Solomon Islands Liberation Plaque
Details:
On the pedestal adjacent to the Vouza statue. Plaque
A brass inscribed plaque which remembers all the units involved in the liberation of the Solomon Islands during the World War 2 Pacific Theater Operation.
Monument Text:
In memory of the men who died in the campaigns to free the Solomon Islands
American Forces
1942-1945
Guadalcanal · Central Solomons · Bougainville
“Lest we forget”
American Ground Forces
Guadalcanal Campaign: 1st Marine Division Reinforced, 2nd Marine Division, Americal Infantry Division Reinforced, 25th Infantry Division Reinforced, Composite Army Marine Division Reinforced.
Central Solomons: XIV Army Corps, 43rd Infantry Division, 37th Infantry Division, 4th Marine Raider Regiment, 9th Marine Defence Battalion, 6th, 24th, 47th & 73rd Naval Construction Battalions, Composite Radar Units.
Bougainville: 1st Marine Amphibious Corps, 3rd Marine Division, 37th Infantry Division and attached units, Americal Division and 25th Infantry Division.
American and Allied Naval vessels damaged* or sunk during the Guadalcanal and Northern Solomons Campaigns
7 August 1942 to 15 June 1944
Battleships: North Carolina*, South Dakota*. Aircraft Carriers: Enterprise*, Hornet, Saratoga*, Wasp. Heavy Cruisers: Astoria, Canberra (Australia), Chester*, Chicago, Minneapolis*, New Orleans*, Northampton, Pensacola*, Portland*, Quincy, Salt Lake City*, San Francisco*, Vincennes. Light cruisers: Achilles* (New Zealand), Atlanta, Birmingham*, Boise*, Denver*, Helena, Honolulu*, Juneau, Leander* (New Zealand), Montpelier*, San Juan*, St. Louis*. Destroyers: Aaron Ward, Barton, Benham, Blue, Buchanan*, Chevalier, Claxton*, Cony*, Cushing, De Haven, Duncan, Farenholt*, Foote*, Fullam*, Gwin, Hughes*, Jarvis, Laffey, La Vallette*, Mahan*, Meredith, Monssen, Mugford*, O’Bannon*, O’Brien, Patterson*, Porter, Preston, Raph Talbot*, Saufley*, Selfridge*, Smith*, Spence*, Sterett*, Stron, Thatcher*, Walke, Waller*. Destroyer Minesweeper: Zane*. Corvettes: Kiwi* (New Zealand), Moa (New Zealand). Submarines: Amberjack, Grampus, Triton. PT Boats: PT-37, PT-43, PT-44, PT-59*, PT-108*, PT-109, PT-111, PT-112, PT-117, PT-118, PT-123, PT-126*, PT-153, PT-164, PT-166, PT-167*, PT-168*, PT-172, PT-247, PT-250*, PT-251, PT-279, PT-282*, PT-283. Transports: Barnett*, Calhoun, Fuller*, George F. Elliott, Gregory, John Penn, Little, McCawley, McKean, President Jackson*, Zeilin*. Cargo ships: Adhara*, Alchiba*, Alhena*, Aludra, Celeno*, Deimos. Landing ships, tank: LST 167*, LST 334, LST 340*, LST 342, LST 396, LST 399*, LST 448, LST 485*. Fleet oilers: Kanawha, Rappahannock*. Seaplane tender: McFarland*. PT Boat Tender: Niagara. Fleet Tug: Seminole. Fleet Auxiliary: YP 284.
The Cactus (Guadalcanal) Air Force:
The Cactus Air Force was composed of a few American and Allied Army, Navy and Marine air-men who braved almost impossible conditions – inferior equipment, inadequate supplies, uncertain weather, constact exhaustion – to fight off Japanese bombers, duel with enemy fighters and bomb and torpedo enemy ships which attempted to land troops at Guadalcanal. They flew from Henderson Field between 12 August 1942 to April 1943.
On several occasions, US Navy carrier-based aircraft used Henderson Field as an alternate base of operations. Also, as the campaign progressed, US Army heavy bombers of the 11th, and later, the 5th Bombardment Group utilized Henderson Field in ever increasing numbers as a forward base.
U.S. Navy: Navy (PBY) Patrol Bomber Sqdns VP-11, VP-14, VP-23, VP-24, VP-51, VP-72, VP-91, VP-101. Carrier-based Air Groups from: Enterprise (Air Gr 10) (Flight 300), Hornet, Long Island, Saratoga, and Wasp. Patrol Wings, So. Pacific. Escort Scouts Sqdns 11, 12, 16. Scout Observation Sqdns 4, and 5. Naval Construction Battalions 6, 14, 26, 27, 35.
U.S. Marine Corps: 1st Marine Air Wing. 2nd Marine Air Wing. Marine Air Group 14, 23 and 25. Marine Scout Bomber Sqdns 131, 132, 141, 142, 144, 231, 232, 233 and 224. Marine Fighter Sqdns 112, 121, 122, 123, 212, 223 and 234. Marine Photographic Reconnaissance Sqdn 154. Marine Observation Sqdn 151.
Marine Utility Sqdn (Transport) 253.
U.S. Army: Fighter Sqdns 12, 13, 44, 67, 68, 77 and 330. Heavy Bomb Groups 5, 11, 31, 307th and 347th. 69th Medium Bomb Sqdn. 17th Photo Recon Sqdn. Transport Command Sqdn 403.
Royal New Zealand Air Force: Hudson Medium Bomber Sqdn, Recon Sqdn 3, Fighter Sqdn 15.
Guadalcanal Solomon Islands War Memorial Foundation U.S.A.
In memory of the men who died in the campaigns to free the Solomon Islands
Allied Forces
1942-1945
Guadalcanal · Central Solomons · Bougainville · New Britain · New Ireland
“Lest we forget”
Australia
Royal Australian Navy
HMAS Australia, HMAS Canberra, HMAS Hobart, HMAS Shropshire, HMAS Colac, HMAS Kiama, HMAS Lithgow, HMAS Townsville, 818-822 Fairmile Groups, minesweepers, minelayers, auxiliaries and escorts.
Australian Imperial Force
HQ 2 Corps HQ3 Division, 7, 11, 15, 23, 29 Brigades and attached units. 2/4 Armoured Regiment, 2/8 Commando. Papuan Infantry Battalion. 1 New Guinea Infantry Battalion. No. 1 Independent Coy.
Royal Australian Air Force
Tulagi Harbou 1941/42, Advanced Operational Base, 9, 11, 20, 21 Squadrons (Catalinas & Empire Flying Boats) 32 Squadron (Hudsons) 100 Squadron (Beauforts). Northern Solomons 1943/45. 39 Operational Base Unit. 84 Wing Headquarters. Beaufort Squadron from 77 Wing. 5 Tactical Recon
Squadron (Wirraways and Boomerangs) 36 Transport Squadron (DC3’s) 10 I.A.S.U. (Beauforts) 17 Air Observation Post Flight (Austers) 112 Mobile Fighter Control Unit, Torokina 311 and 313 (Green Is.) and 320 (Torokina) Radar Stations 7 Airfiled Construction Squadron
New Zealand
Royal New Zealand Navy
HMNZS Cruisers “Achilles”, HMNZS “Leander”, 27th Minesweeping Flotilla (HMNZS “Kiwi”, “Moa”, “Tui”, “Matai”, “Breeze”, “Gale” & “Arabis”); 80th & 81st ML Flotilla (Q400-411).
2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force (in the Pacific)
3 NZ Div. HQ; Artillery (HQ, 17, 29 &38 Regiments); 53, 54 &144 Bttys: 4 Surv. Tp.); Armour (3 NZ Div. Tank Sqn.); Engineers (HQ, 20, 23, 26, & 37 Fd. Coys.); Signals (HQ, HQ. Admin., 1, 2 &3 Coys.); Infantry (8 BDE, Incl. HQ, 29, 34 & 36 Battalions; 14 BDE. Incl. 30, 35 & 37 Battalions, Fd. Maint. Centre); Army Service Corps (HQ, 4, 10 & 16 M.T. Coys; 1 Fd. Bakery); Medical (7, 22 &24 Fd. Amb; 6 Fd. Hygiene Sect.; 1 NZ Malaria Control Unit; 2 C.C.S.); Ordnance; Field Worskshops (H.Q. Wksps; 20, 36, 37, 42, 64, 65 &67 L.A.D.S.; 29 L.A.A. Wksps.); Provost (5 Prov. Coy 4 Fd. Security Sect.).
Royal New Zealand Air Force
No. 1 Islands Group HQ; New Zealand Air Task Force HQ; Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 8 & 9 (Bomber Reconnaissance) Squadrons; Nos. 14, 15, 16, 17 ,18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 & 26 (Fighter) Squadrons; No. 62 R.D.F. (Radar) Squadron (including units 52-54 & 56-59; Nos. 5 & 6 (Flying Boat) Squadrons; Nos. 40 & 41 (Transport) Squadrons; Nos. 25, 30 & 31 (Dive Bomber) Squadrons; RNZAF Pacific Ferry Maintenance & Servicing Unit; Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 (Fighter) Servicing Units; Nos. 12, 13 & 14 (Bomber Servicing Units); Nos. 25, 30 & 31 (Dive Bomber Servicing Units); Nos. 1 & 2 Islands (Works) Squadrons No. 4 Repair Depot.
Fiji
HMFS “Viti” 1 Fiji Commando, 2 Fiji Commando, 1 & 3 Battalion Fiji Infantry Regiment Fiji Corps of Signals Fiji Medical Corps.
Tonga
A Platoon, Tongan Defence Force Attached 1 Fiji Commando.
British Solomon Islands Protectorate
Guadalcanal and Munda – Special Service Battalion, B.S.I.P. Defence Force, Solomon Island Labour Corps. Scouts attached Coast Watchers – All areas. Scouts and Carrier Units attached to U.S. and N.Z. and A.I.F. Infantry Units – All areas. Government small ships.
The Coast Watchers
D.S.I.O. Guadalcanal Munda and Torokina. ZGJ (Malaita), VQO (Vanikoro), ZGJ3 (San Cristoval), ZGJ4, VQJ8 (Guadalcanal), ZGJ5 (New Georgia), K (Ysabel), STO (Buka Passage), Jer (Buin), and Mid-Bougainville, ZUB (Choiseul), Rendova, Vella Lavella, Kolumbangara, Rennell Is.
Guadalcanal Solomon Islands War Memorial Foundation U.S.A.
Commemorates:
People:
Joseph Lawton ‘Lightning Joe’ Collins
Alexander Archer 'Archie' Vandegrift
Units:
1st Marine Division
25th Infantry Divsion
2nd Marine Division
37th Infantry Division
3rd Marine Division
43rd Infantry Divsion
4th Marine Regiment
Americal Division (23rd Infantry Division)
Cactus Air Force
Naval Aviation
PT-109
U.S. Navy Air Service
United States Air Force
United States Army
United States Marine Corps
United States Navy
US Army Air Corps
US Marine Corps Aviation
Wars:
WWII
Battles:
Guadalcanal
Pacific Theater
Solomon Islands Campaign
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