World War II – The Hidden Panorama

MacArthur Museum Brisbane – A Familiar History Museum

While walking within business district of the city, there was a museum that I never expected that it will be familiar to me. The name MacArthur knocked something in my head, but I was not sure what it was at first. I decided to visit MacArthur Museum since it was near where I was at that time and the building was included in the Brisbane Open House anyway. I walked along Queen Street coming from taking photos of Hotel Embassy.

At 8th Floor towards the museum

At the time of the visit, the building ground was being renovated, that was why I just have few photos of the building that includes the ground. I went upstairs and followed the way to the museum itself. The moment I entered the museum, I was surprised as I never thought that the name of MacArthur will be the same person that I was familiar with because of my country’s history.

During rudimentary and intermediate school, I learned about the notable quote that American General made during Japanese invasion in Philippines and I am referring to General MacArthur whom announced to the Filipino and Allied forces “I came through and I shall return” during his great escape as Japanese forces able to gain control the country at that time. Since I learned the history quite a long time ago, I was reminded or probably learned that MacArthur went to Australia after leaving Philippines to think again how to retaliate the enemy which made him able to come back to my country and able conquer Japanese forces.

The restored General Douglas MacArthur Room / Office

The first thing that caught my interest is the room that General MacArthur used which still reflects what it was before. When I saw the room, I just thought that it was pretty simple and functional. Well, luxury has no room during war time.

Based on the Brisbane Open House guide book that I bought, the MacArthur Museum Brisbane is a heritage listed MacArthur Chambers built between 1931-1934 as the Queensland headquarter of Australian Mutual Provident Society. The building was used as the headquarter of Allied forces in South-West Pacific during World War II. The AMP Society stayed at basement and ground floor while Commander In Chief of Allied Forces in South-West Pacific Area General Douglas MacArthur, occupied the Boardroom and his staff used the rest of the building.

MacArthur Chambers

After the war, the building reverted its former use by AMP Society until 1978. Then, the building was named as MacArthur Chambers to honor the American General.

I also explored the museum in a short period of time and it showcase the history related to General MacArthur, the World War II, and the role of the Brisbane City during that time. But one thing was for sure that I learned when I visited the museum, the city has a huge role to help and to enable General MacArthur with Allied forces to win back the World War II and that was the moment that my country was waiting, that the American General was able to fulfill his promised and able to return to Philippines to fight back against Japanese.

As museum is my weakness in every of my travel, as I had this tendency to stay longer to read and check almost every displays in the museum but I controlled myself because of limited time that I had. I still wanted to explore other parts of the city, I left the museum and continued exploring other buildings that still part of Brisbane Open House event.

Until then.

Notes :
Plan to visit Brisbane ? Please check latest information here.
Location : Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Directions / Transportation to Brisbane Central Business District :
1. Within Brisbane take any translink train and get off at Central Station. Exit at Ann Street
2. Check the access link to the city here.
Official Website : Brisbane

Plan to visit MacArthur Museum? Check here.
Location : MacArthur Chambers, 201 Edward St, Brisbane City QLD 4000, Australia
Directions / Transportation to MacArthur Museum Brisbane :
1. From Central Station. Exit at Ann Street
2. Cross Ann Street and walk straight towards ANZAC Square and ANZAC Memorial until reaching Adelaide Street
3. Cross Adelaide Street and walk straight towards Sir William Glasgow Memorial until reaching Queen Street
4. Turn right at Queen Street until reaching Edward Street
5. Turn left at Edward Street and walk few meters to reach MacArthur Museum Brisbane or
6. From Ann Street, turn right to Edward Street.
7. Walk along Edward Street until crossing Street. Then, walk few meters to reach MacArthur Museum Brisbane
8. Check the access link to the museum here.
Official Website : MacArthur Museum Brisbane

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Name Of The Place : Oliver Hill – World War II Heritage Sites

Name Of The Place (Post#61) : Oliver Hill – World War II Heritage Sites

Photos of the day are all about Oliver Hill where it features the military remnants from World War II specifically the 9.2 inch gun and underground tunnels. The site became a heritage site because of its significance during that time. These photos are part of Rottnest Island Tour October 2016.

Notes :
Photo : Oliver Hill, Name Of The Place
Location : Rottnest Island WA, Australia
Transportation :
1. Join Day Tours from Perth where different options are available or
2. Take cruise to the island with your own or rented boat
Official Website : Rottnest Island

Discovery : Strauss Airfield

Discovery (Post#38) : Strauss Airfield

Leaving Darwin City in few minutes and arriving in an open space made me wonder why we were in open space just beside the Stuart Highway. And while we were walking in the ground, we found few old plane drawings that are displayed within the airfield. I just realized that the said place is a historical Strauss Airfield which used during World War II and closed in 1945. These photos are part of Litchfield National Park Tour Photo Collection September 2016.

Spitfire VIII – should represent as pinnacle of Merlin Spitfire design.

Spitfire – The aircraft established air superiority and effectively ended Japanese hopes

The P-40 – Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk has world-wide reputation as sturdy workhorse

Enriching Viewpoint : Asan Bay Overlook Memorial Wall

Enriching Viewpoint (Post#4): Asan Bay Overlook Memorial Wall

Probably to some people, Asan Bay Overlook is known to have its amazing scenery since it sits at the ridge line. But, that’s the additional rewards when visiting the overlooking area. But the place has its memorial wall which listed the names who sacrificed related to war from 1941 to 1944, emphasizing the names that fought the Battle of Guam in 1941 and 1944. And within the memorial wall they made emphasis as well as they put the monument dedicated to the first Chamorro U.S. Navy casualties of World War II. These photos are part of Guam Adventure Photo Collection April 2017.

Discovery : Mosquito – “Wooden Wonder Aircraft”

Discovery (Post#16) : Mosquito – “Wooden Wonder Aircraft”

Whether its memorial or museum, there is always something to learn and to discover. In all my souvenir photos that I captured inside Australian War Memorial, one of the things that interesting to learn about ‘Mosquito’. Mosquito is one of the aircraft used during World War II which very unique at that time. Why its unique? The aircraft is mostly made of plywood and balsa wood and it was extremely fast and could fly a long distance. Mosquito flew by RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force) from 1942 to 1953. The photo is part of Canberra Day Tour June 2013 Collection.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park – A Walk to Remember

Peace Memorial Park was built and dedicated not only to the victims of the nuclear bomb, not only to remember that Hiroshima was the first city to suffer the nuclear attack but to continue advocating the world peace.

Atomic Bomb Dome is part of Peace Memorial Park but I separated the rest of the Memorial Park as I wanted to emphasize the dome itself. From Atomic Bomb Dome, our walks continued within Peace Memorial Park. Before reaching the center of Peace Memorial Park, we found a tower called Memorial Tower to the Mobilized Students and their we learned that more than 6000 students died at the day of the bombing. When I read that, it was a heart breaking information that I learned during our walking tour.

Memorial Tower to the Mobilized Students (Cenotaph for Mobilized Students)

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At the center where the Cenotaph for Mobilized Students stands

We crossed Motoyasu-bashi Bridge and there we found tourist center which they also called as ‘Rest House’. We rested a bit inside the ‘Rest House’ and I bought post cards as my souvenirs.

Motoyasu-gawa River joining Honkawa River as Ota River and Aioi-bashi Bridge

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Motoyasu-bashi Bridge North View

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Motoyasu-gawa River South View near from A-Dome

Motoyasu-bashi Bridge South View

Motoyasu-bashi Bridge Road

We moved on and continued to explore the park. Next thing we saw were Flame of Peace, Memorial Cenotaph and Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.

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Flame of Peace, Memorial Cenotaph and Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

Flame of Peace

Like Rekaido Hall (Eterna Fire Hall) in Mount Misen in Miyajima Island, which I discovered that the fire never burned out, this Flame of Peace is the same, which first lit up last August 1st, 1964. It’s been light-up until our time. There’s a quote saying “Let’s keep burning the fire until nuclear weapon is eliminated from the entire earth” (source: visithiroshima.net) which really signifies that it represents the fight for peace.

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Memorial Cenotaph

The Cenotaph was built in memories and honor of remains are in another location. The shape symbolizes the thoughts of sheltering the souls that died in the atomic bomb or to protect them from raining. For many things what it means, the Cenotaph symbolizes of people whom died in human hands that we hope not to happen again. There’s a message engrave in the stone in the middle telling us “”Rest in Peace, for the error shall not be repeated” (source: visithiroshima.net).

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park – A Walk to Remember

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

The building said to house a lot of archives and memories that showcase all about the even happened that day. We were not able to visit the building, just saw it from the outside as we have very limited time to spend in the city.

Children’s Peace Monument

There was one little girl named Sadako Sasaki who was died after the atomic bomb, when the nuclear attack happened in the city, she was just a 2 years old baby and she died at 12 years old. The child reminded us the terror effect of the nuclear bomb. Because of her story, the statue built in her memories and other children who suffered the same fate with her.

Peace Bell

The bell was built with the aim of true peace in Earth without nuclear weapons. The sound of this bell aims to be heard in every corner of the world and to reach every heart of human being. It was also noted that it’s sound was selected as one of “Japan’s best 100 sounds”.

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Statue of a Prayer for Peace

This statue built in hopes of making the victims of nuclear attack lives forever and for hoping for lasting peace in human race.

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While I am writing this post, I cannot deny the sadness that I felt, there were times that I was pondering and thinking, why there such events happened in our beautiful work such like this. I knew that this kind of human tragedy is not alone because there were tons of records in history listed all unimaginable things did by human to human,but people itself does not lose hope for peace.

A Bomb Dome – Symbol of ‘Peace City’ – Hiroshima City

Hiroshima City was the place where first atomic bomb was dropped during World War II. Based on history, the building was blown-up as well because its location is not far from hypo-center (where the bomb was dropped and exploded up in the air). The building was formerly used as Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall and now representing people’s prayers for a lasting peace (reference information – visithiroshima.net)

Atomic Bomb Dome

Atomic Bomb Dome and Motoyasu-gawa River

There were two loops available for Hiroshima Sightseeing Loop Bus or “Hiroshima meipuru~pu” where the bus terminal can be found near Hiroshima Station at Shinkansen Entrance. First loop is Orange where it is called as “via Peace Memorial Park and Art Gallery” and the second loop is Green and it is called as Peace Memorial Park and Okonimi-mura”. We started our adventure in the city and we took the Orange loop. We got off A-Bomb Dome bus stop. From the bus stop, it’s just few walks away. When we saw the building, we saw a lot of tourist a like and they surrounded the building. Because of too many tourist, we took our time with the dome as we wanted a bit of exclusivity of the building, we waited until most of them were gone.

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Atomic Bomb Dome (Part 1)

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Atomic Bomb Dome (Part 2)

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Atomic Bomb Dome (Part 2)

Atomic Bomb Dome and Motoyasu-gawa River

While looking at the building, I can’t stop thinking at that time when the atomic bomb had been dropped in the city and how cruel it can be specially for the innocent people whom died in vain during that time. I knew it is somewhat a sensitive topic to discuss because people divided on its belief whether what happened was wrong or right, there are lots of topics that will arise of righteousness of the decision made to do it. When the Second World War broke last 1939, it was not only one country suffered, there were lots and my home country was not alone to suffer. It was a hurtful thing to think about and even to remember but there was a human hope that this kind of history will not repeat again. As I watching the building in different angles, whenever I look at it, I hope that human will always remember that living in peace are more important than other things. I will not condemn anyone but I hope that we learned our lessons on the history and make our world more livable. I admired Japanese because the world thought that this area of Hiroshima will be gone and will not be livable but after 70 years that had been passed the city and its outskirt proven that a city can be a reborn again and that what’s the impression that left in my memory after visiting the said city.

Hiroshima – A Reborn City and A ‘Peace City’

I can say that people who got a chance to study world history definitely knows the place named Hiroshima. Every time I encountered the name, two things that comes into my mind: first was World War II and second was the atomic bomb that dropped in the city. The world was rocked when US and its allied forces decided to drop the atomic bomb in Hiroshima and Nagasaki when Japan ignores the calls of Allied forces to surrender. As the Second World War reaches its final stages, the atomic bomb triggered the end of Japan emperialism.

I knew that the there’s always debate about the atomic bomb whether at that time it was right or not. While visiting Hiroshima, I read some historical archives that Japanese regrets what’s happened in Hiroshima but they also accepted or acknowledged that their government was also responsible for what had been happened because they recognized the impact that the decisions they made at that time. This is one of the character that I admired in Japan. I remembered that integrity is a key character that Japanese really cares for. That is why when they knew they made mistakes, they took responsibility by taking their lives just to preserve their honor and integrity (Harakiri).

When we got a chance to visit Hiroshima, I was curious what the city looks like after seven decades that had been passed after the atomic bomb was dropped in the city and its surrounding areas.

We spent an overnight in our hotel in Hiroshima downtown. In the morning we prepared early and we packed our stuff back again to our luggages and left it in the hotel and we picked it up again before took train to Kyoto.

Because we have few hours left in the city before our train schedule to Kyoto in the afternoon. We grabbed our chance to see a bit of Hiroshima. From morning until early afternoon, a city famous of its historical structures and ruins left by World War II and destructive atomic bomb that still standing as of today and to continue exploring the downtown by combining the city bus tour and walking tour.

From the hotel, we went to Hiroshima Station where the bus tour – Hiroshima Sightseeing Loop Bus (Hiroshima Meipuru~pu) in the city starts. There are two routes available to tour around the downtown of Hiroshima. The first route is Orange Route – Peace Memorial Park and Art Gallery and the second route is Green Route – Peace Memorial Park and Okonomi-mura. We got a chance to take both routes but we haven’t completed the overall route because of limited time we had. When we got the Japan Rail Pass, the Hiroshima Sightseeing Loop Bus is included, that was why when we were in Hiroshima, we used the pass to get the bus tour.

The following places we had a chance to see in the city were:

1. A-Bomb Dome

2. Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

3. Hiroshima Castle

Chromatic Outlook : Mortar M120 (USA) At Relics Point

Chromatic Outlook (Post#24) : Mortar M120 (USA) At Relics Point

Mortar M120 is one of the World War II archived weapon that can be found displayed in Relics Point inside Philippine Military Academy. As mentioned in the excerpt in the photo, the weapon was used against the invading Japanese imperial army. Photo captured during the trip in Baguio City last May 2010.

Home : Crashed Japanese Plane At Jack’s Ridge

Home (Post#11) : Crashed Japanese Plane At Jack’s Ridge

During my three days holiday in Davao after climbing Mount Apo, one of the itinerary was to visit Jack’s Ridge in Davao City. Jack’s Ridge was historical place during World War II, the time when Japanese retreated at the said place until they lost their fight against Americans. Photo captured last March 2009.

Old posts related to my Davao Adventure:
Davao – Adventure All In One
Mount Apo and the Boulder Challenge