Await Disposal
p. 82 · Read in the full issue
Thousands of Bombs Await Disposal In British Solomons
From Our Own Correspondent
Honiara, Sept, 20
AN Australian Services Bomb Disposals team is now at work in the BSIP.
Lieutenant-Commander C. G. Croft.
RANR, is in charge of the team.
There was heavy bombing and shelling in the Honiara area where they are at present working and all of them were somewhat startled by the number and variety of unexploded missiles, Japanese and Allied, which were left behind after the war, both in dumps and scattered round the coastal plain and foothills near Honiara. Residents, who have been aware of the situation and not surprised to find a mortar bomb or a four inch shell in place of fairies at the bottom of their garden, were expecting impressive bangs after the arrival of the team (many quite good bangs are liable to result from any local grass fire), but Commander Croft follows the naval tradition of rendering mines safe without unnecessary noise, though he admits he likes a good bang himself.
He is probably one of the most ex perienced RMS officers in the Empire.
One of his jobs after the Jap surrender was to go in by air to five different places in the Pacific, chosen for surrender ceremonies, and ensure that no suicidal Japanese had planted mines or booby traps there.
All members of the party consider the unexploded ammunition in the BSIP ex tremely dangerous after years of exposure to damp, heat and rust. By mid- September, they had collected and stacked for disposal 30,000 bombs of various kinds near Honiara, where plenty more re mained to be dealt with.
After cleaning this area, they expect to go to the Russells and the Western Solomons, where there are further large dumps as well as scattered bombs and shells. They estimate that the job will take at least a year.