Jack Arthur Comstock

(1914-1996). M.D., attending surgeon at Sternberg Hospital. Ward surgeon at General Hospitals No. 1 and No. 2 on Bataan. P.O.W. in Cabanatuan. Fort McKinley and Bilibid Prison.

April 8, 1942

Nice day. Air raids right after breakfast. Things are bad! Many, many patients all day. Few casualties, but mostly malnutrition, exhaustion, nerves, and gold-brickers. Census

April 9, 1942

Much air and artillery activity this morning. White flag hoisted at 10:00 A.M. Don’t like it at all. Red Cross flags hung all over hospital.

April 10, 1942

Hospital in a furor. Filipino patients who could walk and doctors all left hospital on way home. No Philippine Army any more. Everybody very anxious

April 11, 1942

More Japanese around hospital. See many of our (were ours) cars being driven by them. Work at R.C. is practically nothing now. Colonel North doesn’t

April 12, 1942

Rice and salmon to eat. More patients leaving. Continual stream of Philippine refugees going down road. Many will never make Manila, as also many patients

April 13, 1942

Rice and buggy and wormy oats to eat. Only about 1500 patients left. Many Americans scared by shrapnel have left also. Am afraid they are

April 14, 1942

Few more patients left. Most here now are bed patients. Wards are being moved and consolidated. Most had quite a let-down after the surrender, and

April 15, 1942

No sugar. Rice and buggy oats. Many artillery shell duds from Corregidor. No news of any kind since last news broadcast on night of April

April 16, 1942

Weather continues nice, but there are again great numbers of flies. Are fixing up nurses’ busses to evacuate hospital. Everybody hopeful of getting to Manila

April 17, 1942

Cracked wheat, rice, and bacon for breakfast. Very good! Little artillery or aerial activity. Planes have sort of disappeared the last few days. Fewer visitors

April 18, 1942

Were awakened early this A.M. (still dark) by Jap going from bed to bed in officers’ quarters and searching everybody. Got a clock, watch, and

April 19, 1942

Same old routine. Very little work at R.W. No news of any kind. Very few rumors even. Had better meals today, but they are sure

April 20, 1942

No sigos of leaving yet. Patients are no longer permitted to leave. Quite a few think we are being kept here for a purpose, and

April 21, 1942

Very little activity today. Food the same, flies the same, everything the same. Would sure like some news, but I guess that is wanting too

April 22, 1942

No more coffee, but this doesn’t bother me too much. Cigarettes are getting very scarce, but I still have some, and anyway I don’t care

April 23, 1942

Slept well last night after 11:00 P.M. Up until that time we were under quite an artillery barrage from Corregidor. Shells landed in hospital. Five

April 24, 1942

Nights are becoming moonlit as moon is about ½ full. Lovely evening, partly because flies cease to annoy us. No news of leaving. No news!

April 25, 1942

Usual stuff. Nothing new. Very little activity. Have read “In Calico and Crinoline”, “When the Living Strive”, “Keys to the Kingdom”, “Oliver Wiswell”, “Mr. Glencannon”,

April 26, 1942

A list of all walking patients to be prepared today. They are to leave tomorrow or the next day for some destination, walking, probably Manila.

April 27, 1942

List of walking patients amounts to 783. Leaves just a little over 400. However, they did not leave today. No news. Same food. Flies seem

April 28, 1942

Much artillery fire today. Rumor that Corregidor shot down two planes. Some shrapnel in hospital. Patients still have not left. Everybody disappointed. Killed a young

April 29, 1942

This morning Corregidor sure took and gave Hell. By far the worst artillery duel so far. Shrapnel was falling like hail around the Receiving Ward.

April 30, 1942

Considerable artillery fire, but nothing like yesterday. Got some shrapnel. Put Jap tags on the busses. Hope that means we may be leaving, but there

May 1, 1942

Today was very productive of rumors. There is a hospital ship in Mariveles harbor. Pure nonsense! Germany’s spring offensive has failed and Japan will have

May 2, 1942

A day of no rumors. Still do not know when we are going to leave. If it is not soon most are going to be

May 3, 1942

Another hot day mixed with dust, flies, weariness, and falling shrapnel. Artillery duel started at about 8:00 A.M. and went on till noon. Shrapnel like

May 4, 1942

Terrific bombardment of Corregidor last night for about two intervals of 15 minutes. No return fire. Very heavy bombardment again this A.M. with Corregidor replying

May 5, 1942

Corregidor did most of the firing last night. No shrapnel in hospital area so I stayed in bed. Looked like rain again this A.M., but

May 6, 1942

Heavy artillery fire all last night, but none from Corregidor. Early in A.M. there was much machine gun fire. Then this A.M. there was no

May 7, 1942

Many planes again, all flying low. A few artillery shots. Corregidor pretty definitely has surrendered. Seems like probably some one of the forts is holding