Explore items from Melanesia

Lae, New Guinea. 1943-03-04. Black smoke and flames rise from a Japanese Zero fighter aircraft and a petrol tanker on fire after attack by Beaufighter aircraft of No. 30 Squadron RAAF. Allied ..

A Japanese prisoner at the RAN War Criminal Compound at the RAN shore base, sits in a courtyard playing a guitar. The instrument was supplied by the International Red Cross, Tokyo. Work on this RAN ..

Group portrait of air and ground crew of B Flight, No. 30 Squadron RAAF, on and in front of one of the squadron’s Beaufighter aircraft at Ward’s Strip. Back row, left to right (seated on the ..

Bismarck Sea. 1943-03-03. A smoke ring rises into the air as a Japanese destroyer blows up during the Battle of the Bismarck Sea. The Battle was fought abour forty miles north west of Buna when a ..

Sparks fly from a lathe used by a bare-chested Japanese prisoner held at the RAN War Criminal Compound at an RAN shore base, as he prepares tools in the machine shop at the compound. Work on this ..

Members of the Japanese War Criminals Construction Unit digging and shovelling as they prepare the foundations to build a store house at the RAN War Criminal Compound at an RAN shore base HMAS ..

Members of the Japanese War Criminals Saw Mill Party in a large workshop preparing timber for the construction of the new store house being built at the RAN War Criminal Compound at an RAN shore ..

A Japanese prisoner held at the RAN War Criminal Compound at an RAN shore base is kneeling down planting seedlings in the vegetable garden at the compound. Work on this RAN base commenced in August ..

A general view of the RAN War Criminal Compound at an RAN shore base, surrounded by a barbed wire fence. Work on this RAN base commenced in August 1948. It was commissioned as HMAS Seeadler on 1 ..

Japanese prisoners held at the RAN War Criminal Compound at an RAN shore base are working in the tailors shop at the compound. All repairs were carried out and all new garments made in the tailor's ..

Manus Island. c.1948. A bare footed member of the Royal Papuan Constabulary on guard at the main entrance to the RAN War Criminal Compound. A sign at the front warns "Prohibited Area. RAN War ..

Jacquinot Bay Area, New Britain. 1943-09-27. Aerial photograph of an `A' type Japanese barge burning near the shore after a strafing run by Beaufighter aircraft of No. 30 Squadron RAAF. (Donor F. ..