Goodenough Island
Encyclopedia
Goodenough Island in the Solomon Sea
(identified as Morata on the earliest maps) is the westernmost of the three large islands of the D'Entrecasteaux Islands
in Milne Bay
Province of Papua New Guinea
. It lies to the east of mainland New Guinea and south west of the Trobriand Islands
.
It should not be confused with Goodenough's Island
. It is roughly circular in shape, measuring 39 by with an area of 687 square kilometres (265.3 sq mi) and a shoreline of 116 kilometres (72.1 mi). From a coastal belt varying in width from 2 to 10 km (1.2 to 6.2 ) in width, the island rises sharply to the summit of Mount Vineuo, 2536 metres (8,320.2 ft) above sea level, making it one of the most precipitous islands in the world.
, commanding HMS Basilisk
, landed on the westernmost island and named it after a British naval colleague, Commodore James Graham Goodenough
.
The impact of western culture after Moresby's visit and before World War II was limited to missionaries, ethnographers and traders seeking whales, pearls or gold. In 1888 William MacGregor visited the island in his role as administrator of the newly proclaimed British New Guinea. In 1891 the Methodist Church of Australia established a mission station on Dobu Island (between Ferguson and Normanby Islands) under the direction of William Bromilow. From there mission stations were established in strategic centres in the D'Entrecasteaux and Trobriand islands and the Louisiade Archipelago. In particular, in 1898 a mission station was established in Bwaidoga, Mud Bay, Goodenough Island. By that time traders had already created a regular demand for steel tools, cloth, and twist tobacco and the Dobu mission was recruiting natives to work in gold mines and copra
plantations. These activities, and indeed the farming and hunting activities of the traditional people, were confined to localised areas on the fringing plains of the island. The mountainous interior remained entirely unknown and unpopulated above 1,100 m.
. They became stranded when their MLCs were destroyed by No. 75 Squadron RAAF
Kittyhawks.
On 22 October 1942 the Australian warships HMAS Stuart and HMAS Arunta
disembarked 640 soldiers consisting of the Australian 2/12th Battalion, of the 18th Brigade
from Milne Bay
. They landed on both sides of the island's southern tip during the night. Intense fighting occurred during 23 October and during the night a successful rescue mission evacuated about 250 Japanese soldiers by submarine to Fergusson Island
, where they were taken by cruiser to Rabaul. The remaining Japanese defenders were mopped up and the island declared secured by 27 October.
The occupation force remained on the island until 28 December 1942. During that time they used deception and camouflage to make the Japanese believe that a brigade sized force was occupying the island. They fabricated a 'ghost force' of dummy structures, including a hospital, anti-aircraft guns constructed of logs pointed at the sky, and barricades of jungle vines which looked like barbed wire. They also lit fires to appear as cooking fires for large numbers of soldiers, and sent messages consistent with what a brigade of soldiers would be expected to send.
During that time an American airfield engineer reported that a temporary airfield could be constructed for emergency use on the site of an existing mission airstrip on the north eastern plain near Vivigani. He also recommended that a permanent 6000 feet (1,828.8 m) airstrip be constructed.
The Fifth Air Force directed the RAAF's No. 9 Group to attack enemy bases in New Britain
. To facilitate this, General Headquarters Operations Instructions No.31, dated 11th, 1943, set out that Goodenough Island, which was garrisoned by an Australian infantry battalion group with attached service groups and two Radar stations, was to be reinforced and prepared as an air force operating base with two landing strips, one for fighters and the other capable of handling heavy bombers. The fighter strip was available on 15 June. By the end of July there were 3,614 RAAF personnel on the island. The bomber strip was completed on 20 October, although it is recorded that the first offensive use of the airfield was on 17 May by Beaufort
s of No. 100 Squadron RAAF
.
As a part of Operation Cartwheel
, Vivigani Airfield became an important staging point for Australian and American operations in the South West Pacific Area
, an objective of which was to attack Rabaul in New Britain, the stronghold of Imperial Japanese forces.
List of villages working clockwise around Goodenough Island starting at Vivigani Airfield
on the northeast coastal plain, as shown in Google Earth.
(Dorcopsis atrata), the only wallaby
known to be endemic to a Pacific island, is endangered and needs careful management. Another species, the Agile Wallaby
(Macropus agilis) was abundant but can not be found today.
Solomon Sea
The Solomon Sea is a sea located within the Pacific Ocean. It lies between Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Many major battles were fought there during World War II.-Extent:...
(identified as Morata on the earliest maps) is the westernmost of the three large islands of the D'Entrecasteaux Islands
D'Entrecasteaux Islands
D'Entrecasteaux Islands are situated near the eastern tip of New Guinea in the Solomon Sea in Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea. The group spans a distance of 160 km, has a total land area of approximately 3,100 km² and is separated from the Papua New Guinea mainland by the...
in Milne Bay
Milne Bay
Milne Bay is a large bay in Milne Bay Province, southeastern Papua New Guinea. The bay is named after Sir Alexander Milne.The area was a site of the Battle of Milne Bay in 1942....
Province of Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
. It lies to the east of mainland New Guinea and south west of the Trobriand Islands
Trobriand Islands
The Trobriand Islands are a 450 km² archipelago of coral atolls off the eastern coast of New Guinea. They are situated in Milne Bay Province in Papua New Guinea. Most of the population of 12,000 indigenous inhabitants live on the main island of Kiriwina, which is also the location of the...
.
It should not be confused with Goodenough's Island
Rarotonga
Rarotonga is the most populous island of the Cook Islands, with a population of 14,153 , out of the country's total population of 19,569.The Cook Islands' Parliament buildings and international airport are on Rarotonga...
. It is roughly circular in shape, measuring 39 by with an area of 687 square kilometres (265.3 sq mi) and a shoreline of 116 kilometres (72.1 mi). From a coastal belt varying in width from 2 to 10 km (1.2 to 6.2 ) in width, the island rises sharply to the summit of Mount Vineuo, 2536 metres (8,320.2 ft) above sea level, making it one of the most precipitous islands in the world.
Climate and vegetation
Like much of New Guinea, the climate is tropical with high temperatures and humidity throughout the year. The northwest monsoon season lasts from December to March and brings sudden rain squalls. From May to October southeasterly winds are cooler and more gentle. Tropical cyclones are infrequent. Rainfall varies between 1,520 mm and 2,540 mm per annum. Serious droughts occur once or twice a decade. Rushing streams with waterfalls drain water from the central mountain. Rain forest cloaks the higher elevations with secondary forest, grassland and native gardens on the lower slopes and coastal plains. Soils are acid.History
The D'Entrecasteaux Islands have probably been inhabited for several thousand years, the people being related to mainland Papuans. The archipelago was first sighted by the French mariner Joseph Antoine Bruni d' Entrecasteaux in 1792 but remained unexplored until 1874 when Captain John MoresbyJohn Moresby
Captain John Moresby was a British Naval Officer who explored the coast of New Guinea and discovered the site of Port Moresby.Moresby was born in Allerford, Somerset, England, the son of Admiral Sir Fairfax Moresby...
, commanding HMS Basilisk
HMS Basilisk (1848)
HMS Basilisk was a first-class paddle sloop of the Royal Navy, built at the Woolwich Dockyard and launched on 22 August 1848.-Propulsion trials:She participated in 1849 in trials in the English Channel with the screw sloop HMS Niger...
, landed on the westernmost island and named it after a British naval colleague, Commodore James Graham Goodenough
James Graham Goodenough
Captain James Graham Goodenough CB CMG was an officer in the Royal Navy who went to become Commander-in-Chief, Australia Station.-Naval career:...
.
The impact of western culture after Moresby's visit and before World War II was limited to missionaries, ethnographers and traders seeking whales, pearls or gold. In 1888 William MacGregor visited the island in his role as administrator of the newly proclaimed British New Guinea. In 1891 the Methodist Church of Australia established a mission station on Dobu Island (between Ferguson and Normanby Islands) under the direction of William Bromilow. From there mission stations were established in strategic centres in the D'Entrecasteaux and Trobriand islands and the Louisiade Archipelago. In particular, in 1898 a mission station was established in Bwaidoga, Mud Bay, Goodenough Island. By that time traders had already created a regular demand for steel tools, cloth, and twist tobacco and the Dobu mission was recruiting natives to work in gold mines and copra
Copra
Copra is the dried meat, or kernel, of the coconut. Coconut oil extracted from it has made copra an important agricultural commodity for many coconut-producing countries. It also yields coconut cake which is mainly used as feed for livestock.-Production:...
plantations. These activities, and indeed the farming and hunting activities of the traditional people, were confined to localised areas on the fringing plains of the island. The mountainous interior remained entirely unknown and unpopulated above 1,100 m.
World War II
On 25 August 1942, a Japanese convoy of seven motorised landing craft (MLC) with 353 marines of 5th Sasebo Special Naval Landing Force stopped to rest at the south end of Goodenough Island. They were led by Commander Tsukioka and were bound for Taupota and participation in the Battle of Milne BayBattle of Milne Bay
The Battle of Milne Bay, also known as Operation RE by the Japanese, was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II. Japanese marines attacked the Australian base at Milne Bay on the eastern tip of New Guinea on 25 August 1942, and fighting continued until the Japanese retreated on 5...
. They became stranded when their MLCs were destroyed by No. 75 Squadron RAAF
No. 75 Squadron RAAF
No. 75 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force fighter unit based at RAAF Base Tindal in the Northern Territory. The squadron was formed in 1942 and saw extensive action in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II, operating P-40 Kittyhawks. It was disbanded in 1948, but reformed the...
Kittyhawks.
On 22 October 1942 the Australian warships HMAS Stuart and HMAS Arunta
HMAS Arunta (I30)
HMAS Arunta was a Tribal class destroyer of the Royal Australian Navy . Named for the Arrernte Aborigines, the destroyer was laid down in 1939 and commissioned into the RAN in 1942....
disembarked 640 soldiers consisting of the Australian 2/12th Battalion, of the 18th Brigade
18th Brigade (Australia)
The 18th Brigade was an infantry brigade of the Australian Army, which served during the Second World War. The brigade was raised on 13 October 1939 and was one of the first three infantry brigades of the Second Australian Imperial Force to be formed. Initially commanded by Brigadier Leslie...
from Milne Bay
Milne Bay
Milne Bay is a large bay in Milne Bay Province, southeastern Papua New Guinea. The bay is named after Sir Alexander Milne.The area was a site of the Battle of Milne Bay in 1942....
. They landed on both sides of the island's southern tip during the night. Intense fighting occurred during 23 October and during the night a successful rescue mission evacuated about 250 Japanese soldiers by submarine to Fergusson Island
Fergusson Island
Fergusson Island is the largest island of the D'Entrecasteaux Islands, in Papua New Guinea. It has an area of just over 500 square miles , and mostly consists of mountainous regions, covered by rain forests...
, where they were taken by cruiser to Rabaul. The remaining Japanese defenders were mopped up and the island declared secured by 27 October.
The occupation force remained on the island until 28 December 1942. During that time they used deception and camouflage to make the Japanese believe that a brigade sized force was occupying the island. They fabricated a 'ghost force' of dummy structures, including a hospital, anti-aircraft guns constructed of logs pointed at the sky, and barricades of jungle vines which looked like barbed wire. They also lit fires to appear as cooking fires for large numbers of soldiers, and sent messages consistent with what a brigade of soldiers would be expected to send.
During that time an American airfield engineer reported that a temporary airfield could be constructed for emergency use on the site of an existing mission airstrip on the north eastern plain near Vivigani. He also recommended that a permanent 6000 feet (1,828.8 m) airstrip be constructed.
The Fifth Air Force directed the RAAF's No. 9 Group to attack enemy bases in New Britain
New Britain
New Britain, or Niu Briten, is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from the island of New Guinea by the Dampier and Vitiaz Straits and from New Ireland by St. George's Channel...
. To facilitate this, General Headquarters Operations Instructions No.31, dated 11th, 1943, set out that Goodenough Island, which was garrisoned by an Australian infantry battalion group with attached service groups and two Radar stations, was to be reinforced and prepared as an air force operating base with two landing strips, one for fighters and the other capable of handling heavy bombers. The fighter strip was available on 15 June. By the end of July there were 3,614 RAAF personnel on the island. The bomber strip was completed on 20 October, although it is recorded that the first offensive use of the airfield was on 17 May by Beaufort
Beaufort
-People and titles:* Beaufort , the surname of many people* House of Beaufort, English nobility* Duke of Beaufort , a title in the peerage of England* Duke of Beaufort , a title in the French nobility-Places:...
s of No. 100 Squadron RAAF
No. 100 Squadron RAAF
No. 100 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force bomber and maritime patrol squadron of World War II. The Squadron was formed in 1942 and was disbanded in 1946.-Squadron history:...
.
As a part of Operation Cartwheel
Operation Cartwheel
Operation Cartwheel was a major military strategy for the Allies in the Pacific theater of World War II. Cartwheel was a twin-axis of advance operation, aimed at militarily neutralizing the major Japanese base at Rabaul...
, Vivigani Airfield became an important staging point for Australian and American operations in the South West Pacific Area
South West Pacific Area
South West Pacific Area was the name given to the Allied supreme military command in the South West Pacific Theatre of World War II. It was one of four major Allied commands in the Pacific theatres of World War II, during 1942–45...
, an objective of which was to attack Rabaul in New Britain, the stronghold of Imperial Japanese forces.
RAAF Units active on Goodenough Island
| Squadron | Aircraft |
|---|---|
| 6 General reconnaissance/Bomber Squadron | Hudson Beaufort |
| 8 Bomber Squadron | Beaufort |
| 22 Bomber Squadron | Boston |
| 30 Attack Squadron | Beaufighter |
| 75 Fighter Squadron | Kittyhawk |
| 76 Fighter Squadron | Kittyhawk |
| 77 Fighter Squadron | Kittyhawk |
| 79 Fighter Squadron | Spitfire |
| 100 Bomber squadron | Beaufort |
| 8 Communication Unit | Tiger Moth, Boomerang, Dornier Do 24, Vengeance, Walrus, Catalina, Beaufort, Beaufreighter, Beaufighter |
RAAF Logistics Units Active on Goodenough Island
| Squadron |
|---|
| 4 Mobile Works Squadron. (Renamed 4 Airfield Construction Squadron July 1944) |
| 5 Mobile Works Squadron. (Renamed 5 Airfield Construction Squadron July 1944) |
| 7 Mobile Works Squadron. (Renamed 7 Airfield Construction Squadron July 1944) |
| 26 Air Stores Park |
| 16 Stores Unit. (Renamed 6 Stores and Shipping Unit April 1943) |
| 7 Transportation and Movements Office |
| 26 Repair and Salvage Unit |
| 2 Medical Receiving Station |
| 6 Medical Receiving Station |
Culture
The four languages of Goodenough (Bwaidoka, Iduna, Diodio, and Buduna or Wataluma) belong to the Milne Bay Family of Austronesian languages. The dominant language, Bwaidoka, was adopted as a lingua franca by the Wesleyan (Methodist) Mission at the turn of the century. At the 2000 census the population was 20,814.List of villages working clockwise around Goodenough Island starting at Vivigani Airfield
Vivigani Airfield
Vivigani Airfield was an airstrip at Vivigani on Goodenough Island, part of the D'Entrecasteaux Islands in Papua New Guinea.-World War II:The Australian 2/12th Battalion reached Vivigani on 27 October 1942, occupying the island after defeating the Imperial Japanese troops marooned on the island...
on the northeast coastal plain, as shown in Google Earth.
- Vivigani (this is not an actual village per se, although there are several in the vicinity of the airstrip)
- Bolubolu (the administrative centre)
- Wailagi (United Church mission station and 1–6 Elementary School)
- Kilia
- Lauwela
- Auwale
- Debenefue
- Diodio
- Tatala
- Waibula
- Ufaufa
- Wataluma Mission and Plantation
- Ulaluya Mission
Protected Area
The Oi Mada Wara Wildlife Management Area in the centre of the island is 22840 hectares (56,438.8 acre). t provides a critical landscape function with a relatively high number of endemic, endangered and vulnerable species. The small Black DorcopsisBlack Dorcopsis
The Black Dorcopsis or Black Forest Wallaby is a species of marsupial in the Macropodidae family. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests. It is threatened by habitat loss....
(Dorcopsis atrata), the only wallaby
Wallaby
A wallaby is any of about thirty species of macropod . It is an informal designation generally used for any macropod that is smaller than a kangaroo or wallaroo that has not been given some other name.-Overview:...
known to be endemic to a Pacific island, is endangered and needs careful management. Another species, the Agile Wallaby
Agile Wallaby
The Agile Wallaby , also known as the Sandy Wallaby, is a species of wallaby found in northern Australia and New Guinea. It is the most common wallaby in Australia's north....
(Macropus agilis) was abundant but can not be found today.