mlq3: La Salle University and Rizal Memorial Sports Stadium in the distance with Taft Avenue on the
mlq3: La Salle University and Rizal Memorial Sports Stadium in the distance with Taft Avenue on the left looking south east. Manila, Philippines, Feb. 15, 1945 by John T Pilot on Flickr. The smoking ruins of De La Salle College, and beside it, the smoking ruins of the Rizal Memorial Field. The Japanese perpetrated one of the worst massacres in the Battle of Manila in La Salle, where civilians and the Christian Brothers who sought shelter in the chapel were systematically killed. A tank and flamethrower battle took place in Rizal Memorial. This photo is dated February 15, 1945. From the U.S. Army Inspector-General’s Report: 39. Father Francis J. Cosgarve, Catholic Priest, Redemptorist Monastery, Baclaran, Greater Manila, P. I., testified that, “The atrocities which he could give first hand evidence on are in connection with the massacre in De LaSalle College, Manila, although he had heard of many others which he had not actually seen himself.” Father Cosgrave went to live in De LaSalle College when the Japanese occupied his house and church in Baclaran, and at the invitation of the director, Brother Xavier. About Christmas there were four Spanish families by the names of Vasquez Prada, Judge Carlos, Dr. Cojuanco, and the family of Dr. Cojuanco’s brother-in-law, living at De LaSalle College. In all, including servants, there were about seventy people living in the southern wing of the college. This number was composed of approximately thirty women and children, seventeen brothers, the grown men of the above four families, and twelve men servants. On Wednesday, February 7th, 1945, a Japanese officer with several Japanese soldiers came to the college. They lined the people in the corridors of the second floor of the main building and searched them. They then took away Brother Xavier, the director, and Judge Carlos. These men had their hands bound behind their backs. They were taken to another building. Later, this building was burned to the ground by the Japanese. The keys and the whistle that Brother Xavier used were found on the site of this building. The Japanese forbade the people to leave the college or even venture into the grounds of the college. Only the women were allowed to go out to draw water. On Monday, February 12th, just after noon, all were gathered at the foot of the staircase in the southern wing because shelling was going on at the time. A Japanese officer, accompanied by an estimated twenty Japanese soldiers, took away two of the muchachos (boy servants). A few minutes later the two boys were brought back badly wounded. Then the officer gave a command and at once the soldiers began bayoneting all the women and children. Those who resisted were shot and the officer cut some with his sword. Among the brothers who were bayoneted, most of them were German. One was Hungarian, one a Czeck, and one an Irishman. One of the brothers said the word “Deutscher,” but he was bayoneted the same as were the rest. Some of the brothers managed to escape up the stairs, but were overtaken at the top of the stairs and there wounded; others reached the chapel and were there struck down. Some of the children of only two or three years of age were bayoneted. When the Japanese had finished bayoneting, they threw all of them into a heap outside the ground, some of those already dead being thrown on top of the living and left there. The personal effects of the dead and wounded were then looted or stolen. Father Cosgrave was of the opinion that those doing the looting were Filipino; helost all of his personal belongings. frequently during the afternoon, the soldiers came in to watch them and mock at their sufferings. They remained there all afternoon during which time many of those who were wounded died. About ten o'clock that evening, Father Cosgrave was able to raise himself to administer the last consolations of religion to some who were dying. He then crawled up the stairs and found many people dead or dying at the top of the stairs. One boy who had been an invalid for two or three months was lying dead outside the door of his room. This was the son of Doctor Cojuanco. The survivors remained there until Thursday afternoon, February 15th, about four o’clock, when the Americans entered the building. Father Cosgrave received two thrusts on the chest from the bayonet. (See Exhibit “B-38” - Cosgrave.) -- source link