EXAMPLES OF ADAPTIVE RE-USE OF WORLD WAR II ARTEFACTS...

This is a peer reviewed contribution. Received: 25 May 2006; Revised: 17 Jun 2006 Accepted: 18 Jun 2006 © Micronesian Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences ISSN 1449-7336 HeritageFutures™ International, PO Box 3440, Albury NSW 2640, Australia 268 Persistent identifier: http://www.nla.gov.au/nla.arc-65664

MICRONESIAN

JOURNAL OF THE HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

Vol. 5, nº 1/2 Combined Issue November 2006

EXAMPLES OF ADAPTIVE RE-USE OF WORLD WAR II ARTEFACTS IN MICRONESIA

Dirk HR Spennemann Institute of Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University

Many Pacific Islands are littered with the remains of World War II. These remains range from the wrecks of ships, tanks and aircraft, to costal defense installations and general base infrastructure. The abundance of material left behind after the cessation of hostilities meant that local communities had abundant opportunity to salvage elements and put them to their own use. This paper provides an overview of the nature of adaptive reuse to which World War II artefacts have been put in Micronesia, highlighting the impact on heritage sites but also the innovation and transmodification that oc-curred, establishing new historic contexts for the artefacts. The Pacific War (1941–45) had a profound im-pact on the Micronesian communities. Base developments by Japanese and US forces alike saw the make up of their islands change with the formerly productive central parts of several islands built over changing the economy of the islands.1 This resulted on occasion in wholesale realignments of settlement patterns on other atolls.2 The effects of the war brought about personal hardship and trauma,3 and left behind reminders of the war. A less welcome rem(a)inder of the war is the ubiquitous unex-ploded ammunition,4 while the non-lethal re-mains form an asset for tourism,5 exploited by the local airlines,6 and the dive industry.7

It is not surprising that the abundance of artefacts left over from the Japanese and the US base developments provided the local communities with a vast array of resources for scrap metal collection8 and personal use. It ap-pears that the reuse of the materials started as soon as it was deemed safe to do so without risking reprisals (see the case of a Val dive

bomber described below), or soon after war’s end. The Japanese bases, once given up, quickly became sources of household utensils and tools, and later a source of all sorts of ma-terial for manufacturing other items. Soon after the Japanese surrender and repatriation of the garrison forces the Marshallese went back to the base islands to look for equipment and household goods that could be of use.9

While examples of secondary use are on oc-casion illustrated in survey reports and conser-vation studies,10 no systematic study has been carried out. The aim of this paper is two-fold. On the one hand it is to demonstrate the range of adaptive uses to which artefacts from Word War II were put, and the concomitant level of damage to the integrity of these war places. On the other, as Micronesian communities are be-coming increasingly affluent, these aspects of community life are gradually disappearing. In that regard, then, this paper also provides a photographic record of the use of such items in the first half of the 1990s.

Examples of Adaptive re-Use of World War II Artefacts in Micronesia 269

The majority of the examples shown in this paper come from the Republic of the Marshall Islands and unless cited otherwise, are based on personal observations.

SITES In several instances bunkers and the like are now utilised as sheds, storage facilities and pig sties, and larger structures, such as air com-mand centres or ammunitions depots are used for generator buildings or construction storage sheds or outright human habitation.

A bomb and ammunition storage building on Wotje, which is in perfect structural condi-tion, was planned to be used as a power house for the Wotje Northern Marshalls High School and in the interim was used as a storage build-ing for construction materials.11

The air operations buildings in Wotje, Wotje Atoll, and Taroa Island, Maloelap Atoll (both Republic of the Marshall Islands) are be-ing used as private dwelling, while the same type of building on Aslito Field in Saipan serves as the Northern Marianas Visitors Bu-reau.12 The first floor of the bomb-damaged radio-direction finding and command building of the Japanese base on Taroa, Maloelap Atoll served as a church (Fig. 2).

The wooden buildings of most Japanese bases had been destroyed during the U.S. bombing raids. On Majuro, however, the base had been left intact and taken over by the oc-cupying U.S. forces. The U.S. utilised most of the buildings, and tore down others. After the U.S. forces left the buildings were surrendered to the Marshallese who moved in, until the structures were too unstable to be utilised. To-day, only one building of the former base sur-vives (site MI-Mj-209).

The concrete foundations often served as foundations for shower units and other build-ings. On Mile the water tanks of the main gen-erator station serve as the foundations of the Mile guesthouse operating in the early 1990s; while the foundations of the Japanese RDF building on Majuro as well as the foundations of the warehouses and the tennis court were all used as foundations for modern housing

One of the houses of the Japanese sea-plane base on Djarrit, Majuro Atoll, was still in existence in 1992 and then used as a dwelling.13 Several houses in Djarrit contain large, thick beams, which very likely result from Japanese buildings of the World War II period. After the collapse or demolition of such buildings, wooden beams were salvaged and re-used.

Water-tanks Given that the atolls of the Marshall Islands depend on rainwater as the sole source of drinking water, it is not surprising that water storage facilities are of prime concern. Only the urban atolls of Majuro and Kwajalein have cen-tralised water supplies. Inhabitants on other atolls rely on rainwater collections off their pri-vate catchments, such as roofs, shed and the like.

Where possible, the concrete water tanks built by the Japanese have been repaired or re-furbished and are commonly used at present for the same purpose. This was observed on Taroa, Wotje and Majuro.

Runways The most commonly utilised site dating to World War II are airfield runways. The Japa-nese erected airbases on Mile, Jaluit, Wotje, Taroa (Maloelap), Roi-Namur and Kwajalein. These airfields had multiple runways, with the main runway oriented towards the predomi-nant direction of the wind. All the latter run-ways are still or again used, either with or without improvements by the U.S. administra-tion and the Republic of the Marshall Islands government (Fig. 1). The U.S. runway on De-lap is now out of service, but had been used for a prolonged time.

Marston Matting One of the most ubiquitous pieces of US-origin World War II equipment are the pierced steel planks, colloquially also known as ‘Mar-ston matting.’ These interlocking planks had originally served as mats to consolidate soft ground, such as the coral soils so that vehicles and aircraft could use the area without getting bogged. After the war these items saw wide

270 Examples of Adaptive re-Use of World War II Artefacts in Micronesia

spread use as fence panels (Fig. 31,Fig. 32), as house walls for breezeways (Fig. 29) and as pig pens (Fig. 30). While these items are prevalent on islands and atolls that once supported US bases, post World War II transport meant that equipment was moved around.

The use of Marston matting as fence mate-rial is very widespread in the Marshall Islands (Uliga I., Delap I., and Laura I., Majuro Atoll; Mile I., I. Atoll; Mejatto I., Kwajalein Atoll) and beyond such as Pohnpei and Chuuk.14

Quonset huts The use of the reinforcement structure of Quonset huts as fence posts has been reported from Chuuk.15

REUSE OF AIRCRAFT PARTS The aluminium-skinned aircraft were a major source of raw materials, ranging from small pieces to entire panels of the fuselage, from equipment to propeller blades.

Fuselage Even while war was still raging in the islands, plane wrecks were quickly stripped of part or all of their aluminium sheeting, mainly for use as coconut-grinder blades, husking-stick points and other artefacts.16

This has been reported, for example for the B-24 bomber that crashed in 1944 on Arno Atoll.17 Similar is the apparent fate of the “Val” dive-bomber (Aichi D3A; site MI-Mj-29) that crash-landed in January or February 1944 on the shore of Laura, at the time the main popu-lation centre of Majuro Atoll. The plane had apparently run out of fuel and attempted to crash-land on the sand beach at Laura in Janu-ary or February 1944, when it struck a coconut tree and lost its tail in the process. The aircraft was complete, save for its tail which had been torn off, in February 1944,18 but stripped of most of its aluminium skin barely a month later (Fig. 11).19 However, such use is not confined to the post World War II period: aluminium from aircraft was used as recently as 1989 as casting aids for concrete water tanks on Taroa, Maloelap Atoll (own observations).

US air raids on the Japanese air bases de-stroyed a large number of Japanese planes. The fuselages of several planes were cannibalised for large aluminium sheeting for construction projects, serving as forms for pouring concrete (Taroa, Maloelap Atoll) or as, in flattened form, as side walls/panels for a house (Arbar Island, Mile Atoll; Fig. 12).

Propellers While the most common use of propellers and propeller blades is that of an ornament (Fig. 9; Fig. 10), blades have also been used as reflec-tors to guide the way at night through the la-goonal pass Laura, navigational markers for Majuro Atoll.20

Drop Tanks One of the relatively common finds at the shores and on the islands of the atolls of Mi-cronesia are oblong or torpedo-shaped alumi-num cylinders, which at first glance can easily be mistaken for floats of flying boats or sea-planes. These objects are either found at the shore, or, more commonly, in use as water tanks at home sites. These, however, are exter-nal wing tanks, which could be discarded ('dropped') in flight. They belonged to a North American F-86 “Sabre” jet aircraft, which saw extensive service in the Pacific Area until the late 1950s. These drop tanks come in a variety of shapes and fuel capacities • 120 gal. combat tanks with straight fins • 120 gal. combat tanks with straight fins

and side panels • 200 gal. (finless) drop tank • 200 gal. Misawa tank • 206.5 gal. ferry tank

It would appear that all of the fuel tanks so far found in Micronesia are 120 gallon combat tanks, that had been dropped off as part of training exercises. These drop tanks were made by a variety of manufacturers on behalf of the USAF, among them Japanese companies such as Shin Meiwa. These drop tanks, like all others of their type seen on various atolls in the Mar-shall Islands and elsewhere, were used as water catchment: Bouj I., Ailinglaplap Atoll;21 Ebon I., Ebon Atoll (Fig. 39);22 Lukej I., Arno Atoll


(Fig. 38); Laura I., Majuro Atoll (Fig. 36); Mile I., Mile Atoll (Fig. 37); Taroa I., Maloelap Atoll.

A survey on Mejatto Island, Kwajalein At-oll, encountered a drop tank used as a water catchment. The tank had been found washed ashore on Rongelap Island, Rongelap Atoll, and brought along when that atoll’s population was evacuated Mejatto Island in Kwajalein At-oll. This example documents the importance Marshallese attach to additional water storage options and to the value of drop tanks in the 1990s.23

Oxygen bottles The most common and the most enduring use found for parts of B-24 aircraft are the oxygen cylinders, originally installed as an oxygen sup-ply for high altitude missions. A standard Lib-erator would carry at least 10 of these cylinders. Today, these aluminium cylinders are found cut in half, either length wise or–more commonly–across to serve as cooking pots. Due to their large size and round bottoms these pots are most suitable for use in open fireplaces. Such ‘pots’ have been seen by the author on the fol-lowing location: Bouj I., Ailinglaplap Atoll;24 Airok I., Ailinglaplap Atoll;25 Jelte, Majuro At-oll (Fig. 54);26 Mile I., Mile Atol; Wotje I., Wotje Atoll; Taroa I., Maloelap Atoll; Ine I., Arno Atoll;27 and Mejatto I., Kwajalein Atoll (Fig. 55).28

All of these islands have seen long-range bombing by 7th AAF squadrons, and B-24 crashes are confirmed for all these atolls with the exception of Ailinglaplap. However, the nature of the cylinders meant that they would float and thus could well originate from planes which crashed on the open sea or exploded in mid-air. Ailinglaplap, then, is downwind and down-current of Majuro and Maloelap and close to the flight route from Kiribati (then the Gilbert Islands) to Kwajalein Atoll.29

GUN EMPLACEMENTS AND AMMUNITION The costal defense and anti-aircraft gun batter-ies erected on the Japanese bases also provided a range of materials that could be adapted for other uses.

Recoil springs of coastal defense guns The guns themselves have found little reuse, given their size and weight. The recoil of the heavy guns was buffered through recoil springs set in oil-filled tubes. Some of the guns which had been damaged during air raids had their recoil springs expose. Such springs have found reuse as fence posts on Chuuk.30 and as sup-ports for guiding rails for copra dryers on Mile I., Mile Atoll (Fig. 27).

Ammunition Ready Magazines Ammunition for the 127 mm dual purpose guns came as complete rounds, with the pro-jectile fixed on a shell casing containing the propellant. At the gun emplacements these complete rounds were stored in ammunition ready boxes (Fig. 51) which had been set in concrete recesses in the emplacements. A large number of these boxes seem to have survived the US air attacks on the gun batteries. These boxes, stripped of the separators for the rounds, have found reuse as storage lockers (Jinbinmen I., Mile Atoll; Fig. 21, Fig. 22), as water tanks (Mile I., Mile Atoll) and as copra drying ovens (Mile I., Mile Atoll; Fig. 52, Fig. 53).

Containers for powder bags were also used as water catchments (Fig. 13, Fig. 14).

Shell Casings The seemingly abundant number of 127mm DP rounds left behind (see below) allowed people to both salvage the propellant for use in bomb fishing (see below) and to extract the shell casings as scrap metal (Fig. 7; Fig. 8). Be-cause of the value of cuproalloys in the scrap metal trade shell casings only found limited re-use. Examples that were encountered was the use of a casing as a pig bell on Mile I., Mile Atoll (Fig. 46), as well as the use of two casings as a seat (Wotje I., Wotje Atoll; Fig. 50). The latter use must be seen as temporary give the large pile of collected casings ready for sale to scrap metal dealers.

Ordnance Unlikely as it might appear, ordnance has seen some secondary use. Spent shells have been


noted as borders for house platforms on Towoka I., Mile Atoll (Fig. 34).

World War II artefacts are also sometimes thrown in copra bags to increase their weight and hence the financial return. Occasionally World War II shells find their way into the copra grinder, with potentially disastrous ef-fects.31

Unexploded World War II ordnance, which is abundant on many places even after repeated clean ups (cf.. Spennemann et. al. 1990), is col-lected for use as explosives in (illegal) bomb-fishing. In Chuuk, islanders go to the length of recovering large shells from the holds of sunken ships.32

Bomb Craters Base installations had been the targets of sus-tained air attacks. The islands were left pock-marked with bomb craters. Several of the deep bomb craters were subsequently used as taro planting pits. This was seen on Mile I., Mile Atoll (Fig. 16) and Taroa I., Maloelap Atoll.

Narrow-Gauge Railroad Tracks The larger gun batteries required narrow gauge railroad tracks to allow for the efficient move-ment of ammunition from the storage build-ings to the gun emplacements. It is not

surprising that the length of railroad tracks found a range of secondary uses.

On Mile I. two lengths of railroad tracks were used as guide rails for the fire box of a copra dryer (Fig. 27). On the same island a pig pen erected out of interlaced and piled railroad axles was noted (Fig. 28). General fencing was also constructed of shortened lengths of tracks on Chuuk.33 For Chuuk the use of railroad tracks as beams in houses and for the rein-forcement of concrete has been mentioned. In addition short lengths of this material are re-putedly used as (sitting) planks in out houses.34

Narrow-Gauge Railroad Carts and Axles The buckets of narrow gauge railway cars have been described as being used for water cisterns on Chuuk.35 The use of axles is more ubiqui-tous. Axles set upright into the ground have been used as foundations for raised houses on Ebon Island, Ebon Atoll (Fig. 25) and Chuuk.36

A railroad axle can be used as a part of a work-out and fitness equipment, usually among other pieces of weight lifting equipment. In such use, railroad axles have been seen on Ebon I, Ebon Atoll (Fig. 23),37 and on Mile I., Mile Atoll. They are also known to serve as toys in general on Chuuk.38

Table 1.Observed domestic secondary use of archaeological WW II artefacts

Pig

pens

Doo

r sto

pper

s

Wat

er T

anks

Wat

er C

atch

men

t

Hou

se P

latf

orm

bor

ders

Bel

ls

Seat

s

Step

ping

sto

nes

Fenc

e

Hou

se w

alls

Coo

king

Pot

s

Cop

ra d

ryer

s

Stor

age

Lock

ers

Exe

rcise

equ

ipm

ent

Railway rails ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Railway car Axles ✓ ✓ Oxygen bottles ✓ ✓ ✓ B-24 Oxygen bottles ✓ ✓ Tank truck tanks ✓ F86 droptanks ✓ Water & fuel tanks ✓ Cartridges of shells ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Bombs & Mines (safe) ✓ ✓ ✓ Rice cookers ✓ 127mm ready boxes ✓ ✓ ✓


Marston matting ✓ ✓ ✓ Aircraft Fuselage ✓


Fig. 1. The main east-west runway of the Japanese air base of Mile Island, Mile Atoll, RMI, today serves as the runway for the domestic airline connections (1991).

Fig. 2. Japanese command building serving now as a church. (Taroa Island, Maloelap Atoll, RMI)(1991).

Fig. 3. Japanese radio-communications building serving

now as Xavier High School (Moen, Chuuk, FSM)(1992).

Fig. 4. Japanese radio-communications building serving now as Xavier High School

(Moen, Chuuk, FSM)(1992)

Fig. 5. Japanese 20 mm cannon emplacement serving as

a pig sty. (Mile I., Mile Atoll, RMI)(1991). Fig. 6. Japanese 20 mm cannon emplacement serving as

a pig sty. (Mile I., Mile Atoll, RMI)(1991).


Fig. 7. Scrap metal collection of Japanese 127 mm shell casings. The items have been stockpiled for sale at a fu-

ture date. (Wotje I., Wotje Atoll, RMI)(1991).

Fig. 8. Scrap metal collection of Japanese 127 mm shell casings. The items have been stockpiled for sale at a fu-

ture date. (Wotje I., Wotje Atoll, RMI)(1991).

Fig. 9. Propellers of Japanese aircraft and ships as well as a machine gun moved to a hotel as a garden ornament (Truk Intercontinental, Moen, Chuuk, FSM)(1991).

Fig. 10. Propellers of Japanese aircraft moved to a house as garden ornaments (Moen, Chuuk, FSM)(1991).

Fig. 11. A Aichi D3A ‘Val’ on the beach at Laura

(Majuro Atoll, RMI) in 1945. Note that the plane has been stripped of aluminium.39

Fig. 12. Part of the fuselage of a Mitsubishi G4M “Betty” aircraft flattened out and serving as aluminium

siding on a residence (Arbar I., Mile Atoll, RMI)(1991).


Fig. 13. Japanese copper-alloy containers for powder bags for 150 mm coastal defense guns, serving as water con-

tainer (Mile I., Mile Atoll, RMI)(1991).

Fig. 14. Japanese copper-alloy container for powder bags for 150 mm coastal defense guns, serving as water con-

tainer (Mile I., Mile Atoll, RMI)(1991).

Fig. 15. Bomb craters in copra plantation.

(Mile I., Mile Atoll, RMI)(1991). Fig. 16. Bomb crater used as a taro patch.

(Mile I., Mile Atoll, RMI) (1991).

Fig. 17. Japanese rice cooker serving as a water catch-

ment (Wotje I., Wotje Atoll, RMI)(1991). Fig. 18. Japanese rice cooker serving as a water catch-

ment (Wotje I., Wotje Atoll, RMI)(1991).


Fig. 19. Japanese rice cooker serving as a water catch-

ment (Mile Island, Mile Atoll, RMI)(1991). Fig. 20. Japanese rice cooker in situ

(Wotje Island, Wotje Atoll, RMI)(1991).

Fig. 21. Japanese 127 mm ammunition ready boxes ser-

ving as storage boxes (Jinbinmen I., Mile Atoll, RMI (1991).

Fig. 22. Japanese 127 mm ammunition ready boxes serving as storage boxes

(Jinbinmen I., Mile Atoll, RMI (1991).

Fig. 23. Axles of a narrow-gauge tramway serving as a weightlifting set. (Ebon I., Ebon Atoll, RMI)(1992).

Fig. 24. Axle of the narrow-gauge tramway. (Ebon I., Ebon Atoll, RMI)(1992).


Fig. 25. Axles of the narrow-gauge tramway serving as posts for a house. (Ebon I., Ebon Atoll, RMI)(1992).

Fig. 26. Remains of a Japanese tanker truck with the tank removed (Mile I., Mile Atoll, RMI)(1991).

Fig. 27. Tramway rails used as guiding rails for a fire-

box of a copra drying oven. Note the use of a recoil spring of a 150 mm coastal defense gun as a support for

the guide rails (Mile I., Mile Atoll, RMI)(1991)

Fig. 28. Tramway rails used as a pig pen (Mile I., Mile Atoll, RMI) (1991).

Fig. 29. Marston matting used as part of a house wall

(Wotje I., Wotje Atoll, RMI)(1991). Fig. 30. Marston matting used as a pig pen (Mejatto I., Kwajalein Atoll, RMI)(1993)/


Fig. 31. Marston matting used as a fence.

(Laura, Majuro Atoll, RMI)(1991). Fig. 32. Marston matting used as a fence.

(Kolonia, Pohnpei, FSM)(1991).

Fig. 33. The aluminium framework of a radio transmit-ter set used as a food preparation table. Note the use of plastic netfloats cut in half, serving as washing bowls

(Mile Island, Mile Atoll, RMI)(1991).

Fig. 34. Disarmed naval projectile and cylinder of an aerial bomb used as a border of a living platform.

(Tokowa I., Mile Atoll, RMI)(1991).

Fig. 35. Aluminium drop tank washed ashore and un-

claimed (Sapuk, Moen, Chuuk, FSM)(1992). Fig. 36. Drop tank on

Laura, Majuro Atoll, RMI(1991).


Fig. 37. A F-86 droptank serving as the main water

catchment at a house site (Mile I., Mile Atoll, RMI)(1991).

Fig. 38. A F-86 droptank as the main water catch-ment at the principal's residence site

(Lukwej I., Arno Atoll, RMI)(1992).

Fig. 39. A F-86 droptank at an abandoned house site

previously serving as a rainwater catchment (Ebon I., Ebon Atoll, RMI)(1992).

Fig. 40. Detail of Drop tank on (Ebon I., Ebon Atoll, RMI)(1992).

Fig. 41. Droptank parts used as entrance pylons at a

Sakau Bar (Kolonia, Pohnpei, FSM)(1992). Fig. 42. Oxygen bottles used as a pig pen

(Mile I., Mile Atoll, RMI)(1991).


Fig. 43. Japanese sea mine, serving as water container

(Mile I., Mile Atoll, RMI)(1991). Fig. 44. U.S. fuel tanker trailer serving as a water

catchment. (Mile I., Mile Atoll, RMI)(1991).

Fig. 45. A droptank nose cone used as entrance pylons at a Sakau Bar (Kolonia, Pohnpei, FSM)(1992).

Fig. 46. Casing of a Japanese 127mm round serving as a pig bell (Mile I., Mile Atoll, RMI)(1991).

Fig. 47. Part of a radio mast used as belltower (Protestant Church,

Mile I., Mile Atoll, RMI)(1991).

Fig. 48. Japanese rice cooker serving

as a water catchment (Mile I., Mile Atoll, RMI)(1991).

Fig. 49. Tank unit from a Japanese tanker truck serving as water tank (Mile I., Mile Atoll, RMI)(1991).

Fig. 50. Two Japanese 127 mm shell casings, serving as seat

(Wotje I., Wotje Atoll, RMI)(1991).


Fig. 51. A Japanese 127 mm ready

magazine in situ. (Wotje I., Wotje Atoll, RMI)(1991)

Fig. 52. A Japanese 127 mm ready magazine reused as a copra dryer


Fig. 53. A Japanese 127 mm ready magazine reused as a copra dryer


Fig. 54. Half an oxygen cylinder from B-24 aircraft used as a pot

(Jelte I, Majuro Atoll, RMI)(1989).

Fig. 55. Half an oxygen cylinder from B-24 aircraft used as a pot

(Mejatto I, Kwajalein Atoll, RMI)(1993).

BASE INFRASTRUCTURE ITEMS In addition to the military equipment left be-hind, the Japanese bases were of course replete with infrastructure components that allowed the base to function as human settlement.

Rice Cookers The bases required that large numbers of sol-diers needed to be fed. To achieve this the kit-chens were furnished with large semi-globular cast iron rice cookers, which make for good

water catchment. This was observed on Mile (Fig. 19) and Wotje (Fig. 17, Fig. 18).

Radio equipment Radio communications facilities on the bases required masts, the remains of which were used as a bell tower for school on Mile (Fig. 47) and as support posts for a school in Chuuk.40 In addition aluminum framework pieces of radio transmitter set were used as an outdoor table on Mile (Fig. 33).


CONCLUSIONS As this brief study has shown, the range of ad-aptive uses to which salvaged World War II material can be put is only limited by human imagination. Yet environmental conditions, with the overall shortage of water, prefers ap-plications that allow the storage of water. As environmental decay in the aggressive tropical marine climate continues unabated, and as the communities are gradually becoming more af-fluent, the number of adaptive reuses will de-crease. Some of the items, such as the 127mm projectile ready lockers noted on Jinbinmen are in good condition and could be collected by local museums as part of an exhibit. On the whole, however, the material culture is too fragmented and too decayed to warrant such collection

ENDNOTES

1. Look & Spennemann 1993. 2. Eg Majuro: Spennemann 1996 3. Cf. Turner & Falgout 2002; Poyer et al. 2001. 4. Spennemann 2005; 2006 5 . Bartsch 1986. 6. Cf. Spennemann 1991b-c. 7. Cf. Bailey 1968. 8 The remains of the war, namely the metal parts,

such as the remains of tanks, trucks, guns, ships and the like soon attracted the interest of scrap metal dealers. Scrap metal dealers were particu-larly interested in the higher valued non-ferrous metals and alloys, as were used in brass fittings and copper wiring of generators, motors and other equipment, breech blocks and firing mechanisms of guns, copper alloys used in gun mountings, as well as in the alloy casings of artil-lery shells. As a result, the historic sites were torn apart and the useable and marketable mate-rials were extracted, while the less marketable, or more cumbersome iron was left behind. Sur-prisingly, counter balance weights are still com-monly present, but this may be attributable to their large weight. Hence, a great number of sites has been partially destroyed—or vandal-ised—in the process. These scrap metal drives continued the destruction of historical resources at an unprecedented rate. While a bombed and burned-out generator station was still easily rec-ognisable as such, these generators were canni-balised in search for the copper wiring of the anchors, the fly-wheels were taken if feasible

and the like. A sorry sight is often all that re-mains.

For some islands scrap metal was a major source of revenue. In the Marshall Islands for example scrap metal, apparently mainly scrap iron at that time, was the second largest export commodity in 1967 grossing over U.S.$16,000 compared with U.S.$ 15,000 for handicrafts and U.S.$ 827,904 for copra. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 1969:4). Scrap metal was exported from the Republic of the Marshall Islands as late as 1987, when $8,000 worth of metal was shipped (OPS 1989a, p. 145).

Even today, although scrap metal collection is no longer of any importance in the Marshall Is-lands, one can encounter households with small or larger piles of non-ferrous metal parts from guns, shell casings and the like in their yards (Fig. 7, Fig. 8).

9. Poyer 1990, p. 53. 10. cf. Look & Spennemann 1993. 11. own observations; future use information: pers.

comm. Tony Phillips, Mayor, Wotje Atoll Local Government

12. Denfeld 1981, p. 93. 13. The building has since been pulled down. 14. Denfeld 1979b, p. 126. 15. Denfeld 1979b, p. 126 16. Mason 1947; 1952:6; Spennemann 1990a: I227-

229; 1992a. 17. Mason 1950:6; for the aircraft Spennemann

1994. 18 Photograph, US National Archives, Washing-

ton, Record Group 80G-218567; Photo taken by planes from U.S.S.Nassau (CVE-16).

19 Photograph, US National Archives, Washing-ton, Record Group 80G-231079; Photo taken by crew from U.S.S.Bellau Wood (CVL-24).

20. Spennemann 1990a:I244; 1992d. 21. Spennemann 1992a. 22. Spennemann 1992b. 23. Spennemann 1993b. 24. Spennemann 1992a. 25. Spennemann 1992a. 26. Spennemann 1990. 27. pers. comm. Tamar Jordan, Majuro 28. Spennemann 1993b 29. Spennemann 1995. 30. Denfeld 1979b, p.126. 31. Johnson 1989: Reeder 1989; Steege 1989; Spen-

nemann 1990b 32. Hezel and Graham 1989:51 33. Denfeld 1979b, p.126. 34. Denfeld 1979b, pp. 126.-127.


35. Denfeld 1979b, p. 126. 36. Denfeld 1979b, p. 126. 37. Spennemann 1992b 38. Denfeld 1979b, p. 126..

39. Photo taken by crew from USS Beallau Wood. US National Archives photo Record Group 80G-231079.

40. Denfeld 1979b, p. 126.

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Bailey, Dan E. (1982) WWII wrecks of the Kwajalein and Truk Lagoon. Redding, CA: North Valley Di-ver Publications.

Bartsch, W.H. (1986) After the battle. Wreck Dis-covery: Unknown Maleolap. After the Battle 54 28-41.

Denfeld, D.Colt (1979a) Field Survey of Ponape: World War II Features. Micronesian Archaeological Survey Report No. 2. Saipan: Historic Preserva-tion Office, Trust Territory of the Pacific Is-lands.

Denfeld, D.Colt (1979b) Field Survey of Truk: World War II Features. Micronesian Archaeological Survey Report No. 6. Saipan: Historic Preserva-tion Office, Trust Territory of the Pacific Is-lands.

Denfeld, D.Colt (1981) Japanese fortifications and other military structures in the Central Pacific. Micronesian Archaeological Survey Report No. 9. Sai-pan: Historic Preservation Office, Trust Terri-tory of the Pacific Islands.

Hezel, Francis X. & C.Graham (1989) Truk's Under-water Museum. A Report on the Sunken Japanese Ships. A project sponsored by the Micronesian Endowment of Historic Preservation. Report prepared for the Micronesian Resource Study, Micronesian Endowment of Historic Preserva-tion.

Johnson, G. (1989) “Bomb” takes toll at Tobolar. Marshall Islands Journal 20(27) June 9.

Look, David W. and Dirk H.R. Spennemann, (1993) For Future Use: A Management Conservation Plan for the World War II sites in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Albury, NSW, Australia, and San Francisco, U.S.A.: The Johnstone Centre of Park, Recreation and Heritage and the U.S. Na-tional Park Service Western Regional Office.

Mason, L., 1952, Anthropology-Geography Study of Arno Atoll, Marshall Islands. Atoll Research Bulletin 10. Washington: Pacific Science Board, National Research Council.

Poyer , Lin, Falgout, Suzanne and Carucci, Lau-rence Marshall (2001) The Typhoon of War: Micro-nesian Experiences in WWII. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press.

Poyer, Lyn (1990) Final Report Micronesian Resources Study, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Ethnography component. Report prepared for the Micronesian Endowment for Historic Preservation. Febru-ary, 1990. Report on file R.M.I. Historic Preser-vation Office, Majuro.

Reeder, Dennis (1989) Tobolar regrets offending Maloelap. Marshall Islands Journal 20(28) July 14, 1989. Page. 16.

Ryenkevich, Michael A. (1981) Traders, Teachers and Soldiers: An anthropological study of Colo-nial Era sites on Majuro Atoll, Marshall Islands. Micronesian Archaeological Survey Report 8. Saipan: Historic Preservation Office, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.

Spennemann, Dirk H.R. (1990a) Cultural Resource Managment Plan for Majuro Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands. 2 Vols. Report prepared in ful-fillment of U.S.Department of Interior, Office of Territorial and International Affairs Technical Assistance Grant MAR-42. Report submitted to the Historic Preservation Office, Majuro, Re-public of the Marshall Islands. August 1990.

Spennemann, Dirk H.R. (1990b) Identification of a World War II shell found in the Copra-grinder of Tobo-lar. HPO. Report Nº4 1990. Ms. on file. Divi-sion of Archaeology, History and Traditional Material Culture, Alele Inc. P.O.Box 629, Ma-juro 96960, Republic of the Marshall Islands

Spennemann, Dirk H.R. (1991a) Historical Sites on Taroa Island, Maloelap Atoll. Ennaanin Etto—News from the Past 1(1), 5-6.

Spennemann, Dirk H.R. (1991b) Taroa, Maloelap At-oll. Air Marshall Islands Sunday Escape. Folded tour brochure, 2pp.Majuro: AIRMarshall Is-lands.

Spennemann, Dirk H.R. (1991c) Mile, Mile Atoll. Air Marshall Islands Sunday Escape. Folded tour brochure, 2pp. Majuro: AIRMarshall Islands.

Spennemann, Dirk H.R. (1992) Apocalypse now?–the fate of World War II sites on the Central Pacific Islands. Cultural Resources Management [U.S.National Park Service, Washington] 15(2), pp. 15-16, 22.


Spennemann, Dirk H.R. (1992b) Aspects of Historic Preservation of Ebon Atoll. Archaeological, historical and environmental observations gathered during a brief field trip to Ebon Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Is-lands, 17-22 June 1992. HPO-Report 1992/11. Majuro Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands: Historic Preservation Office.

Spennemann, Dirk H.R. (1992b) World War II Re-mains on Central Pacific Islands: Perceptions of Heritage versus Priorities of Preservation. The Pacific Review 5 (3), pp. 278-290.

Spennemann, Dirk H.R. (1992c) The Japanese Nany’o Boeki Kaisha Trading Station on Bouj and other obser-vations pertaining to Historic Preservation Issues on Bouj and Airok Islands, Ailinglaplap Atoll. HPO-Report 1992/12. Majuro Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands: Historic Preservation Office.

Spennemann, Dirk H.R. (1993) Cultural Resources on Mejatto Island, Kwajalein Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands. Observations during a se-ries of exhumations in January 1993. Case report prepared for the Republic of the Marshall Is-lands Historic Preservation Office. Pacific Cul-tural Resources Management Case Reports. Albury, NSW, Australia: Pacific Cultural Re-sources Management.

Spennemann, Dirk H.R. (1993b) Cultural Resources on Mejatto Island, Kwajalein Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands. Observations during a se-ries of exhumations in January 1993. Case report prepared for the Republic of the Marshall Is-lands Historic Preservation Office. Pacific Cul-tural Resources Management Case Reports. Albury, NSW, Australia: Pacific Cultural Re-sources Management.

Spennemann, Dirk H.R. (1994) Assessing fallen Liberators in the Marshall Islands. Briefing —The Journal of the International B-24 Liberator Club. 51, 7-13.

Spennemann, Dirk H.R. (1994) The last flight of the “St. Quentin Quail”. Investigations of the wreckage and history of Consolidated B-24 “Liberator” aircraft #42-41205 off Jab’u Island, Arno Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands. The Johnstone Centre for Parks, Recreation and Heritage Report Nº 17— The Johnstone Centre for Parks, Recreation and Heritage, Charles Sturt University, Albury, NSW., 1994

Spennemann, Dirk H.R. (1995) Secondary use of airplane parts: F-86 droptanks A photographic case study from Micronesia. Johnstone Centre of Parks, Recreation and Heritage Report Nº 37e. John-stone Centre of Parks, Recreation and Heritage,

Heritage, Charles Sturt University, Albury, NSW Australia.

Spennemann, Dirk H.R. (1996) Adaptive re-use of B-24 parts in the Marshall Islands. Briefing-The Journal of the Intenational Liberator Club 59, 3.

Spennemann, Dirk H.R. (1996) Dreading the next wave: non-traditional settlement patterns and typhoon threats on contemporary Majuro, Mar-shall Islands. Environmental Management 20(3), pp. 337-348.

Spennemann, Dirk H.R. (2005). Is unexploded World War II ammunition abandoned property? A case of ethics and the law in Micronesia. Jour-nal of South Pacific Law vol.9 (2), December 2005 http://law.vanuatu.usp.ac.fj/jspl/current/art3

Spennemann, Dirk H.R. (2006) Managing unex-ploded ammunition at and near cultural heritage sites. Issues for Micronesian Historic Preserva-tion. Micronesian Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences vol. 5 nº 1, pp. 234-267.

Spennemann, Dirk H.R., Holly, Matt and Lajuan, Newton (1990) Report on the occurrence of live am-munition on Mile Island, Mile Atoll. Report pre-pared for the Historic Preservation Office, Majuro, the Mile Atoll Local Government, Mile, Mile Atoll, and the Hon.Senator for Mile, Mr. Alee Alik. Republic of the Marshall Islands. Re-port OTIA-TAG-MAR-42-5/90. Majuro Atoll: Alele Museum.

Turner, James West and Falgout, Suzanne (2002) Time Traces: Cultural Memory and World War II in Pohnpei. The Contemporary Pacific 14(1), pp. 101-131.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY AND CONTACT Dirk HR Spennemann is Associate Professor in Cultural Heritage Management at Charles Sturt University, Albury, Australia. His main research in-terests are German colonial heritage in Oceania, in particular Micronesia, and historic preservation is-sues in Micronesia in general. His second focus are issues of heritage futures, including the threats to heritage posed by natural and human hazards and threats posed by managers in their efforts to counter these hazards. Ethical Heritage Planning and Policy are the cornerstones that need to be un-derstood and addressed if our past is to have a meaningful future. CONTACT: A/Professor Dirk H.R. Spennemann, Charles Sturt University, P.O.Box 789, Albury NSW 2640, Aus-tralia e-mail [email protected]

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