Monday 29th October.

43 days to go.

Today is my daughters 20th birthday. She is in the middle of studying and writing essays for her 3rd year Uni exams. She is doing a BSc double major in Psychology and Anthropology. She has her last exams around the 12th – 13th November. Maybe after that she can pay for her cars license, insurance and buy other things!!! Love you dear, really I do!

Coast watchers were a large (400) team of people who were spread throughout the Islands off the north Eastern coast of Australia during WW2.

They were mainly spread over the Solomon Islands and the Island network from Bougainville to New Guinea. Many of them were given Commissions in the Royal Australian Navy Reserve to protect them under the Geneva Convention. This did not stop the execution of several of their number by the Japanese though.

It was a Coast Watcher who alerted the US Forces that the airfield on Guadalcanal was being built. At great personal risk Martin Clemens, who was the Senior British official on Guadalcanal, reported on the progress of the construction. He was forced deeper and deeper inland as the Japanese attempted to find him. He used some of his employees to conduct the activities as he kept moving to avoid capture.

Two Coast watchers on Bougainville reported the Japanese Naval and Air Force movements during the Battle of Guadalcanal. This allowed the US defending Forces to prepare for the attack. On the first day of the invasion the warnings twice halted the landings and allowed the navy to take up defensive positions in the 45 minutes they had. It also enabled fighters to be stationed at altitude around Savo Island to intercept the Japanese.

On the second day warning was also given. This time the Japanese were expecting a reception at Savo and flew 50 km east and attacked the ships at a low level. They were expecting to take the ships by surprise; however they flew into a curtain of anti-aircraft fire. This action alone saved many lives and most likely saved the success of the invasion. The US suffered only slight damage to a Destroyer and a landing craft. The Japanese lost about 60 of 90 aircraft used in the attacks.

To be continued in part 2