Weapon Donation To Solomon Islands National Museum
Photos by Justin Taylan, September 9, 2003

During 2001-3 'ethnic tensions' on Guadalcanal, the wartime weapon display at the Solomon Island National Museum was stolen and dispersed. During the July-September 2003 RAMSI peace mission, many wartime guns were collected during gun amnesty, and slated to be disposed by dumping them into the ocean. Instead, they were donated to the museum on September 9, 2003 thru the efforts of PacificWrecks.com and cooperation of the Australian Federal Police. The new collection includes American rifles, machine guns and pistols. Also Japanese weapons, and a knee mortar. The collection represents weapons used during the battles on Guadalcanal, and later war models, obviously brought to the island in later years of the war when it was a major staging area.