Operation: Goodtime

The Battle of the Treasury Islands was fought between 27 October and 12 November 1943 between Allied and Japanese forces. The allied invasion was codenamed Operation Goodtime.

The operation, in conjunction with Operation Blissful, served to divert the attention of the Japanese 17th Army from the next major Allied target in the Solomon Islands campaign. The success of the operation helped to improve the planning of subsequent landings in the Pacific.

Japanese held the island by just a crew of about 250 soldiers.  Nevertheless this unit was well entrenched and had good firepower.

The New Zealand 8th Infantry Brigade Group, assigned to the United States' I Marine Amphibious Corps, launched the invasion of the Treasury Islands at 06:06 hours on 27 October. 3,795 men landed in the assault wave. The operation was the first amphibious assault launched by New Zealand troops since the Battle of Gallipoli in 1915.

With the beachhead finaly taken and secured the allies rests.

Japs retreat inland.

The remainder of the Allied force landed in four waves during the following 20 days after the firs landing. On 1 November the flag was raised over the ruins of Falamae, the islands' capital.

11 days later the islands were declared clear of Japanese forces; although Japanese holdouts were sighted in the jungles into January 1944.

New Zealand casualties: 40 killed and 145 wounded. United States casualties: 12 killed and 29 wounded. 205 Japanese soldiers were killed by 12 November, the figure rising to 223 by the end of the month. 8 Japanese soldiers were taken prisoner.

Following the invasion, an airstrip was built on the flatter Stirling Island by the USN 87th Construction battalion. This airfield was then used to support a campaign to neutralize Japanese air power at Rabaul. Stirling airfield is still in use today by the Solomons Airlines.