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Photos of Ponam Island 1945

My dad arrived at Ponam in the Admiralty Islands in June 1945 as part of the British Pacific Fleet. When I was researching his service record I discovered that he was a member of  MONAB 4 (Mobile Naval Operating Air Bases). His diary records arriving at Ponam:

Saturday 2nd June 1945

Yesterday we weighed anchor in the morning and a few hours sailing brought us to Ponam, a small island just off the main one, two miles long by six hundred yards wide. Highest point above sea level 6 ft.  About 12.00 we came ashore in the cutter and surveyed our new home.

To look at it is a typical desert island complete with lagoon, coral and wind swept palm trees. Vegetation found growing naturally appears to be coconut palms, wild orange trees, bread fruit with a few tropical flowers and grasses. The seasons appear to be two – wet and dry. (Now we are at the end of the wet). Rainstorms are fairly common. The main island of Manus lies about a mile across the straits and is fairly large. I judged it at some ten miles long; the ground rises to a range of hills between 2,000ft and 3,000 ft and the whole is covered with vegetation. Sea life so far seen consists of small fish, coral snakes, small octopus and hermit crabs. The latter are small crabs which find an empty shell and carry it around with them, discarding them at successive intervals."







I Think I Prefer the Tinned Variety: The Diary of a Petty Officer in the Fleet Air Arm during World War II by N. Buckle & C. Murray





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