U.S. Army Major Achille C. Tisdell testifies before a military tribunal in Manila, Philippines during the trail of Japanese Army General Masaharu Homma for World War II crimes. Major Tisdell takes an oath on the 16th day of the Homma trial. He says that he was aide-de-camp to Major General E.P. King, Commanding General of the American forces in Luzon in April, 1942. Major Tisdell recalls that Japanese forces had pushed back the American forces in Bataan to a point that it was difficult for the Americans to reorganize. He also talks about the lack of ration for the American forces. Major Tisdell says that U.S. reserves were released for the forces. He says that on 9th April, 1942 General King was unable to make contact with Japanese commander and Colonel Edward C. Williams volunteered to make contact with the Japanese.
U.S. Army Major Achille C. Tisdell testifies before a military tribunal in Manila, Philippines during the trial of Japanese Army General Masaharu Homma for World War II crimes. Major Tisdell, aide-de-camp to Commanding General of the American forces in Luzon Major General Edward King, says that Colonel William and Major Marshall went in a jeep to contact the Japanese forces. They met the forces at a bridge. Japanese infantry elements led them to head quarters. Tisdell says that a Japanese Major General kept Colonel Williams as a hostage allowing Major Marshal to return to the American headquarters. After his return on April 9, 1942 General Edward King assembled some officers.
World War 2 scenes related to the Philippines. Opening shot shows Japanese troops unceremoniously taking down American flag in 1942, followed by superimposed images of Japanese soldiers boots trampling over U.S. flags. Next, U.S. Lieutenant General Jonathan Wainwright with members of his staff, are seen seated at a table in the Japanese headquarters building on Bataan to discuss surrender with General Masaharu Homma, Commander of the 14th Japanese Imperial Army. Homma has General Wachi at his left and Colonel Nakayama to his right. Repetition of the superimposed Japanese army boots trampling American flags. Next, U.S. defenders of Corregidor are seen surrendering to Japanese troops in 1942, and then being marched under guard to Mariveles, where the infamous Death March commenced. Several views of the American and Filipino prisoners marching under guard. Glimpse of American combat helmets piled up in a heap. Views of the POWs without helmets, using white cloths over their heads to protect from the sun. Huge numbers of POWs held in an open area for the night, and then marching again during the day. One who had fainted is carried in a blanket by several others. Illustrations of POWs being tortured by Japanese soldiers. Views of two POWs, who died during the march, lying on the ground. Next scene shows emaciated Allied POWs in 1945 being freed by American soldiers from a Japanese prison camp. American soldiers speaking with another group is a section of prison behind a sign reading: "Dysentary, Keep Out." Undernourished former prisoners of war eating a meal. One smoking a cigarette. Aerial view showing large swaths of Manila, Philippines, destroyed by Japanese forces retreating from advancing American forces. Smoke rising along a line of destruction in the background. Bodies of numerous Filipinos lying amid rubble in the streets of Manila. Many have hands tied behind their backs. Glimpse of dead children. Cadres of Japanese soldiers raising victory cheers. New Japanese conscripts in large formations during military training for new recruits following draft. Japanese naval trainees in white uniforms, waving their hats. Huge crowd of Japanese people cheering, followed by view of Emperor Hirohito, in Army uniform, saluting as he stands on a balcony. Cheering Japanese people, at a rally in a stadium.
Margaret Moule, the wife of William Moule, is seen along with her three children, Billy, Eileen, and Linda, late in World War 2. She describes how they hid from the Japanese in 1942, but were captured by the Japanese in 1943 and lived in a concentration camp in Manila, Philippines.
Title card with title “Roaring color Manila” in Japanese. A street corner in Manila after the Japanese invasion and occupation in World War 2. Japanese flag in storefront as Filipinos walk pass store. Closeup of the statue of St. Anthony of Padua with a kneeling woman and child, in front of the Church of St. Francis (the former San Francisco Church, now site is occupied by Mapúa University), Church of Our Lady of Angels, Intramuros, Manila, Philippines. Camera pans down over the statue. View from above, at a short distance, of parishioners going in and out of the church. (This church was destroyed in the battle of Manila, 1945, but the statue survived.) A Japanese sign outside of a building. View inside the building, where many school children are seen walking through an exhibit of artwork and other displays of school projects. Closeup of one drawing on display, depicting a Spanish Toreador. Several displays of Japanese calligraphy. A model of two small structures. Closeup of several schoolboys interested in small objects on display. A group of schoolgirls at exhibits of clothing designs and patterns. A cartoon sign in the building, in Japanese but mostly in English. It shows two small girls and a boy in different exercise poses and two ducks walking past them near their feet. The sign announces in Japanese and English, "Radio Taisou Daily Calisthenics on the air." It also reads: "Health First" and "Mass exercise at Luneta Park." A man conducts calisthenics in the open in front of a rotunda. Jorge B. Vargas, chairman of the Japanese-sponsored Philippine Executive Commission, sits inside the rotunda observing a vast field filled with school children following the lead of the exercise director, as they perform calisthenics. The Rizal Monument (1225 Roxas Blvd, Ermita, Manila, 1000 Metro Manila) is seen far in the background. Some closeups of the children as they exercise. Wide view of the children organized in lines across the field. The French renaissance-style Luneta Hotel (414 Kalaw Ave, Ermita, Manila, 1045 Metro Manila, 1000 Metro Manila) is seen in the background.
Filipinos at work in Manila, Philippines during World War II, under Japanese occupation and colonial rule by Japan. People walk towards a factory. Filipino men work in a saw mill. Planks of wood suspended in air from a crane. Men at work. Stacks of planks of wood. Men work on machines. They hammer and saw. Men at work in a foundry. Fire burns in furnaces. Molten metal is poured. Men at work in a machine shop. Men work on machines. A man welds. A ship is launched from a dock into water.