3.2 by 3.2 inches
Mort Cohen collection
For the first ycarofitsexistence."5217th
Reconnaissance Battalion (Provisional)"
was the designation carried by the outfit
which coordinated teams of communica-
nons. wealher and demolitions experts in-
filtrated into the Philippines 10 support
guerrillasand transmit intelligence back to
Australa.(2) The teams themselves were
composite units, consisting of recon men
drawn from a
"scout column.
* communi.
cations experts from the 978th Signal. and
occasional men from Army Air Force
weather units.
Having evolved from the handful of ad
hoe agents who first penetrated the Philip-
pines in 1942-43, the battalion was for-
mally activated in Australia on October 8,
1943. It was renamed the Ist Reconnais-
sance Battalion (Special) on November
20, 1944. Because many personnel moved
to the 52171h from assagnments with the
Philippine Regional Section of the Allied
Intelligence Bureau (AlB) its full story
properly begins in 1942 The Battalion's
history is intertwined with thal of the AlB.
23:25
a asmic.org
iT
pines (3)
For seven months. AlB's Pholippine
activities were more theoretical than real
However. in October 1942 a Philippine
Sub-section was established within AIB
under Lt. Col Allison Ind to establish a net
for multary intelligence. a chain of com-
munications, eventual escape routes and
an organization for covert subversive ac-
rion. (4) This mission presupposed a high
level of cooperation with a guerrilla move-
ment of unknown size and capacittes
By ils very nature, a guerrilla under-
ground cannot be reduced to the orderly
mables of organization under which ordi-
nary molitary organizations operate. The
Filipino movement was no exception. Out
of the shambles of defeat, independent
formationssprung up under self-appointed
majors and colonels bearing such unlikely
names as the
"Hor Spor Unit." "Travelling
guerrillas" and
"Terry's ROTC Hunters.
Some organizations seemed more inler-
ested in securing turf against fellow guer-
nllas than fighting the Japanese It was
among these conflicting groups that AIB's23:25
a asmic.org
iT
pines (3)
For seven months. AlB's Pholippine
activities were more theoretical than real
However. in October 1942 a Philippine
Sub-section was established within AIB
under Lt. Col Allison Ind to establish a net
for multary intelligence. a chain of com-
munications, eventual escape routes and
an organization for covert subversive ac-
rion. (4) This mission presupposed a high
level of cooperation with a guerrilla move-
ment of unknown size and capacittes
By ils very nature, a guerrilla under-
ground cannot be reduced to the orderly
mables of organization under which ordi-
nary molitary organizations operate. The
Filipino movement was no exception. Out
of the shambles of defeat, independent
formationssprung up under self-appointed
majors and colonels bearing such unlikely
names as the
"Hor Spor Unit." "Travelling
guerrillas" and
"Terry's ROTC Hunters.
Some organizations seemed more inler-
ested in securing turf against fellow guer-
nllas than fighting the Japanese It was
among these conflicting groups that AIB's23:25
a asmic.org
first tentative missions operated.
The Villamor Mission
The proposed intelligence net could
only be created from Filipino agents, who
would be more able to blend with the gen.
eral population. The handful of Phalippine
Scout and Philippine Commonwealth Amy
troops that had managed to be evacuated
before the fall of Corregidor were a menger
source of recruils
Nevenheless. in January 1943 the sub-
marine USS Gudgeon landed Captain Jose
A. Villamor and his small. hastily orga-
nized "Planet Party'
"al Negros Island in the
Visayanchain. Villamor, a Philippine Army
Air Corps pilot, had won the Distinguished
Service Cross in first days of the war.
Armed with $2.000 worth of gems.
S500.000 US and I S million Philippine
Commonwealth pesos, his task was 1o sur-
reptinously evaluate the pro-American
sentiment in the islands and gauge the
sirength of the guerrillas.
Villamor's fame intervened-
-his pic-
lure had appeared on the cover of Life
:)
