850 Japanese troops landed on Christmas Island in 1942 and even today you can still find traces of their occupation.
This small ruin is located just past the old hospital site heading towards the casino site. And just a bit further along is a Japanese Ammunition cave and ruins so presumably this ruin too is Japanese in origin. Its purpose during the occupation is unknown so for now, the site is a mystery.
Looking up above the steps that seem to lead nowhere, wires higher up on the cliff face can be seen. Something was happening here between the roadside site and much higher above.
There was a metal lintel that was hanging precariously and just about rusted away. (See photo below). It was concreted on top. The lintel may have been needed to support a weight above or if the cavity was created for storage, the lintel may have been part of a frame with a small door once covering the opening.
Update! In 2018, 19 Japanese World War II sites were located on Christmas Island by archaeologist Helena van der Riet. Read her thesis (pages 166-174) to find out more about this particular site and also pages 186-194 as this tells of her exploration for a lookout area up the cliff face above the steps.
Explore Further
- Read more historic Christmas Island WW2 newspaper articles and stories.
- To discover WW2 and Japanese artefacts and other historical finds from Christmas Island, visit the Christmas Island Virtual Museum.