"With No Regrets" Francis Vernon Douglas, Biography
PATRICIA BROOKS
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"WITH NO REGRETS" Copyright Š by Patricia Brooks Copyright Š 1998 by Claretian Publications A division of Claretian Communications, Inc. U.P. P.O. Box 4 IJiliman, 1101 Quezon City, Philippines TE: 921-3984 FAX:921-7429 E-mail: claret@cnl.net Website: http://www.cnl.netlclaret
Claretian Publications is a pastoral endeavor of the Claretian Missionaries in the Philippines. It aims to promote a renewed spirituality rooted in the process of total liberation and solidarity in response to the needs, challenges and pastoral demands of the Church today.
All rights reserved . No part of this book may be reproduced by any means without written permission from the publisher.
ISBN 971-501-772-x
Contents Acknowledgements ... ....... ...... ...... ...... ....... .............. ...... .. ...... .
xi
Preface ...... ...... ............. ...... ............... ........ ...... ....... ..................
vii
Prologue .......... ............ ............ ... ...... ....... ................ ....... ..........
xiii
Chapter One A Family of the Parish ............................................................
1
Chapter Two School and Work ...... ................... ........ .... .............. ....... ...........
11
Chapter Three The Chastener ............................................ .............................
17
Chapter Four 'Call Me Vernon' ......................................................................
23
Chapter Five 'The Venture for Christ' ............................................ .............
37
Chapter Six 'With a Heart and a Half'
43
Chapter Seven Off to the Philippines .............................................................
49
Chapter Eight 'Spreading the Kingdom of Christ' ............................ ...........
57
Chapter Nine Pearl Harbour
71
.......... .... ..... ...... ..... .... ...... ...... ...... ...... ... ......... ...
Chapter Ten 81
Those Dreadful Days v
vi
CONTENTS
Chapter Eleven 'When the Americans Come Back, Things Will be Better' ... ...... ............. ................. ............. .....
87
Chapter Twelve What Happened to Vernon? ..................................................
95
Epilogue . ......... ......... ...... ...... ...... ... ... ......... ... ..... ... ... .... .............
105
Appendix .... ...... ......... ...... ...... ..... .......... ......... ...... ............ ..... ...
109
References ... .......... ...... ..... ....... ...... ......... ........... .... ........... .... ...
115
Bibliography ........ ;...................................................................
121
Preface
T
his is the story of Francis ,Vernon Douglas, a young New Zealand Columban priest who disappeared in the Philip pines in 1.943 when the Second World War was at a turning point in the Pacific. The Japanese advance had been halted by American naval victories at the Battle of the Coral Sea, May 1942, and the Battle of the Midway, June 1942. Subsequent successes for the American, Australian and New Zealand forces in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands drove the Japanese forces to desperate measures to regain power. Bitter retribution was extracted by the Japanese, who regarded all enemy as personal aggressors of their beloved emperor. As the tide of war turned, the Japanese Imperial Army was pushed westwards towards Japan by the Allies . The occupying forces in the Philippines were attacked by guerrilla units, who harassed the Japanese by sabotage and espionage. Indignant at the reversals in their military fortunes , and desperate to neutralise the guerrilla resistance, the Japanese resorted to violent repression. Foreigners such as Vernon Douglas were suspected of subversion; Filipinos and foreigners alike were detained, interrogated and tortured for information about guerrilla activities. Vernon was held for three days, during which time he was subjected to appalling brutality. He then disappeared. Those who saw Vernon taken by the Japanese military police in July 1943 were powerless to do anything and had no idea where he had been taken. Those who witnessed his torture did not know who he was or where he had come from. His friends and those who should have been able to find out what happened to him, or what charges were held against him, were unable to vii
viii
PREFACE
do so. At the end of the war in 1945 people were still afraid to talk. No one was able to discover what finally happened to him and his body was never found . Vernon was not the only Columban martyr in the Philippines; nor were the Columban martyrs the only missionaries to die in service during the Second World War. Their names may be added to the long and illustrious list of those who have laid down their lives for the Christian faith. The story of Vernon Douglas demonstrates the courage of those who set aside self-interest and disregard difficulty and danger, to bring the gospel to others. Vernon would not have considered himself to be extraordinary: he once wrote, 'what ever you do, what ever choice you make, follow it without worrying further and with no regrets.'1 Vernon Douglas had been a friend of my father Brian Molloy when they were students together at Holy Cross College, Mosgiel. After my father's death I found letters from Vernon that intrigued me and made me wonder what happened to this extroverted, idealistic, sport-loving young priest. What makes a popular young man give up a comfortable I.ife, the possibility of being an All Black and enjoying the pleasures of family life to go to a foreign land and endure poverty and deprivation to bring the gospel to people he didn't know? Why did he die? Was he a guerrilla priest helping to liberate the people of his adopted country? Was he a martyr? Fifty years after his death he is remembered warmly by those who knew him and with sad admiration by those who saw him suffer. The cormection of those two groups had not been made before the publication of an article I wrote for the New Zealand Tablet (July 1993) on the 50th anniversary of Vernon's disappearance. The story found its way to Sister Margherita in Rome, who had by coincidence read an article by Maria Pruden of San Francisco about an unknown European priest who had saved the lives of people in the town of Paete in the Philippines. Through Sister Margherita and Maria Pruden contact was made with Maria's godfather, Colonel Frank Quesada, an eye witness to Vernon Douglas's detention and interrogation. To Frank Quesada, and others who were trapped in the church of St James the Apostle, Paete during Vernon's suffering, 'He was a saint sent by God to absorb pain and sacrifice for US.'2
PREFACE
ix
It is hoped the publication of Vernon's biography will bring forth further information as to the final moments of his life and tell us what happened to his body. My thanks go to the Douglas family, Vernon's friends and the Columban Fathers for sharing their letters and personal memories. Warm appreciation is accorded to all Columbans who have assisted in the completion of this biography, especially Arthur Price, Frank Herlihy and Gordon Jackson, whose illustrations drawn for his family while he was a prisoner of war show life in the Philippines at that time. Sadly, Arthur Price died in 1996. He was a great raconteur and his stories show a lively mind and a warm heart through all the dark moments of war. His determination that his friend's life not be forgotten; and his support and encouragement have been invaluable in writing the story of Vernon Douglas. This life story is affectionately dedicated to Columban missionaries throughout the world, especially those who have laboured long and borne the heat ang the burden of the day to bring something of the kingdom of God~ on earth. It is dedicated also with gratitude to my father, Brian Patrick Molloy, whose friendship with Vernon Douglas inspired this biography and to my mother, Ellen Sarah Keenan, who shared with me her love of the written word.
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life of an idealistic, fun-loving New Zealander whose endeavours placed him amidst the realities of war, destruction and death. ,Francis Vernon Douglas was a priest of the Archdiocese of Wellington when he joined the Missionary Society of St. Columban in 1937 and was assigned to the Philippine Islands. He had scarcely settled down to his new life and surroundings there when the country was invaded by Japanese occupational forces.
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For many years Patricia Brooks has followed the intriguing trail of ~rnon Douglas, a trail that has taken her on a fascinating journey vividly lit by the memories of those who knew him. WITH NO REGRETS reveals the chilling sacrifice that ~rnon finally made. This deeply moving book ,that may well prove to be the story of one of New Zealand's first saints.
Missionary Society of St. Columban ~
Front Cover photo taken by Brian Molloy Mt. Maunganui , 1937