The M/S Tito

The M/S Tito

The M/S Tito was built in 1914 in Great Britain, It was named HMT SIR MARKS SYKES and was in the service of the British Admiralty from 1915-1919 as a Minesweeper.  After serving with the Navy, it was bought by an Argentinian company who later leased it to Manila Steamship Co., Inc./Elizalde Service.
It plied the Catbalogan-Tacloban-Cagayan de Oro-Bugo route.

During the War, it was captured and extensively used by the Japanese Army as an Inter-island vessel to transport troops, supplies and Prisoners of War.  Capt. Okamura, who was killed in action in the hands of the Balingasag guerrillas arrived in Balingasag via the M/S Tito in Sept. 16 1942,  the same day that he died.  The M/S Tito survived the war and was scrapped in 1957.

A Photograph of the partly hidden M/S Tito in the Bugo Docks. Picture must have been taken during low tide as the dock obscured most of the boat’s profile. Picture taken in 1941.