Tarawa Flag For Us Naval Academy

Presentation of Union Jack by Col, Fox-Strangways

WHEN the new United States aircraft carrier “Tarawa” was commis sioned on December 8, 1945 (the fifth anniversary of Pearl Harbour), one of the people present was Col, V. Fox- Strangways.

Col. Fox-Strangways, it will be remem bered, was appointed Resident Commis sioner of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony in 1941 but before he took over the Japanese had occupied Tarawa; the new RC then joined the RAAF in Aus tralia.

However, late in 1943 he was sum moned to Pearl Harbour, where he assisted in making plans for the libera tion of the Gilberts, and he subsequently landed on Betio islet two days after the United States Marines had gone in to one of the bloodiest battles of their Pacific campaign.

He spent the first night in his new domain in a captured Japanese foxhole.

Next morning the officer commanding the American Forces made it known to him that he wished the British and American flags to be hoisted together at the beach-head. Fox-Strangways was able to produce a Union Jack and. later, it was flown bravely from a bullet scarred coconut tree alongside the Stars and Stripes.

Later still, it was decided to present this flag to the new aircraft-carrier “Tarawa” when that ship was completed.

It was in order to make this presenta tion that Col. Fox-Strangways attended the commissioning ceremony on Decem ber 8.

A LETTER from Col. Fox-Strangways, recently broadcast in Fiji in the

Suva Public Relations Office bulletin, stated that the flag, with an American battle flag presented by Col. Shoup, a United States officer who played a pro minent part in the Tarawa battle, will remain in the ship’s display case for a few weeks, and will then be sent for preservation to the Naval Academy’s museum at Annapolis.

Col. Fox-Strangways described the ceremony in this way: “The whole ship’s company and about 2,000 specators were present on the new carrier’s flight-deck.

Guards of honour for the British and American colours were provided by per sonnel of the Marine Corps who had been in the assault on Tarawa.

“The order of the ceremony was: Invocation by the chaplain; introductory speech by Admiral Ainsworth,'Command ing the Fifth Naval District; presenta tion of the two battle flags, and presen tation of a memorial plaque carved from a Japanse tank by Seabees of Acorn 14 on Tarawa; then there were salutes to the colours, a speech by Ad miral Bellinger, Commander of the United States Air Force in the Atlantic, the setting of first watch, a song (a lament entitled ‘Tarawa’) by a Wave rating, and finally a prayer and bene diction by the chaplain.

“The day was perfect, with warm sun, the lightest of breezes coming in fitful puffs, and hazy distances. The low sun threw long shadows, colouring the ships in the harbour all shades from pearl grey to deep blue-black, and picking out the ships’ ensigns as spots of vivid col our. As an undercurrent to the band and the spoken words, one could hear

the wash of water and the sound of ships’ bells and the incessant din of riveting and hammerir - from the yards.

The ship’s company were steady, and the Marines’ guards both steady and smart. And our little Jack, small and dingy as it was, looked grand in the sunlight against the new blue-grey paint of the ‘island.’ A scene which I, as well as others, felt to be quite unforgettable.”