Its three weeks since we left New Zealand behind and headed northwards in BAZ. Santo represents some 3000 kilometers travelled out of Kerikeri and 13 hours flying in BAZ from home base at Taupo. The following map depicts our flight route up to Santo and onto Honiara:
Our route through the Coral Sea chain of islands emulates a well travelled flight path during the Pacific campaign of WWII. During this time aircraft were constantly shuttling back and forward connecting the battle-grounds of the northern war theatre to Australia and New Zealand. Many relics of this busy time remain visible if one takes time to look around. Here and there an old rusty quonset hut, a weather eroded concrete slab or a piece of rusting machinery. Sadly, much of the history of this remaining war-time infrastructure is also being eroded with time. Successive generations either don't know or relate stories modified with the passage of time.
Santo was the most northern safe haven and a significant American support base during the war period. The town of Luganville on Espirtu Santo was entirely built by American troops and much of the infrastructure remains fully operational today. Sewerage, drainage, roads and buildings all functioning as testimony to the construction expertise of the renowned Sea-Bees. Four airfields were built near Luganville. Yesterday when standing on the remains of Bomber Strip #3 it was possible to imagine a scene of B17 aircraft hauling their ordinance loads into a tropical sky.
Tomorrow we will take-off from Pekoa Airport, located just a short distance from Bomber Strip #3, and point our Comanche's towards Honiara along the same flight path of many WWII aircraft flying north-west out of Santo into the Pacific battle zone….!
This B17 made it home only to run out of fuel just 500 meters from Bomber Strip #3
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