life at Fukuoka #17 was hard and there were prisoners who would steal from other prisoners, especially clothing. To prevent this from happening, the POWs would "buddy-up" with each other. While one man was working in the mine, the POW who was not working would watch the possessions of the other man.
In addition, the sick were forced to work. The Japanese camp doctor allowed the sick, who could walk, to be sent into the mine. Men who had one good arm were made to lift heavy loads. He also took the Red Cross medical supplies meant for the POWs for his own use and failed to provide adequate medical treatment. Food that came in the packages was eaten by the guards.
During his time at the camp, he suffered from beriberi. While he was there, the camp was hit by bombs from American planes. The American section of the camp was badly damaged, so they moved in with the British and Dutch POWs.
On August 9, 1945, Bob was one of the POWs who saw the atomic bomb explode that was dropped on Nagasaki. Those who saw it described that it was a sunny day and that the explosion still lit up the sky. The pillar of smoke that rose from the bomb was described as having all the colors of the rainbow. Afterward, the POWs saw what they described as a fog blanketing Nagasaki which seemed to have vanished.
The POWs went to work and talked to the Japanese civilians who spoke about how those, who had survived the blast, would touch their heads and pull out their hair. They stated these Japanese died within days. They also told of how they heard about a detachment of Japanese soldiers sent into Nagasaki to recover victims and how its members suffered the same fate.
When the POWs came out of the mine, they found that the next shift of POWs was not waiting to go to work. That night, the POWs were made to stand at attention for two hours. They all had their blankets because they believed they were going to be moved. Instead, they were returned to their barracks. The next day, when it was their turn to go to work, they were told it was a holiday, and they had the day off. They knew something was up because they had never had a holiday off before this.
Finally, the POWs were gathered in the camp and told that Japan and the United States were now friends. They were also told to stay in the camp. They also found a warehouse with Red Cross packages and distributed the packages to the camp.
One day, George Weller, a reporter for the Chicago Daily News entered the camp. He told the POWs that there were American troops on Honshu. The camp was liberated on September 13, by a POW Recovery Team and on September 18, at 7:09 A.M., the POWs left the camp and were taken to the Dejima Docks at Nagasaki, where they boarded a ship and were returned to the Philippines.
His family received word that he had been liberated.
Mrs. Mary Martin: The secretary of war has asked me to inform you that your son, Cpl. Robert J. Martin was returned to military control Sept. 13 and is being returned to the United States within the near future. He will be given the opportunity to communicate with you upon his arrival if he has not already done so.
E. F. Witsell
Acting Adjutant General of the Army
After he was liberated and in the Philippines, Bob sent this telegram home:
Dear Family:
Am fine. Expect leave for home within three days. Glad to hear all are well. How are brothers John, Harry? Answer.
Bob returned to the United States on the U.S.S. Storm King, arriving at San Francisco on October 15, 1945. He and the other former prisoners were taken to Letterman General Hospital for further treatment. From there, he was sent to Madigan General Hospital at Fort Lewis, Washington, for processing, and finally to Hines VA Hospital in Hines, Illinois, which was the nearest Veterans Administration hospital to his home.
Bob married Minnie Faucett and raised a family. For the rest of his life, the one lasting effect of his experience on Bataan was that Bob relived Henry Deckert's death in his dreams. He served the Maywood community as a fireman until his retirement from the Maywood Fire Department. He and his wife would later move to Florida.
It should be mentioned that Bob's brother, Harry, and Lt. Ben Morin's brother, Arthur, served together in the 15th Air Force. Bob Martin passed away on August 31, 1997, in Florida.


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Flying with a dog from Mexico to Canada
Travel Journal #21 A year and a half ago we crossed paths with a street dog named Maya. She grew up in Playa del Carmen and was rescued/fixed by a … Continue Reading Flying with a dog from Mexico to Canada
Follow the travel adventures of Norma & Rob
Travel Journal #21 A year and a half ago we crossed paths with a street dog named Maya. She grew up in Playa del Carmen and was rescued/fixed by a … Continue Reading Flying with a dog from Mexico to Canada
Travel Journal #20 The two of us have had many incredible adventures as we have traveled along the road of life. Three and a half years ago, our two roads … Continue Reading Getting married in Mexico during a pandemic
Travel Journal #19 Greetings to all of our followers, especially those of you up there in the Great White North. Sorry to bother you, but we just wanted a minute … Continue Reading Happy Canada Day, eh!
Travel Journal #18 Across the world, businesses are slowly starting to wake up from the coronavirus hibernation, beginning the long process of reopening. This will be a challenging time for … Continue Reading Is Cozumel open yet?
Travel Journal #17 We've decided that today would be a good day to share some positivity with the world. It's been a long two and a half months for everyone. … Continue Reading Travel around the Neighbourhood – part two.
Travel Journal #16 Many places around the world are about to slowly start lifting restrictions on the movement of people as we transition into a new normal. We've been in … Continue Reading Travel around the Neighbourhood
Travel Journal #15 What should you do? As travel bloggers, we feel that it is important to recommend that anyone who is considering traveling right now, should not. If you … Continue Reading Travel in the time of Coronavirus
Travel Journal #14 Hello fellow travelers! While summer may have finally slipped away, we are not mourning the changing of the seasons. Today, we are looking forward to future adventures … Continue Reading Goodbye Summer / Hola Mexico!
Travel Journal #13 Last weekend we took a mini-vacation; we gave ourselves 4 days to explore New York and the city rewarded us with an amazing trip. We were visiting … Continue Reading Hello Brooklyn!
Travel Journal #12 Start spreading the news; we're going to New York City for a few days! This was sort of a last minute trip we put together, and we're … Continue Reading We're going to New York!
Travel Journal #11 Who wants to go on a road trip? A good friend of ours was moving to Monterrey (in northern Mexico) and needed a co-pilot for the over … Continue Reading Mexico Road Trip (Cozumel to Monterrey)
Travel Journal #10 We've had a busy week! We went back on to the road this weekend, traveling across the Yucatan Peninsula, exploring a new part of Mexico together. Our … Continue Reading Long weekend in Valladolid
Travel Journal #9 Two weeks ago we were in the Canadian Rockies with snow and freezing temperatures, surrounded by mountains. Today we are back in the Caribbean, back home on … Continue Reading From the Rocky Mountains to the Caribbean
Travel Journal #8 The wait is finally over! This morning we are preparing for the first day of our epic Rocky Mountain Adventure! Norma and I spent the last 4.5 … Continue Reading Day Zero: Rocky Mountain Road Trip
Travel Journal #7. It's finally official! Norma booked her flights, so it's time to start planning the ultimate road trip through the Rocky Mountains! We will be traveling in late-September … Continue Reading Planning our Road Trip through the Canadian Rockies
This is Travel Journal #6, and we are here to share another big announcement. Summer 2018 is almost here (it's now only 3 weeks until the summer solstice) and a … Continue Reading Coming this summer… exploring BC


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Sherlock the fire brigade dog can detect subtle traces after thousand-degree blazes, his trainer Paul Osborne tells Mora Morrison
His original namesake may have had displayed an acute understanding of forensic science coupled with an unparalleled knack for logical reasoning, but Sherlock the fire dog has a secret weapon the fictional Victorian detective could never compete with: a snout. Moreover, one with some 200 million receptors – around 198 million more than a human.
Carefully trained to detect subtle traces and scents even after thousand-degree blazes, when Sherlock is called to a scene his nose is the London Fire Brigade's greatest tool to identify the cause of any fire.
This five-year-old spaniel is an integral part of the team, alongside his handler and partner-in-crime, Paul Osborne. Even in the fashion stakes, Sherlock is not to be outdone. Where Sherlock Holmes had his own look – a cape and tweed cap – this detective dog has his own trademark attire: four red boots to protect his paws.
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Find the bomb
As well as taking care of handling duties, Paul Osborne is also Sherlock's self-confessed chauffeur. "If he could drive and write out reports I'd be out of a job", jokes Paul. The pair have been working together for five years with Sherlock living with Paul, his wife and two children.
Sherlock is currently the only fire investigations dog in London, and it is Paul's responsibility to prepare him for work when he is needed. To make a clear distinction between work and play, Paul uses certain words and commands. The main phrase being "find the bomb" – not in terms of explosives – but in reference to a fire bomb or a petrol bomb. "Because that phrase isn't used a lot in daily life I can use that and that keys him in," says Paul.
Before a search he will also ask questions such as 'where is it?' and 'who's a clever dog?' This winds him up with the final part of the jigsaw to tie him up outside. "I will bounce his tennis ball around in the direction in which I want him to search," explains Paul who then hides the ball in his pocket so it is effectively a game of hide and seek. Sherlock will then on high alert and the search begins.
When an ignitable fluid is detected he is trained to use his nose to point to it – he is so accurate that his nose will point within millimetres. "We have not got anything on the market in the world that can detect the presence of ignitable liquids down to the levels which a dog's nose can," Paul says.
Even as artificial intelligence takes off, Paul is certain that a dogs nose is still ahead of the pack. "It's testament to the fact that the dog is so good – if it's not broke don't fix it – the dog is so accurate and so quick, so valuable and very very inexpensive." He explained that the one piece of equipment the could use, would take around 8-10 hours to search a room of 3m x 5m whereas Sherlock will figure out a scene in less than two minutes.
Drive and enthusiasm
It's not easy to become a fire investigations dog. Both dog and handler have to undergo extensive training before being certified. The dogs are sought as a puppy by experts who roam the county looking for the potential in a pup.
Paul explains that the most important thing for the role is to have a dog with lots and lots of drive and enthusiasm. Gun dogs, including Labradors and spaniels, are a good fit because they have long noses, and very tenacious personalities – "something that Sherlock has in bundles".
Another key factor is that they want to work for a reward. For Sherlock the ultimate reward is a tennis ball – "The tennis ball is King". Paul explains that training starts by hiding his ball in a room and waiting for him to retrieve it. "We then put a tiny bit of ignitable liquid on a bit of cardboard and then hide the tennis ball on top of that. So they will go into the room and look for their tennis ball but at the same time they get the scent of something with an association with that ball."
This process is drawn out and the scenes are made more dynamic until eventually the tennis ball is taken away and Sherlock knows the drill. Once he locates the ignitable liquid he will stand and point to it until given the ultimate reward – of his tennis ball.
At home and off duty Sherlock is a much loved member of the family. He sleeps in a kennel outside and is only allowed into the kitchen area of the house, so as not to confuse his training and maintain him as a working dog.
Making a city safer
Like many girls, Paul's daughter is pony obsessed and she enjoys putting a harness on Sherlock and trotting him around the garden as though they are at a gymkhana – "one with a beaming smile and one with a slightly wagging tail."
There are times however when Sherlock has been less well behaved. Paul recalls one incident around Christmas time when his wife had made an exquisite and intricately designed gingerbread house complete with ginger bread parcels and a dusting of icing sugar for snow.
The family was watching telly in the living room when Paul heard his wife scream 'Sherlock where are you?' "She was greeted by a scene of Sherlock looking like he had fallen in a pool of talcum powder and certain missing parts of the gingerbread house looking like it had been jet washed where he had licked it." Paul laughs, despite being the star of the fire brigade, "He's still a dog."
Paul says that working with Sherlock is his dream job and he is very proud of his four legged companion. "Our strap line is making London a safer city – really and truthfully Sherlock does that every day he comes to work."
'Sherlock: The Fire Brigade Dog' by Paul Osborne (£12.99, Century) is out now
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