NA 127-GW-889-53424
Comparison photo was taken in Jan 1998 on the new bridge built by the Japanese Government in 1995.
NA 127-GW-888-53510
Comparison taken February 1996 .Wartime photo 2 was taken in 1944 by a New Zealand Air Force pilot - the comparison I took in January 1998.
NA 128-GW-892-53428
Comparison photo taken in January 1998 . this OP was in Hill 82 overlooking Point Cruz . Today Pt Cruz is totally obscured by the building of Honiara . about 200 feet to the right now stands the Solomon Islands Parliament building . The original photo was taken a bit further up the hill , but there is a house there now with a wire fence around it . If I ever get back there again I will try and get a better comparison of this shot .
NA 127-GW-892-53428
Comparison photo taken in January 1998 (took some in Jan 99 as well). Kokumbona village in is the trees to the right of the gun . In October 1999 I was informed that a toppled Jap 75mm AA gun lies on the rocks at the beach there , so the Japs must have had a few of them defending the area . Pity I did not know to take a photo of it in January . In 1996 we got a Jap 75mm AA shell case from the Honiara market . The vendor said he had found it in this area . This beach was also the landing site of I Company ,5th Marines on 19.8.42.
NA 127-GW-895-51335
comparison photo taken January 1999 . From the original photo it looked to me that the land on the far right was Pt Cruz. Nowadays trees and huts on the West bank and sandbar obscure the view of Pt Cruz . This shot was taken from the carpark of the Honiara Hospital , about 300 yards east of the sandbar . In the original 1999 print Pt Cruz is just visible under the tree to the right of the photo...damn those trees!
NA 127-GW-895-51337
Comparison photo taken in January 1999 . There were 3 footbridges across the river , but hard to identify without correct info . The comparison photo was taken near the bend of the river opposite Hill 79 . In the 1942 photo of them building the log vehicle bridge you can just see one of the footbridges in the extreme left of the photo . I recently got a 1975 video about Guadalcanal which pinpoints the location of 2 of the footbridges , so if I get back again I know where to snap photos .
NA 127-GW-892-54898 ,54898,51000,54897, 127-GW-886-53320
8 tanks were knocked out on the sandbar here on 22.10.42 . Comparison photos taken in January 1995/January 1999 . One tank remains in the water the turret can be seen at low tide and the local kids love diving off it . It is also used as a toilet , as was the beach area nearby , so no wading out to examine it no way . Martin Clemens told me that soon after this action he examined the hulls and found bottles of alcohol in each tank ! Some tanks were recovered by the Americans and the remaining hulls were blasted to bits by artillery and aircraft to stop the Japanese putting snipers or observers in them .
NA 127-GW-935-50003
A well reproduced photo in numerous books . I was told that the Marine was the driver of Lt. Karl Soule , the Marine photographic officer , and was asked to stand there to give the photo "definition" . This is taken on the final knoll looking north towards the airfield . Col. Edsons command post was to his right . On this spot you can still literally stand in Marine footsteps . I have written to Karl Soule and asked him about this photo - he confirmed the Marine is Corporal Mike Winters , the D-2 driver.
NA 127-GW-912-52059
Comparison photo taken in January 1999 . The original trail photo shows the Marines walking south-east down the ridge , Henderson being to their left . This trail is now totally,totally overgrown . The best I could get on the 1999 photo was the currently used trail to the airfield,looking north towards Henderson beyond the trees.
NA 127-GW-900-53094
original photo taken at south-east tip of forward ridge great field of fire down hillside for MG. Still easily recogniseable . Comparison photo taken in 1996 .You can follow the trenchline by the yellow grass . The trench is still 3 feet deep and the MG dugout has a 44 gallon drum installed in it as the local village toilet . The smell of that and another nearby cooled our archeological probing , believe me !
NA 127-GW-935- 50007
another pretty well known photo , taken from half way down the ridge . Comparison taken in 1998. In front of the final know the barbed wire stakes are still in the grass , including a full roll dumped there . In 1996 we found an unexploded US grenade lying down the slope and an unexploded Jap grenade on the hillside .
NA 127-GW-922-61547
Photo taken at the south-western end of Bloody Ridge . Comparison taken in 1998 . The ridge was bare in 1942 , but the present trees,bushes and grass made it hard to take a comparison of anything but growth !
NA 127-GW-88854891
This photo was taken post battle , with the newly strung wire and wood stakes blocking the sandbar in evidence . Comparison taken in 1998. In 1996 we found an encrusted wire stake on the beach . Stuck to the side of it was a partially burnt propellant charge from a 37mm shell must have been fired from the Marine AT gun !
NA 127-GW-933-52193
comparison photo taken in 1998. I would love to know the story behind the 2 Jap 75mm AA guns on the beach (one minus barrel) . I was told a 4 gun battery was captured at the field and 2 guns were dragged down to the beach and fired against the attacking Jap aircraft . When the ammo ran out they were disabled and left there to rot . There must be somebody out there who can shed light on this.?
NA 127-GW-879H-51012
Comparison photo taken in January 1999 . I got permission from the Airport Mgr to go out on the tarmac for 30 minutes to take half a dozen comparison photos . I would have like to have taken more but incoming traffic and heavy rain foiled that idea .
NA 127-GW-890-50921
The 1942 photo was taken between 3.10.42 and 14.10.42,when the Pagoda was torn down after the Jap battleships bombarded the field. It was an "unwritten law" that the seat on the left were for officers and those on the right for other ranks,according to Corporal Aubrey Buser , who is seated on the right in the centre,without shirt . The officer standing on the far left is Major Joe Remmer.
NA 127-GW-879H-116745
comparison photo taken 1998 . It was not until October 1999 that I saw this original photo and saw that I had taken the snap from almost the same spot on Pagoda Hill . I do not know when these B17s were photographed , but Aubrey told me that he remembered some parked there that were destroyed by the Jap battleship shelling .
NA 127-GW-879H-108580 or 108572
Comparison photo taken in 1998 , before I saw this wartime shot . Trees in front of Pagoda Hill now obscure most photos towards the field , so this is the closest I could get. The 1943 tower is behind the tree on the left.
NA 127-GW-935-148855 / -888-53387
Comparison photo taken in 1998 . The 75mm field gun on the bow was removed later and today sits on top of the ridge at the western edge of the airfield , overlooking the bridge across the Lunga river .
NA 127-GW-933-51370
Comparison photo taken January 1999 . It is a pity all the 1942 palm trees have been cut down . The area behind the beach is now a joint Solomons Taiwanese Agricultural farm teaching the growing of various crops .
NA 127-GW-886-53320
Comparison shot taken in January 1999 AT fighter #2 strip now Honiara Golfcourse . It looked to me like it was taken near there maybe a few hundred yards further east..?
NA 127-GFW-889-53354
this bridge is about 600 yards or so from the mouth of the river . Comparison photo taken in January 1999 . It was not until the 1980's that another bridge was built closer to the sandbar ,
NA 127-GW-879-H-61549-A
comparison photo taken January 1999 . I saw the original photo described as "Jap bomb bursting near hangar" , i.e south of the field . When I was out there this did not look right . The palm trees of the coconut grove looked to me like the photo was taken from the hangar area looking south-east towards the coconut grove dispersal area . I could be wrong , but the original pic was not too distinct .
NA 127-GW-879C-50844 or 61587
Comparison taken January 1999 . I was glad to be able to match this one up !
NA 127-GW-879-H-1285467 or 55990
Comparison taken January 1999 . I have seen very few good photos of the original 1942 tower . All the Solomons tourist literature say the present tower is "the" original tower . I accepted that as true until the moment I lined up this photo and saw that it was not the same tower . The first 1942 one was built of wood and was obviously not as tall . The present one was constructed in June 1943 by USAF engineers (or so a sign on it in 1975 said) , so it is "an" original wartime tower rather than "the original".
NA 127-GW-879-A-51947
comparison photo taken January 1999 . I took this from south of the main runway looking south-east towards fighter 1 . It certainly isn't a precise comparison . The area is totally overgrown now and I have never seen many shots of it to orient oneself . At least with Henderson you can work out shots from landmarks such as the Pagoda, tower,Jap hangars , coconut grove and Mt Austen !
NA 127-GW-879-52829-A or 52620A
Comparison photo taken in January 1996 . No problem matching these up with the ridgeline to the West . The palm trees of 1942 have been replaced by the buildings of the Solomons Islands Brewery 50 years too late for the thirsty pilots of 1942-43!
Comparison photo taken in January 1998 a bit lower down the hill.Trees obscure the view from on top.
This is located at the south-east end of the first ridgeline. Comparison photo taken in January 1996. The support trench is still 2 feet deep and the MG post itself has a large drum inserted - village toilet!
looking south west towards Mt Austen.....lots of trees and growth nowadays.Comparison photo taken January 1996.
A pretty well known photo that appears in nearly every Guadalcanal book. I took the comparison photo at the southern end of the first ridge after I confirmed that was where the original was taken. I dont think it relates to the above MG post,but I could be wrong.
I could not work out where this was taken on the Ridge trail ,until I saw an uncropped print of the picture which gave me a clue. I was walking down the ridge in 1998 and got to this point and something in my head suddenly said "this is the spot..take the photo here"..It felt very strange . A few feet to the right is a very steep ridgeline . These Japs might have come up over the ridge and been either nailed by artillery or Marine fire . Raider positions were about 100 yards away..ah well , that's my theory anyway . Later Thayer Soule confirmed to me he took the original photo here, about where I thought! The original picture was taken September 15th 1942 during the clean up.
No problem about lining this comparison photo up . Apart from the palm trees cut down the beach has hardly changed - apart from a storm in late 1995 washing about 6 feet of sand away , so it looks narrower now than in the 1942 photos (the 1942 photo was also early morning low tide of course).
Comparison photos taken in January 1998. The grave on the crest is of Japanese Lieutenant Toshio Kojima,228th Infantry Regiment, KIA January 1943. His grave was discovered in 1995 and his dogtag returned to his surviving 95 year old sister in Japan....
This comparison shot was taken off Kukum Beach in 2001.
This shot was taken in October 1942 as this bomber took off to support the fighting along the Matanikau. The comparison was taken in January 1999.
Sign on Hill 281 overlooking the harbour at Tulagi. Comparison taken August 2004. I wonder what ever happened to the sign?
comparison taken of Hill 281 at Tulagi in August 2004.
Comparison photo taken January 1999.
Comparison shot taken Agust 2004.
Comparison shot taken August 2004
Comparison taken August 2004.
Flagpole now at Vilu War Mseum near Cape Esperance. Comparison taken August 2004.
Comparison photo taken August 2004.
Comparison taken August 2004. I should have gone a bit more to the right to get the shot of the Gaomi Island palms, as in the 1942 photo.
Comparison shot taken August 2004 from tower.
Comparison taken August 2004 near Henderson Field car park.
Comparison taken near the top of Hill 148 in August 2004. Sorry that the WW2 photo is a copy of a copy.
In 1943 a steel control tower was built to replace the 1942 wood tower. Comparison taken August 2004.
Comparison taken August 2004.
A great shot taken from a Higgins boat out in Iron Bottom Sound. Comparison taken from the beach near Kukum August 2004.
A well known shot of a knocked out Nambu, taken on the east bank by Lt.Karl Soule after the battle.Comparison taken August 2004.
I would love to find a good print of any wartime photo taken INSIDE the tunnel!
Comparison taken August 2004.
Towards Henderson. Compariso taken 2004.
Comparison taken between Guagalcanal and Tulagi August 2004.
Comparison taken August 2004.....yes, I dont swear its the exact same bit of ocean!
Comparison taken August 2004.
I believe this wing was from a bomber shot down over the field on 30/9/42.
The Pagoga is visible in the extreme left corner of the 1942 photo. I took my
comparison from the rear fence of Henderson. Pagoda Hill is under the tallest
tree on the left.
USS Nicholas July 1943. Comparison taken Aug 2004.
Original photo taken from Japanese recon plane during landings in June-July 42. Captured by Marines in August and kept by Martin Clemens as a souvenir. Modern Lunga aerial taken 2005.
The original wood docks were destroyed by storms in 1952.
Navy personnel sightseeing bewfore going home and me in 1998.
loading torpedoes onto a Destroyer.
This tank broke down or was hit 100 yards west of the sandbar during the
attack of 22 October 1942. The sandbar tank hulls were later blown up.The fate of this one is uncertain.
Copyright 2004 . Peter Flahavin
GUADALCANAL "THEN AND NOW" PHOTOS
