Lat
2° 49' 60S Long 171° 40' 60W
Today
Canton
Island is the largest and most northern of the Phoenix Group. The island
is an atoll, made up of a low, narrow rim of land surrounding a large
shallow lagoon. It is 4.1/2 miles wide on the west, from which it narrows
to the southeast point, which is nine miles distant from the northwest
point. Part of the Gilbert Islands and part of Makin
Atoll, about
1,500
mile to the southwest of Christmas
Island.
History
Americans
and British occupied the island in two seporate camps. On March 3,
1938 President Roosevelt placed Canton and Enderbury
under jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior. In April 1939,
when Canton and Enderbury were placed under joint British and American
control for fifty years, and "thereafter until such time as it
may be modified or terminated by mutual consent". During 1938
and 1939 Pan American Airways laid out and developed an extensive
airport, deepened and cleared the lagoon, and initiated flights to
New Zealand using Canton as one of the ports of call.
Canton Island hit with 13 shells by I-36 on November 1, 1943
Charles Martin Quartermaster 3/c, U.S.S. Natchaug
AOG-5 recalls:
"I
also remember that there was one tree on the island. We took a jeep,
for a joy ride, If I remember it was getting dark and I hit this
tree a glancing blow. That was my only claim to fame aboard my ship.
Of all the 22 islands in the Pacific, I visited, this was one of
the worst. No liberty just nothing to do. We would only spend a day
or two to unload our gas and oil. Then head back to either Pearl
Harbor or Guam."
Erik Andal recalls:
"My grandfather told me that the island had occasional Japanese
fly overs at night, but only once was there an attach from such planes.
As I recall him saying, it was very brief and from one plane. No causalties.
Without intent, my grandfather left me interested in the Central Pacific war
topics."
Canton Airfield
Wartime airfield still in use today
