PAST EVENTS

With his second talk about the United states-Japanese confrontation during WWII, fellow member M.C.(Midge) Carter established himself as the undisputed expert at this branch, on the War in the Pacific. At our May meeting the subject of his talk was "Guadalcanal - Stalingrad of the Pacific". On the morning of August 7, 1942, more than 15 000 U.S. Marines commanded by Maj Gen. Alexander Archer Vandegrift landed on the Japanese held islands of Guadalcanal, Tulagi and Gavutu in the S.E. Solomon Islands in the first offensive undertaken by the United States in the Pacific. The Japanese threat to Australia and to the line of communications between the U.S. and the South Pacific bases was most serious, and Guadalcanal, where the Japanese had been feverishly building an airfield during the month of July, was intended to become a jumping-off point for further attacks to the south. Racing against time, a combined task force of United States and Australian naval vessels, including battleships, aircraft carriers, cruisers and destroyers, with transports and supply ships, moved through the Coral Sea early in August to attack and seize the Japanese-built airfield before it was stocked with planes. After a preparatory bombardment, which came to the Japanese as a complete surprise, the Marines started moving ashore, whilst there was fierce fighting on Tulagi and Gavutu, the enemy resistance on Guadalcanal was weak. The landing was made six miles east of the airfield. After seizing a beach-head, the Marines moved through the coconut plantations and jungle near the shore to occupy the airfield, and by the evening of the 8th it was in American hands. The small Japanese garrison - the Japanese had been foolish enough to build the valuable installations without a proper defence force - fled from the airfield area, leaving all fuel stores, equipment and heavy machinery behind. This enabled the Marines within a matter of days to make the airfield, now named Henderson Field, available to their own aircraft.

The Japanese reaction to the landings on Guadalcanal and Tulagi was swift and violent. The real fight for Guadalcanal began when the Japanese tried to recapture the airfield and lasted for six months as the enemy mounted four offensives, each on a larger scale than the last, to drive out the Americans.

Skilfully using transparancies to emphasize cardinal points our speaker succeeded in conveying a vivid picture of the bitter fighting under the most difficult conditions, heavy losses at sea and in the air, lack of air-cover, shortage of supplies, difficult terrain, dense jungle and heavy rains created a soldier's hell, surpassed only by the death-defying fanaticism of the Japanese attackers. On February 10th, 1943, six months after the original landings on Guadalcanal, the island was at last entirely in American hands and Maj.-Gen. Patch was able to announce that organised Japanese resistance had ended.

Graham Smale moved a well-earned vote of thanks to our speaker.

FUTURE EVENTS

Programme of Monthly Get-togethers

June 13th      GEORGE PONSFORD will talk about his WWII experiences with the 1ST CANADIAN DIVISION IN ITALY 1943/44.

July 11th      Commandant Justin Hulme JCD will talk on "The Irregular Soldiers of the 8th Kaffir War".

August 15th      Our National Chairman Major Darrell Hall will address us on "The Secret War 1939-1945". This is a story of code-breaking, double agents, and political intrigue. (Meeting will be held on third Thursday in August).

September 12      Dr. Frank Mitchell will present a slide talk on Andrew Beauchamp-Proctor, V.C., DSO, MC Bar, DFC, 8th Sqn R.F.C., South Africa's most decorated hero. October 17th      Commodore A.S. Davis will present a slide talk on "Forty Years with the S.A. Navy".

The venue for all meetings will be the Lecture Room, lower ground floor,'SB' Bourquin Building (Natalia Development Board) on the corner of Jan Smuts Highway and Buro Crescent, Mayville, on the second Thursday in the month (unless otherwise announced) commencing at 8 p.m.. Glasses and ice will be supplied so please bring your own bottled or canned refreshments. Friends and interested persons are welcome to come along.

WELCOME

A warm welcome is extended to new members Messrs. Simon Davey and J.F. Mullins.

(Mrs) Tania van der Watt,
Secretary, Durban Branch,
S.A. Military History Society,
Box 870, HILLCREST, 3650.
Tel. (031) vvvvvv