Just days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour the Tongan Government declared war on Japan as well as the other Allies.
The Tongan Defence Force prepared to defend its homeland against a possible invasion.
[note the fine footwear]
The civilians were evacuated from Nuku’alofa while the military hastily littered the beaches with barbed wire and trenches.
No one knew how far the Japanese would invade into the South Pacific, and it was not very reassuring to hear that a Japanese Submarine had shelled Pago Pago Harbour in American Samoa on 16th January 1942.
Planning for the American Occupation of Tonga [Code named “Bleacher”] was officially began in February.
There had been secret meetings in 1939 between the President of the US, the Prime Ministers of Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand regarding the occupation on Tonga, Samoa, Fiji and New Caledonia, should war break out in the Pacific.
The invading US Army, on 6th April 1942, was alerted at 00. 15 AM to pack individual equipment and up to 2 barracks bags, the Officers were permitted one musette bag, one piece of hand luggage, a bedroll and a footlocker.
Everything was loaded aboard a series of trucks and the left the camp at 0400 [4 AM] , departing the frozen training grounds of Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania.
They travelled 5 miles to Lickdale, and boarded a train that took them 180 miles to Bayonne, New Jersey.
Around midday, the troops boarded ferries for the 5 mile trip to the Port of Embarkation, Brooklyn, New York.
Life belts were issued, but departure was delayed 24 hours, due to the clear weather heightening the threat of Enemy Submarines, thought to be in the area.
The morning of the 9th April dawned with snow and sleet, cold temperatures and visibility of 500 yards, the ships set sail and formed a 15 transport ship convoy, guarded by an overhead Catalina Flying Boat, a US Battleship, 4 Destroyers and smaller escort vessels.
On the 18th April the convoy had reached Colon, Panama Zone and dropped anchor at 1100 [11 AM], having completed the first 1800 miles travel from Brooklyn.
The convoy passed safely through the Panama Canal during the early hours of the 20th April.
The Capital Ships that had formed the convoy protection were now replace by small, diesel powered PT Boats, 78 feet long, capable of up to 35 + Knots.
These small boats were extensively used later in the Solomon area.
The ships crossed the Equator on the 23rd April and the “Pollywogs” were greeted by King Neptune and admitted into the “Shell Backs” [those who had crossed the line]
A few days later, the by now, well travelled troops were told that they were going to Tonga, to build an airfield and Naval Base on Tongatabu.
The remainder of the convoy was to proceed to Auckland New Zealand.
When war was declared on Germany on 3rd September 1939, Queen Salote Topou 111 offered 160 acres to be developed into an airfield.
The troops [7,800 Army and 882 Sailors] reached Tongatabu at 1830 [6.30 PM] on 9th May, having travelled 6,189 miles since Panama Canal.
This made Tonga one of a series of interlocking bases reaching from New Hebridies and extending rearwards through New Caledonia,Fiji, Samoa and Tonga.
Although Tonga was further-est from the actual combat zone a great quantity of vital Allied shipping passed within its range on the long supply line from the US to the principal Pacific Bases in Australia and New Zealand
The 68th Pursuit Squadron was among the first USAAF Units to the South Pacific, and the 54 Officers and 483 other ranks left San Francisco aboard the SS Malsonia on the 17th February 1943.
They were sent to Brisbane, Australia, and assembled their aircraft and commenced flying from Ipswitch, 30 miles from Brisbane.
The aircraft were disassembled again and loaded aboard the Dutch ship MS Maelsuycker on the 8th May, they arrived at Tonga on the 17th May and spent the next 72 hours unloading all their equipment.
Their camp was set up at the Airfield and reassembly of the Aircraft begun.
Training of both ground and air crews began immediately, for the next 5 months patrols were flown, gunnery and dive bomb practice was carried out.
After their training the Squadron was moved to Guadalcanal to take part in the action in that area.
No 15 [F] Squadron was formed at Whenuapai, Auckland, New Zealand on 1st June 1942, to take advantage of the improvement in the supply of Curtis P 40 Kittyhawk Fighter aircraft.
During 1942 the US and NZ commands had come up with the idea of the NZ Squadrons taking over an existing US Squadron’s equipment.
This only happened once.
In October 1942 No 15 [F] Squadron moved to Tonga to take over the P 40 Kittyhawks from 68th Pursuit Squadron.
Curtis P 40 Kittyhawk
After this single experiment all future NZ Squadrons to move overseas brought their own aircraft. This was because the incoming NZ Squadron found their “New” aircraft to be badly maintained and in need of a great amount of work.
The Squadron also inherited 2 sets of US Radar equipment, but this time, the US personnel remained behind to train the new arrivals.
The Squadrons roles on Tonga were mainly Dawn and Dusk patrols and fighter defence of the island, which required the aircraft to be on “stand-by”
Island Nukualofa
Field Faumotu
Work Started, April 1940
Work Finished, September 1940
Units
[F]= Fighter
Sqn = Squadron
[BR] Bomber Reconnaissance
No 15 [F] Squadron, October 1942 to February 1943
No 54 & 55 Radar Unit, December 1942 to April 1943
No 6 Sqn Detachment. August 1943 to November 1943
Met Radar Unit, 1945
No 4 [BR] Sqn January 1944 to August 1944
No 15 Squadron P 40 Kittyhawks
[Ex Ohakea Museum]
No 4 [BR] Squadron Lockheed Ventura![]
with thanks to son-of-satire for the banner