Guest of the emperor : 1941 to 1945 in the Philippines, surviving the war, and as a POW, Bataan death march, Cabanatuan, Davao Penal Colony, the “Hell Ships” / William D. Chalek
Title
Guest of the emperor : 1941 to 1945 in the Philippines, surviving the war, and as a POW, Bataan death march, Cabanatuan, Davao Penal Colony, the “Hell Ships” / William D. Chalek
Subject
Prisoners of war--Japan--Biography.
Prisoners of war--Philippines--Biography.
Prisoners of war--United States--Biography.
World War, 1939-1943--Campaigns--Philippines.
World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American.
World War, 1939-1945--Prisoners and prisons, Japanese.
Description
Chalek was a pilot in the 2nd Observation Squadron, Far East Air Force, based in Nichols Field, when the war started. He describes flying reconnaissance missions in the early days of the war, and the difficulties encountered; he was in Bataan during the siege, managed to get to Corregidor but became a prisoner of war when the fortress surrendered. His wife, Illa Mae, volunteered to work as a nurse and served on Corregidor. After the surrender, they did not see each other until after the war ended.
He describes his POW experiences in detail (Cabanatuan; Davao Penal Colony; - and shows the frustration of being a pilot and having to scrounge for food). He was aboard the hell ship Oryoku Maru, survived its sinking by US planes, as well as the continuation of the trip to Japan on two other hell ships. He served further time in Fukuoka, and was liberated in Mukden, Manchuria.
In addition to his own experiences, he adds his wife’s own story in Santo Tomas, as well as other stories he heard about the Death March and camps he was not in. (Since he became a prisoner of war in Corregidor, he was not part of the Bataan Death March).
He describes his POW experiences in detail (Cabanatuan; Davao Penal Colony; - and shows the frustration of being a pilot and having to scrounge for food). He was aboard the hell ship Oryoku Maru, survived its sinking by US planes, as well as the continuation of the trip to Japan on two other hell ships. He served further time in Fukuoka, and was liberated in Mukden, Manchuria.
In addition to his own experiences, he adds his wife’s own story in Santo Tomas, as well as other stories he heard about the Death March and camps he was not in. (Since he became a prisoner of war in Corregidor, he was not part of the Bataan Death March).
Creator
Chalek, William D.
Publisher
Lincoln, NE : Writers Club Press, c2002
Date
2002
Format
23 x 16 cm.
Type
Softbound
Identifier
059523996X
Call Number
D 811 C435 2002
Accession Number
15314
Pagination
xix, 217 p.
Illustration
ill.
Files
Collection
Citation
Chalek, William D., “Guest of the emperor : 1941 to 1945 in the Philippines, surviving the war, and as a POW, Bataan death march, Cabanatuan, Davao Penal Colony, the “Hell Ships” / William D. Chalek,” FHL-Roderick Hall, accessed December 16, 2025, https://fhl.omeka.net/items/show/221.