History
In World War II Manus was the site of an observation post manned by No. 4 Section, 'B' Platoon, 1st Independent Company, Australian Imperial Force, who also provided medical treatment to the inhabitants. Manus was first bombed by the Japanese on 25 January 1942, the radio mast being the main target. On 8 April 1942 an Imperial Japanese force consisting of the light cruiser Tatsuta, destroyer Mutsuki and a troop transport ship Mishima Maru entered Lorengau harbour, and several hundred Japanese soldiers of the 8th Special Base Force, swarmed ashore onto Australia's mandated responsibility. With limited resources the Australian 4th section withdrew to the jungle.
Later in 1942, Japan established a military base on Manus. This was attacked by United States forces in the Admiralty Islands campaign of February–March 1944. An Allied naval base was established at Seeadler Harbor on the island and it later supported the British Pacific Fleet.
In 1950–51 the Australian government conducted the last trials against Japanese war criminals on the island.
One case heard was that of Takuma Nishimura, who faced an Australian military court. He had already been tried by a British military court in relation to the Sook Ching massacre in Singapore and sentenced to life imprisonment. While on a stopover in Hong Kong he was intercepted by Australian Military Police. Evidence was presented stating that Nishimura had ordered the shootings of wounded Australian and Indian soldiers at Parit Sulong and the disposal of bodies so that there was no trace of evidence. In this trial he was found guilty and was hanged on 11 June 1951.
American anthropologist Margaret Mead lived on Manus before and after the war, and gave detailed accounts in Growing up in New Guinea and New Lives for Old.
A detention centre was built on Manus Island in 2001 as part of Australia's Pacific Solution. The last inmate was Aladdin Sisalem, who was kept as a lone inmate from July 2003, until he was finally granted asylum in Australia in June 2004.
Read more about this topic: Manus Island
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