Trip to Guadalcanal

madflava13 · Post by **madflava13** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 2:12 am

He took a trip to Guadalcanal - these are personal photos taken on the trip.... Amazing stuff.

Mark VII · Post by **Mark VII** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 3:32 am

I want to thank everyone for the encouragement to "more, more, more". I am a TV news photogragher by profession and part time still photographer when on vacation and such so I tend to overshoot compared to "normal" people taking vacation pics. Was alittle worried that the detail that I shoot might be alittle much for you all but pleased you all have enjoyed my vacation.......terry

Mark VII · Post by **Mark VII** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 3:49 am

After the Vouza Memorial we drove straight west on the coast road for over a hour to get to the the Open-Air Museum. A local family found and maintains the collection which sits on 2-4 acres. It is mostly wrecked a/c(and wings) with some ground equipment.

Mark VII · Post by **Mark VII** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 3:50 am

Some IJA arty

Mark VII · Post by **Mark VII** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 3:52 am

A gun believed to be a Pistol Pete type. Thoughts are welcome! These guns were left behind when the Japanese withdrew from the island.

Mark VII · Post by **Mark VII** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 3:53 am

Closeup on barrel showing Japanese manufactoring marks.

Mark VII · Post by **Mark VII** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 3:54 am

Another gun.

Mark VII · Post by **Mark VII** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 3:54 am

closeup

Mark VII · Post by **Mark VII** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 3:55 am

Some stray ammo. On closer inspection you could tell there was NO explosives in these and they has been dis-armed.

Mark VII · Post by **Mark VII** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 3:57 am

They had apparently moved some abandoned monuments to the property.

Mark VII · Post by **Mark VII** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 3:59 am

different angle, notice the wings leaning in the background

Mark VII · Post by **Mark VII** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 4:01 am

A Japanese stone with no english translation. This is the only Japanese stone that I saw that did not have a translation. John told me that on some of the trails that the IJA used to move their men there also are some markers with no translations.

Mark VII · Post by **Mark VII** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 4:03 am

Canberra

Mark VII · Post by **Mark VII** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 4:06 am

Many a/c and some other stuff to come, probably not till Tuesday. Time for [>:]

ilovestrategy · Post by **ilovestrategy** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 5:20 am

Mark, Thanks again for doing this for us [:)]

Sharkosaurus rex · Post by **Sharkosaurus rex** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 8:37 am

I found some info on the ethnic tension in Solomon Islands.

Just your normal human conflict. The islands were very competitive and head-hunting and cannibalism were very common up to WWI. When the British chose Guadalcanal as the capital that attracted people from the other islands because extra work there and most royalties were spent here. Forestry, paper pulp, and coffee were the main exports. The new-comers were in smaller numbers than the original islanders at first. In 1978 the British left SI after it became independent. Corruption and mismanagement wasted much money. Also SI had to compete with other world traders instead of just Commonwealth. So coffee sales fell and farmers went broke! Worse- many of the islands were so over-exploited for forestry resources that virtually nothing can grow on the sand boxes that remain and peolpe were forced to leave!!!

Now the migrants from rest of SI on Guadalcanal teamed up politically and economically against the original Gualalcanalians forcing their numbers in the democratic govt. The originals feared the laws would be changed to give land rights and other concessions to the SI migrants. So the ethnic tensions exploded into murders and mayhem as the Gualalcanalians weren't giving up their "superiority" without a fight. Now with the Gualalcanalians in minority in govt the Si migrants fought among themelves in factional frictions. Crime and killings were common and the islanders divided into their family factions. The Gualalcanalians now regained supremcy in the govt.

To prevent another bloodbath, soldiers from Aust and NZ were invited to restore peace to the troubled lands. Australian federal police have been active too, investigating crimes and arresting some big crime bosses. Many weapons have been confiscated. One AFP was shot dead ealier this year in Honiara. Work is being done on improving the economy and over-coming prejudices in the SI.

Hope you don't mind.

Thanks for sharing the photos.

Oops. PS
When we look at SI on the map we see a group of small islands that would seem like a nice place to live. But the SI sees themsleves as all separate and competitive countries- just grouped together under British rule. So they couldn't/ didn't work together for common good, just their own island nation.

Mark VII · Post by **Mark VII** » Mon Aug 15, 2005 8:50 pm

Sorry, bumping this for my parents.

Mark VII · Post by **Mark VII** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 1:28 am

Sorry for the long delay to finish up my trip to the Canal! Resuming where I left off at the Open-Air Museum in Western Guadalcanal.

A SBD. Remember, these aircraft came to grief some 60+ years ago. They laid somewhere in the jungle till discovered by the caretakers of this property. How long they have been found I don't know. But the collection of aircraft, Artillery and stone markers is just amazing....terry

Mark VII · Post by **Mark VII** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 1:29 am

Dive flaps of the SDB. When I saw this I knew what A/C it was.

Mark VII · Post by **Mark VII** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 1:30 am

Notice the bullet holes in the tail.

Trip to Guadalcanal

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