Part V, Following my step father's footsteps.

My step father with his grandson Dan.2001

My step fathers birthday had come and gone. No time to remember it was his birthday on May 15,no time to celebrate, no time to think about his birthday, too many other things to think about.Life was going on, maybe next year he would be able to celebrate. They had been in the Harbor of Hollandia, and he totally forgot that it was his birthday.
On May 15,1945 he was 38 years old, and they were on their way to Manila, with a stop at Tacloban on May 29, and arriving in Manila on May 31,1945.
It was May 29, 1945 and they left the harbor of Tacloban.

Tacloban 1945.

Ships during  world war II at Tacloban Harbor, Philippines.

Tacloban 1945.

American soldiers with the villagers of Tacloban 1945

During world war II Tacloban the Philippines.

Tacloban Philippine soldiers showed captured Japanese flag.

Tacloban the Philippine. Hope it never will see a war again.

Statue of a boy and a girl in Tacloban.

Philippine legend says that man and woman came from inside a bamboo that was split open by a lightning. They were called Malakas(Strength) and Maganda ( Beauty) Notice how they were both created at the same time. 

Tacloban  downtown waterfront the Philippine.

The Boschfontein anchored only for a short time and left on the same day May 29 arriving in Manila May 31,1945.

MANILA,THE PHILIPPINES.

The Boschfontein sailed quietly into the harbor of Manila on May 31,1945. Everybody stood on deck and could not believe their eyes. My step father told me they could hear a pin drop, that's how quiet and in disbelieve the men stood on deck. They thought they had seen it all, but this was unbelievable.It was eerie quiet, and my father said every body had tears in their eyes.How much more were they able to take, was it ever going to stop. What they saw was a once beautiful city in total shambles. A massacre in Manila and total destruction that's how the Boschfontein crew saw Manila on May 31,1945. What they saw was not to describe.

The Manila massacre took place in February 1945,claiming the lives of more then 111.000 civilians, estimate 35.000 more than either Nagasaki or Hiroshima.World War II the new generation need to be well informed of these darkest hours in history.The once proud city of the Far East was dead.The whole city bombed and burned beyond recognition. Its civilian population murdered, women raped and killed, people burned to death, and babies bayoneted by Japanese soldiers, (no monsters)women mutilated, and people drowned.The Japanese soldiers were told not to waist ammunition. This was a coldly planned purpose of the Japanese high command.The Japanese soldiers and sailors, and the Korean marines proceeded to go from one city block to another, burning, looting the homes, raping the women, and murdering and burning people alive.The battle of Manila from February 3, to March 3, 1945 was fought by American, Philipinos, and Japanese forces.The one month battle culminated in a terrible bloodbath and a total devastation of the City. Three years of Japanese military occupation ended. 

Memories are short, because we do not want to remember. We must forgive, but never forget.

I know that my step father could never forget the sadness of this city Manila.He would not and could not talk about it. Thank God he was not there when it happened. But to see it how it was just two months after it had happened, left a scar on his heart.It would bring tears in his eyes when the city Manila was mentioned later in life.

The Boschfontein stayed in Manila for 8 days, and sailed away and returned on July 8, 1945.

In Japan the Japanese would often feel repentant for what there for fathers, and fathers did during World War II. Most of them don't want to talk about it, because the war is a part of their history that more or less they don't want to remember.

The Japanese disgraced themselves many times during World War II when they behaved with the mentality of animals and barbarically chose to bayonet their captured prisoners to death. This happened on a wide scale with many POW's and Civilians.There is a terrible account of several hundred Australians being bayoneted to death in a mass killing during the forced construction of the Burma railroad in 1944. In Tarakan in the Dutch Indies (now called Indonesia) 215 KNIL soldiers were taken on board of a Japanese ship and bayoneted to death and thrown over board into the sea. A memorial monument in Loenen (a city in The Netherlands) has just been unveiled on Thursday  January 19, 2012.

Manila, the Philippines. The skyline today.

The Boschfontein and it's crew left Manila with great sadness, but that's what War does.It's cruel,its madness,it's senseless.It brings a lot of pain.

And we that are left grow old with the years

Remembering the heartache, the pain and the tears

Hoping and praying that never again

Man will sink to such sorrow and shame

The Price that was paid we will always remember

Every day, every month, not just in November

We shall remember them.

Corporal Arthur E.Ogden




will continue

Following my father's footsteps, part IV

My Step father, on the left, with Mr. Kerklaan, 

Mr. Kerklaan sailed on the ms. Boschfontein and they were very good friends.

My Step father (the man) I met on board the Boschfontein in April 1946.How lucky I have been. I had lost my father, who I never knew, he died on the Burma Death Railway on the River Kwai on September 18, 1943. I was only two years old.

This story has to be told, I am telling them to honor my step father and my tears are flowing.Never in a million years I could have figured out what he had been through, if the internet had not existed.So much information is available and I thank everybody that I finally am able to find out about my step fathers where about during World War II. He was a man with very few words. He lived his life day by day, and enjoyed every minute of it. He loved his children and his grandchildren.But first of all he was a sailor and his love for the sea was unparalleled.
The War had brought my mom,my step-dad and me together, but the cost and heartache had been high.But their life has been rewarded and they had two children together.In September 1947 I got a brother and two years later I got a sister.I am their big sister, how lucky I am.
Thank you Dad for being such a good father for me, I love you. You and Mom are always in my thoughts.

As you read on my other blogs my step father sailed on the ms. Boschfontein. During the War the ship was transferred into a troop transport ship.From 1941-1945 the ship was sailing the dangerous waters of the Pacific.

On March 20 1945 the Boschfontein had docked in Saipan, it is not clear when the ship left Saipan but it left Saipan in convoy and arrived in Iwo Jima some where at the beginning of April, 1945.

An aerial photo of Iwo Jima taken during a raid in early 1945.

Iwo Jima is a small speck in the Pacific. Iwo Jima acted as an early warning station for Japan, giving Tokyo 2 hours of warning before the American bombers reached their targets.

On March 26, 1945 the Japanese mounted the final suicide charge at Iwo Jima and on April 5,1945 the Americans established an advanced air base in Iwo Jima, Japan.The ms. Boschfontein had left Saipan in convoy and docked in  Iwo Jima  somewhere in early April 1945.

Iwo Jima after an American air raid, 1945

Mine sweepers worked the waters off  Iwo Jima .

Wracks at the Iwo Jima invasion beaches. March 1945.

Iwo Jima is a barren Volcanic island midway between Saipan and Japan. It was considered a desirable emergency base for B-29's flying to and from Japan. 70.000 American soldiers invaded this tiny volcanic island in the Pacific.

The flag raised on Iwo Jima. 1945

Hard to believe my step fathers footsteps are left on this tiny island in the middle of the Pacicfic ocean.

28.000 American soldiers lost their lives, because of this little speck of an island; Iwo Jima.

They fought a battle for World Peace. Lest we forget.

On April 14,1945 the ms.Boschfontein left Iwo Jima on its way to Guam. The Japanese had occupied Guam and many Chamorres were put in Japanese concentration camps and many died of starvation.

What a terrible things my step father must have seen. Children who were so undernourished, that they looked like skeletons.On April 17,1945, the ship arrived in Guam, for a two day stay. On April 19.1945  the ship left Guam again.

,

Guam a little island in the middle of the ocean.

The Japanese invasion on December 8,1941. One day after Pearl Harbor was bombed.

Bronze memorial at Asan Bay, Guam. The Japanese occupation. 1941.

The Liberation of Guam. Children on the shoulders of American soldiers.

Guam 1941-1945

       Remembrance

of all who sacrificed for 

         Liberty

may Peace and

      understanding

prevail so that

   no future

Generation will ever be

compelled to repeat

These Sacrifices.

Guam Asan Bay  where these remembrance bronze memorial overlook the Bay to sea.

On April 19,1945 the Boschfontein left the Bay of Asan in Guam on their next voyage to Noumea, where they arrived on May 1, 1945.They were wondering when this horrible War was going to be over. They longed for Peace and Home. They had not seen family and friends for so long. My step-father had no idea that it would take a few more months before the War would be over. But he did not go home till 1946, and the Boschfontein left again; this time to Indonesia to pick up repatriates.

More about this on another blog.

May 1, 1945 they docked in the Bay of Noumea.He had been here already a couple of times, in 1942 and 1943.

Overlooking the Harbor of Noumea.

During the war Noumea was a US military headquarters in the South Pacific. The first troops arrived there in March 1942, some on the Boschfontein. It was here that the Marines and Soldiers would capture dozens of islands embarked, and the ships and planes that supported them in battle refueled and refitted.It remained a large support throughout the Pacific campaign. As you sail out of the Harbor of Noumea you follow the footsteps of the brave men and women who won a great victory in the Pacific, many of whom never to return to the land they loved.

The Boschfontein left Noumea on May 7, 1945 and docked at Eniwok  harbor on May 12,1945, the ship left and went to Hollandia, and docked on May 14,1945 in Leyte,on May  21,1945.

A large convoy of ships is laying off the coast of Leyte.

Leyte May 21, 1945 .

Numerous ships are anchored in the Harbor. The Boschfontein left May 21,1945 on another mission and arrived in Tacloban,on May 29,1945.
My step fathers birthday had come and gone. He was 38 years old on May 15, but forgot about it. No time to celebrate, no time to think about it.
From Tacloban the voyage brought the Boschfontein in Manila, the Philippines.

My step father always got tears in his eyes, when the name  Manila was mentioned.When the Boschfontein docked  in Manila on May 31, 1945 they could not believe what they saw.

More about this on my next blog.

part III, Following my step father's footsteps.

My step dad on board the Boschfontein.1943.

Leendert Jacobus Molenaar, born May 15,1907 passed away May 2,2003.

The battle of production and supply, designed to build a foundation to support unprecedented Allied air and naval power, was during 1942 and 1943 , while Japanese air and naval power greatly diminished, Hawaii, the most important naval base in the Pacific,and had become a training  center and staging area for U.S. troops as well as one of the many important supply bases. In 1944, the strategic offensive against Japan began.

Many times in 1944 the ms. Boschfontein docked in Pearl Harbor. Either to pick up supplies or troops.The Boschfontein arrived in San Francisco around October 17,1944 and had the "Death Angels" squadron-235 on board, they were flying Douglas SBD dive bombers in the Pacific during WWII.
October 18, 1944,the ship left again en route to Langemak Bay, where the ship arrived on December 5,1944 and left the same day to Hollandia where the ship arrived on December 6 and docked in Hollandia, Netherlands New Guinea, for twelve days.

 Hollandia Harbor, ships unloading troops and supplies.

Netherlands New Guinea map.Invasion of Hollandia

 unloading LST's Red Beach.Hollandia

 A US A-20, crashes in Hollandia Harbor, New Guinea, Dutch East Indies in July 1943, while another US A-20 flew above it.

This group of commanding officers had been on board the Boschfontein.

The Boschfontein left Hollandia December 18,1944 , the ship had spend twelve days in Hollandia and left for Biak arriving the next day December 19 ; Biak, Indonesia.

World War II material left on Biak. Biak Known in Indonesia as Palau-Biak.

The Boschfontein stayed in Biak for eleven days and left on December 28, to Hollandia, arriving the next day, docked for a little while, and left the same day December 29 en route to Langemak Bay a voyage of two days arriving News Years day January 1, 1945.

The Launch Jetty

Ships docked in the Harbor of Langemak, New Guinea

The 5th Division at Langemak,New Guinea

Langemak, New Guinea. Troops at the harbor.

The supplies are dropped off.

Langemak a busy Harbor.

When I asked my step father where he had been, and which islands he had seen during the war, he said:" I have seen so many islands in the Pacific, that I am confused, which island is which. Some times we were allowed to get off the ship, when it was safe. All islands to me looked the same, and we were always so busy. I had to make sure that the engine room was in perfect condition and the engines had to be serviced before we left each harbor.We could not afford to get engine problems in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. You can imagine what would happen. The Japs would have a ball". ..That's how I remember, my step dad telling me.

A few names are stuck in my head, like he talked about Manus and Pearl Harbor, Manila and Saipan. Also about Batavia where he was with the Boschfontein on many trips and where my Mother and I had boarded the Boschfontein in April 1946, and where my Mom and Step Dad met. But more about that in my next blog.

It was 1945, January 6, and the Boschfontein left Langemak on their voyage to San Francisco, where they arrived sometime around February 12.They left San Francisco again on February 17, 1945 on another voyage arriving in Port Townsend, February 19; going from Port Townsend to Port Angeles; where the ship left on February 22, to arrive in Pearl Harbor on March 1,1945.

The Boschfontein left Pearl Harbor fully loaded on March 5 to Eniwetok, from where the ship left again on March 17, en route to Saipan, where they arrived on March 20,1945.

A World War II, Japanese storage tanker in the Harbor.

This is called the Japanese suicide cliff, the Japanese jumped to avoid capture, during World War II.

This picture taken from the suicide cliff.

My step father told me once, that the Japanese were weird," why would they kill themselves", he said it exactly the way I write it, I remember this so well.But now I understand why they did it, very sad though, how can human beings be so brainwashed that they do this to them selves? To be defeated by the enemy was a shame,and a shame for the Emperor Hirohito of Japan.They rather killed themselves.

He had no good words for the Japanese, he hated them.He would say:"What I have seen, I will never be able to tell you, I will keep it for myself". He did not like to talk about it, because bad memories would surface,   he liked to forget, and not to be reminded of those years in the Pacific,during World War II, on board the Boschfontein,I do not think he ever forgave the Japanese for what they had done. "War is miserable and it makes no sense"; he would say."So many lives destroyed,so much money wasted". That is what he told me, when I was only about 12 years old.

The Boschfontein left Saipan and arrived in convoy in Iwo Jima on April 14, 1945. 

More about the movements of the ms. Boschfontein and my step father's footsteps on my next blog. For me it is very hard to digest. I cannot believe what I read and where he has been, during those horrible years. I never knew, he kept it inside, never talked about it...... He and the ship, have indeed been very lucky, to make it out in one piece is indeed a miracle. How thankful I am to have had such a nice step dad, and for my half-brother and sister,(Leendert, who was named after my step dad, and my sister Sietske, named after my Mom), you both can be very proud about your father. It's a shame we did not know about all of this when he was alive. I am sure he would have been able to write a book.

will continue......

Will continue