My Father's Gifts

After graduation from MIT, my father could have stayed on in the U.S. for a few years (did he work in Bethlehem Steel?  I remember that vaguely.) But for sure, from 1936-1939/40, my father was Yard Superintendent of Engineering Island, where he himself lived.  Most probably, his ship-building career began at around this time. A sharp memory refers to the Q-Boats.  But there is little we know!

At a Zoom meeting with sisters Rory and Bernie, we remembered WW2’s Q-boats and family  stories on how our Dad designed or worked on these Q-Boats.  As Rory has a picture of the Q-Boat construction crew (!) and I promised to look up the history of the boats.

There is a Wikipedia description of the Off Shore Patrol (OSP), a small naval branch of the US Army that was intended for the in-shore defense of the Philippines. The Wikipedia descriptions on these Torpedo Patrol (PT) Boats takes on pretty much a US perspective of the boats and their contribution to the war effort.  There are references to the Philippine Q-boats (most likely named after Quezon) that were used to evacuate Douglas officials.

Other references would focus on the naval officers but not on the naval architects!

Personal highlights, stressing the OSP Philippine squadron  (my selections!):

• The National Defense Act of 1935 created the Off-Short Patrol with the goal of having by 1946 a force of 36 fast torpedo boats as part of the Philippine Army. The intention was to acquire these boats from British shipbuilders. This plan was obviously intended to prepare the country for its transition to a fully independent republic in 1946.  (Military specialists are in a better position to discuss the merits  of OSP being part of the Philippine Army, as designed by MacArthur with support from military experts, i.e. Dwight Eisenhower).
• By 1939, only two of these boats were delivered to the Philippines  at which no further deliveries were expected from Europe.  There is a cryptic description that by 1941 a third boat had been assembled locally (This 3rd boat was built in Engineering Island). Five boats were eventually made locally and attached to the USAFFE.
• Interesting factoid is that the first commanding officer Rafael Ramos, appointed in April 1938 was eventually relieved by Captain Jose Andrada (a US naval Academy graduate of 1930.  Andrada built the OSP team from USNA and PMA graduates. The OSP craft were berthed at the “Muele del Codo” (Engineer Island) and not surprisingly, the training of the team was also held at Engineer Island. Only upon the establishing its core group did Commodore Andrada consider the OSPO established – on Feb 9, 1939.
• For our family historians, this period covers the time that our father was the Yard Superintendent of the Marine Railway and Repairs Shop of Engineer Island from 1932-1939 (Many of my older cousins remember how Uncle Bernardo lived on Engineer Island together with his mother and nieces).  Commodore Andrada was a life-long friend of my Dad.  And together, they had planned various projects – a Tagaytay mobile view deck and a 1972 bid for BASECO that they lost to Alfred Romualdez, Imedla’s brother, just as martial law was declared.
• Pearl Harbor was bombed on December 8, 1941 and nine hours after, Japanese warplanes attacked Clark Airbase. With the American military power diminished and with their evacuation to the Dutch East Indies, the very few Q-Boats (most likely named after President Quezon) was the closest thing to a Philippine navy. On December 24, MacArthur moved himself and his family to Corregidor, several days later it would be President Quezon.  In both cases, the Philippine OSP squadron was used.
• There was also an American Squadron, called also the OSP, consisting of 6 PT Squadron. The squadron was considered “forgotten” and how they fared was made into a movie in 1946  – “They were Expendable” starring Robert Montgomery, John Wayne and Donna Reed.
• The OSPs most vital tasks was to help carry food and supplies including ammunition and medicines from nearby provinces to Bataan and Corregidor. Within 100 days, the OSP ceased to exist. To keep the 2 story headquarters out of enemy hands, the OSP burned down their base in Engineering Island. This was then relocated to Corregidor.

It would be fascinating to pursue this research further. But this will need to do for now.

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