by Justin Taylan

1950s: Scrap Metal Market
In the early 1950s, the outbreak of the Korean War was another stimulus, requiring raw materials and metals. The market for military stores like marston matting and aluminum were in demand. In Japan, the post-war reconstruction required huge resources. Ironically, may former warplanes were sold back to the Japanese in the decade following the war, melted down into raw aluminum. Scrappers were busy in nearly all the major areas where the war left significant debris: Port Moresby, Rabaul, Wewak, Dobodura and Nadzab, profiting from their value as raw materials.

What the militaries left behind made scrappers wealthy. Yesterday's Air Forces became copper, brass and aluminum again. For those involved in this lucrative enterprise, they began to generate huge profits.

Rabaul Scraper, Don Robinson adds:
"From 1952 to 1962, I operated a transport in Rabaul. We transported all of the scrap out of Rabaul, including hundreds of Japanese planes cut up for scrap. They were sold back to Japan to make cars. It was so common, I took no photos."

Robert Curtis adds:
"I was district agricultural officer in Bougainville 1957 to 1962,  stationed at Kubu above Buka Airstrip. Many aircraft were recovered in and around Buka Airstrip and melted down for scrap metal in a portable crucible during 1958-59."

War Surplus Material Act
Beginning in 1958, the New Guinea colonial government formulated legislation to regulate scrapping activities, and generate money for the government, as they began to the revenue to be generated off wartime debris. The legislation did three major things: 1) declared that the state owned all wartime materials 2) required salvagers to seek government permission to gain access to wartime materials, an pay fees for these permits or privileges 3) Compensate local landowners for access to their land and removal of items. This Act remains the main piece of legislation related to war relics to this day.

Next Decade: 1960s: Interest Awakens

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