Christmas Island has a fascinating and largely overlooked World War 2 history, including the Battle of Christmas Island, mutiny, invasion, Japanese occupation and collaboration. Many physical traces of this history remain visible today in archaeological sites across the island.
This is an extensive collection of Christmas Island World War 2 stories and documents, bringing together primary sources, personal accounts and historical records in one place.
Selected WW2 and Japanese artefacts and other historical finds from Christmas Island are held at the virtual Christmas Island Museum. Visit the museum collection and filter to the WW2 period to view related objects.
Historic newspaper articles and stories
1939 – 1945 – Christmas Island in WW2 – A teacup in a storm? – Find out what took place on, over and around Christmas Island during the Second World War in this excellent article by Ian Foster.
1940 – World War 2 – A close call – Read how Christmas Island was nearly bombarded by the infamous German auxilliary cruiser “Atlantis” (a commerce raider) in October 1940. A close call indeed.
1941 – Christmas Island World War 2 letters found in attic – Whilst on Christmas Island in 1941 Captain George Kinloch wrote letters to his sister in Scotland. They were only rediscovered in February 2021 whilst an attic was being cleared out. Captain Kinloch was sent to the Island in command of installing the 6 inch naval gun, preparing defences and training the locals.
1941 – Amazing WW2 inscription – A Punjabi soldier’s name, number and date are inscribed on a concrete block during it’s construction.
1942 – Captain Williams – Interview reveals extraordinary WW2 story – A poignant story of survival, tragedy and cover-up.
1942 – An ordeal to forget – A first hand account from an American naval officer stranded on the Island just prior to a mutiny and Japanese invasion.
1942 – The Christmas Island revolt
1942 – The invasion of Christmas Island as told by the Japanese.
1942 – Japanese soldiers celebrating their invasion of Christmas Island – A very rare photo.
1942 – The Japanese invasion force arrives – Rare images from a war time magazine of the Japanese shortly after they invaded Christmas Island. Also, with an English translation of the Japanese commentary.
1942-1943 – V.E. Mathew and the Japanese occupation – An excerpt from Mr Mathew’s autobiography that focuses on the time he was on Christmas Island during the Japanese invasion and occupation.
1942-1943 – The Japanese occupation – As told by P.O.W. Jack Pettigrew – He tells of preparations being made before the invasion, Japanese bombardment, mutiny, imprisonment, living and working conditions, states of mind of his fellow P.O.W.s and more.
1942 – 1945 – The Christmas Island WW2 Death Register – Read about the Register and the interesting things that it reveals as well as view the transcribed entries.
1942 – 1945 – No Island honeymoon – P.O.W. Tom Cromwell tells – Tom Cromwell gives an account of the Japanese invasion of Christmas Island and life as a P.O.W. Apart from his account, there are also further details as to the fate of Chinese Christmas Islanders sent to work at a ship building company in Borneo.
1942 – 1945 – Captain Noboru Ando – The sadistic commander – Some details, descriptions and fate of Captain Ando who commanded the troops on Christmas Island for a month after the invasion.
1942 – 1945 – Tuang Kheng Meng and Wan Kan Ho – An account from the Christmas Island Stories website in which two men recall their wartime experiences as young boys living on Christmas Island during the Japanese invasion and occupation.
1942 – 1946 – The teacher and the heel clicking kids – Some details have been gleaned about the Island’s school teacher and education on the Island during WW2 and immediately after the Japanese withdrawal.
1944 – WW2 – Allied attacks and intelligence party landing on CI – The Americans dropped bombs on the Island in early 1944. Later that year a British submarine fired upon fuel tanks and in 1945 a small party from SIA (Secret Intelligence Australia) landed on the south side of the Island to avoid the Japanese.
1945 – Can you torpedo our pier please? A short but astonishing account of two Christmas Island Phosphate Company directors and their audacious request during a meeting with a submarine commander during WW2.
1945 – Picking up the pieces – A historical account of John Paris’s return to Christmas Island after WWII, detailing damage, living conditions, and efforts to restore mining operations.
1945 – The lost Shinto shrine – Burning of the kami house – The lost Shinto temple of Christmas Island and why the Islanders were scared when it was burnt down after the Japanese left in 1945
1946 – Betrayal: Witness statements against Japanese collaborator James Kang – Stories of threats, torture and rape in witness statements against collaborator James Kang after World War 2.
Documents (click on the PDF icon to read them)
Re-occupation of Christmas Island – reports
From the collection of the National Archives of Australia. NAA: MP1174/1, 1129
This is a most interesting 61 page file spanning the years 1945-1946. In it you can read the reports of the re-occupying forces. It’s a first hand description of the island after the Japanese left towards the end of the WWII. It’s a wonderful snapshot and reading it brings some of the people involved back to life. This is their story in their words. The documents include, surveys of the equipment and sites, health of the islanders, population breakdown, food supplies, labour, education, petitions and complaints, law and order, medical and more.
Collaboration case – James Kang Tian Kwang
From the collection of the National Archives of Australia. NAA: N1, DOXI6/1946
James Kang was a collaborator on the island during the Japanese occupation. His actions were reported to the re-occuping forces in 1945. You can read these in the “Re-occupation of Christmas Island – reports” above. In 1946 James Kwang plead guilty to all charges.
Who was “Jimmy” Kang? Read more about him in this article: Betrayal: Witness statements against Japanese collaborator James Kang
Thesis – The Archaeology of the Japanese World War II Occupation of Christmas Island
19 Japanese World War II sites have been located on Christmas Island and featured in this thesis by archaeologist Helena van der Riet. It was completed in late 2018 and is a vitally important document for the island. Included in the thesis is a description of each site in great detail along with images and GPS co-ordinates. Helena states, “No systematic survey has been made of the archaeological remains of the Japanese occupation of Christmas Island, and no systematic record or inventory of sites exists … The thesis endeavours to bring together the oral and written histories of the Christmas Island war ordeal and to create an inventory of extant physical remains, this sits at the intersection of archaeology and heritage studies.”.
Ruins