Vila
Encyclopedia
Vila is a site at the southern end of Kolombangara
in the Solomon Islands
, originally the location of the Vila Stanmore coconut
plantation.
During World War II
, Japan
ese forces built an airstrip in order to stage aircraft from Rabaul
down to Guadalcanal
, and on several occasions, beginning on 24 January 1943 US
attempted to put the airstrip out of operation by bombing it. However, it remained in use until the Japanese evacuated Kolombangara in September and early October 1943.
The airstrip survives today, and is occasionally visited by tourists interested in the history.
Kolombangara
Kolombangara is an island in the New Georgia Islands group of the Solomon Islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean...
in the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
, originally the location of the Vila Stanmore coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
plantation.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese forces built an airstrip in order to stage aircraft from Rabaul
Rabaul
Rabaul is a township in East New Britain province, Papua New Guinea. The town was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province until it was destroyed in 1994 by falling ash of a volcanic eruption. During the eruption, ash was sent thousands of metres into the air and the...
down to Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
, and on several occasions, beginning on 24 January 1943 US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
attempted to put the airstrip out of operation by bombing it. However, it remained in use until the Japanese evacuated Kolombangara in September and early October 1943.
The airstrip survives today, and is occasionally visited by tourists interested in the history.