Greetings Jim,
Thank you very much for your reply. I imagine Guadalcanal was quite
different back in 1942 than it is now. Henderson is now the
international airport for the Solomon Islands with a 2,200m strip capable
of handling large jets. Honiara has a population of over 40,000 people,
with many more living in surrounding villages.
I think I know the general area where your father's battery was located.
What used to be Fighter Strip One is now largely covered in a coconut
plantation. Also the SIBC (Solomon Island Broadcasting Authority) has
its transmitter towers situated in this area also. It is however easy to
tell that it used to be an aircraft landing strip, as the area is still
very flat, and amongst the coconuts one can still find large concrete
pads, quonset (I can't spell!) huts and even ammunition. One of the
concrete pads has even been utilised as a basketball court!
The area of Bloody Ridge has a village on it, however there is a monument
at the highest point of the ridge which briefly outlines the battle and
the efforts of Mike Edson (the ridge is also called Edsons Ridge). There
are also several other memorials in the Honiara area. There is a large
Japanese memorial on Mount Austin, looking over Honiara and Iron Bottom
Sound. There is an American memorial on Skyline Ridge, overlooking the
Mataniko River.
There are also several memorials situated outside the
terminal at Henderson as well as several plaques inside the terminal
building. Also, the original control tower used during the war at
Henderson still stands, and has been restored so that people may climb to
the top of it.
A memorial is situated at this sight, mainly concerned
with the fighting at Bloody Ridge. The original concrete bunker still
lies here also, although it is filled with foul smelling water and
rubbish. Just near the control tower, off into the long grass there are
some low hills, in which there are tunnels dug they say by the Japanese.
One is still able to explore these tunnels.
If you wish to let me know your postal address, I will be more than happy
to send you some photographs of the areas I have mentioned above.
The Solomon Island Tourist Authority apparently run tours of battlefield
sites etc, and they may have some brouchures etc re this type of info. I
shall check with them and see what they have. However if you wish to get
in contact with them their address is: PO Box 321, HONIARA.
Unfortunately the Solomon Islands weren't ready, in general, for
independence when it arrived 18 years ago, and as such services,
especially those supplied by the government, have deteriorated
considerably when compared with the level of service that we from
developed countries have come to expect. So in essence what I am trying
to say is that you may not have much success in writing to the SITA but
then I could be wrong! Anyway, I shall see what I can find out for you!
In general terms, the war doesn't mean a whole lot to Solomon Island
people. The general attitude is that it was the white man's and yellow
man's problem. The biggest concern when you talk to people about the war,
especially those less educated, is that it never comes back. Author Paul
Theroux (Paddling the Happy Isles of Oceania) visited Savo during the
time of the Gulf War, and there was geniune concern expressed by the
people there to him, that the Gulf War may come to Savo, just as the
'big pella fight' came back in 1942.
Anyway, this is just a short note for now. I shall sit down sometime
soon and write a more detailed description on how the battle sights etc
look today, and am am more than happy to send you some photographs etc.
Hope this helps!
regards,
------------------------------
Tony Cooke
PO Box 930
HONIARA
SOLOMON ISLANDS
ajcooke@welkam.solomon.com.sb
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