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dBONIN ISLAND
HISTORIC EVENTS - A MISSING LINK
BY C. Welles Fendrich,
Jr. A
Member of the 1946 Navy Repatriation Expedition
It was October of 1946 when three ships rendezvoused at Chi Chi
Jima in the Bonin Islands, a volcanic group of rocks 600 miles south of Japan.
It marked the return of 126 Euro-American descendents to the islands from their
three-year internment in Japan during WW II.The story
begins at Guam in the Marianas Islands which are located 900 miles south of the
islands. I was stationed there aboard the LCI(L) 1067
(Landing Craft Infantry(Large) having graduated from college and been
commissioned an Ensign in the USNR that previous June. The story comprises
excerpts of letters written to a lady, who later became my wife, other
recollections of the times, and material gathered from the Bonin Islands web
site covering various facets of the history of the place.
October 2, 1946Guam, Marianas IslandsThis will be
short for the mailman is leaving in 15 minutes. We are scheduled to leave for
Saipan today with passengers, enlisted personnel and cargo. We are in company
with the PC 1546 (Patrol Craft).That’s the bunch
we’ve been going up to the Club with. After
stopping at Saipan, we proceed to Chi Chi Jima and
rendezvous with a ship from Japan.In case you’re looking for Chi Chi
Jima, it is in the Nanto Shoto Group, or to pin it
down further, the Bonin Islands. I don’t know what
we’re going to do there, but I have hopes we go
on to China.October 5, 1946Saipan, Marianas IslandsSaipan is just another lousy uninteresting Pacific
isle. Although, I shouldn’t speak before we see
the place.Our load includes 10 pigs, 3 hogs, Some
chickens (I recall) and a Navy Commander, part of Military Government; 18
enlisted personnel; 4 Guamanians ( 1 woman); and 3 Bonin Islanders. The
Commander is in charge of the Chi Chi Jima
expedition, and guess what; yep, he’s
a Dartmouth graduate.
Page 2.There’s a mix up on the supplies we were scheduled to pick up here for
these families, so Chief went ashore to see about it. We’re
even supposed to get a jeep and a trailer to take with us.These
people will have a rough time for a while. The way I understand it is that no
one is on the island; and there haven’t been
since the Japs pulled out. They have to fix up some
old beat up quarters and really pioneer.The brain
behind the islanders is a Bonin Islander by the name of Savory (Frederick
Arthur Savory). He is the only guy on the island who graduated from college. He
went to the University of Yokahama, I believe. He
wanted to make the trip up from Guam, but couldn’t
because of these war crime trials going on now. He is the interpreter at the
Trials for the Bonin Islands. Two of his brothers and another guy are among
those going up with us.(Note: The reason behind the war crimes trial was the
fact the Japanese garrison had been accused of cannibalism, eating American
Pilots who were shot down when they were harassing the island. The reader will
recall that President Bush’s father was shot
down at Chi Chi, but was fortunate enough to be
picked up by an American submarine.)From the pigs we’re
carrying for them they expect to raise enough herd in two years for Chi Chi and the islands nearby by establishing a unit of trade.The new skipper, Bob Lemke (Ensign), is taking over
Navigation so he’s made me Engineering Officer.October 13, 1946Chi Chi Jima, The Bonin IslandsThis has been an interesting experience so far and
probably will be even more so before we return south.We
made a short stop at Saipan, picked up supplies, a jeep and a trailer, a Navy
Doctor, Mike Polka, and eight natives. The trip took us three days and the
weather was fine. Even though we did hit Chi Chi at night,
we came in the harbor under the guidance of the Savory’s
and the other two Bonin islanders who know the place cold. It’s
a very nice looking island; plenty of vegetation, i.e. bananas, grapefruit,
oranges; and it possesses a beautiful, deep harbor.
Page 3.The country is a bit rugged and man alive did the Japs
fortify the place. The hills are nothing but a maze of tunnels and at every
angle a gun turret faces the harbor. The American’s
didn’t make a landing here but starved out the
garrison and did a little bombing on the side. The village and a small dock are
pretty well beat up.The Marines occupied the place
for a while and left some Quonset huts that the natives will use. Also, a
couple of fairly modern buildings are intact and will be used.The
families from Japan which were to arrive on the 9th will not get here until the
17th so we have to stick around for a while longer. Doc has to see that the
drinking water and the sanitary conditions are in hand and well established;
and he also has to examine the ninety-four people who will be settling here.I spent Saturday morning helping the boys dig the
ditch for the ten-seater (The John)..Intriguing work what?The PC has anchored out in
the harbor, but we managed to find a spot to tie up to, an old seaplane ramp.
(Note: The Japanese used the island as a seaplane reconnaissance base and as a
submarine base.) We had a little trouble securing the tub; and on several
occasions, we had to get up in the middle of a rainy, windy night to put out a
cable or whatever. (Note: We did experience a typhoon while we were there. It
came on full tilt just after dinner one night. It was black as pitch outside
and the rain was coming down in torrents. The Chief Boson got a couple of the
deck hands to go up on the focs’l to reel out
the anchor cable which then would be wrapped around the outside hull on the
opposite side from the seaplane ramp. The skipper and I were having coffee in
the officers’ mess at the time. I decided I’d
best go out and see how things were coming with the deck gang. As I approached
the bow, I saw the Chief and his two hands on their knees pulling at the anchor
cable. They did not hear me approaching because of the screaming wind. But, I
did hear the Chief say something to the effect that, “ Those
two guys are sitting in there with their coffee while we’re
out here busting our butts.” At that point I spoke up, startling the
group, and said, What’s the problem Chief? Can I
give you a hand? That squelched the bitching and we got on with the job. A
couple of us got over the side into the water and wrapped the cable around the
exposed starboard side (125 ft.) and around the stern (23 ft) and lashed it to
the seaplane ramp somehow.)
Page 4.Unloading and ExploringYou should have been
around to see us unload, especially the jeep and hogs. The hogs really made a
racket and it would take four of us to bring a big one down the ramp. Then,
after we got them off on the dock, one fell in the water. Everyone had said pigs couldn’t swim, but this
one sure learned in a hurry.We spent a little time
roaming around the tunnels and old Jap hunts. It is really amazing the way they
built this place up as far as defense goes. If we had tried to make landings
here, it would have cost us plenty.(Author’s Note: A number of the tunnels housed machine
tools needed to maintain the subs and seaplanes. In one of the tallest peaks of
the island (overlooking the western harbor), they had hollowed out huge rooms
that contained big tanks of aviation gas and diesel fuel for the subs. Pipes were
run from these tanks down the hill to the harbor. I believe it was the west
side harbor that is entered by way of what is called “ Welcome Rock”.
There was another much smaller beach on the eastern side of the island that wasbordered by high cliffs as I recall. So, it was the west
beach where it might have been possible for the Marines to land and take the
island. As the reader may have guessed, the idea was that in the event of a
landing, the Japs would have sent av
gas and diesel fuel from the storage tanks down the pipes to the beach and set
them afire.On top of the same peak where the fuel
tanks were housed, we found a large cement structure on one of our walks. It
served as a radio transmitter and diesel power generation station during the
war. The window openings were each protected by a solid steel, hinged shutter.
We entered a dark interior where the only light came from the sun through the
windows just described. Our voices echoed through the building that was
probably three stories high. As we surveyed the place, I looked up at the
ceiling that seemed to be covered by a thick, brown matted material. Then, we
noticed it moved from time to time; and we realized large brown spiders, as big
as your hand, covered the entire ceiling. We decided not to prolong our stay
inside and made a hasty exit.)We were told the Japs
ate most of the wild life during the siege; however, several goats have been
sighted and there are supposed to be a couple of deer.Sam
Savory tells me they have their share of wild cats, not to speak of wild dogs.
Some of the boys had spotted them several nights close by the ship; and Sam
said they’re also hanging around the chickens
and pigs.
Page 5.Bob and I went out Friday night after one that had been spotted and
tried to run him down without success. We went over by the pigpen and saw some
tracks but no dogs. We came back to the ship and spotted a small one, not ours,
on the dock near the bow. Since they were showing movies no one noticed him.
Bob took a shot at him but missed. None have turned up since, although one did
get hold of a chicken the other day.October 17,
1946Chi Chi Jima, The Bonin IslandsThe ship from
Japan arrived at 0740 this morning with 112 passengers and a good deal of
cargo. It’s an old Japanese destroyer and is manned
by an all-Japanese crew. The Skipper (Bob Lemke), the Commander, Captain of the
PC and Doc boarded her along with the Savory brothers. They said it was one
filthy ship. Bob had quite a chat with the skipper who was a Lt. Commander and
a graduate of the Japanese Naval Academy.Today was
spent getting people ashore and settled in their new houses. Perhaps I should
say old houses, because for the most part they were living here before the war.
Many look like Japanese and the other have Caucasian features. As I told you
before, they have been carefully screened by G2 and are of American and British
ancestry. The family names, which predominate, are Savory, Washington and
Gilley. (Author’s note: I was present when Dr.
Polka examined Martha and George Washington.)October 18, 1946Saipan, Marianas IslandsWe put in this islet last night, but as usual just
after sunset so we had to wait until morning to bring her in. We should be here
only a day or so and then back to Guam. All in all, the Chi Chi
trip was interesting. At least the time went fast and that’s
what I like.Both the Commander and the Doctor came
back with us. The Doc got off here with his two native patients (TB Cases), but
the Commander will be going on with us. Helping the Doc in Chi Chi was great sport especially when he examined the women.
No. I wasn’t present.
They got nervous with two men so that I had to leave and perform my secretarial
duties in the other room. I still heard all the conversations. What a riot!
Boy, were those gals bashful! I think in the whole group almost any medical clinical
case could be found. ( Author’s
Note: It was the only time in my life that I saw a man with a hernia down to
his knee.)
Page 6.Today’s being spent taking on fuel and provisions. We were nearly
out of both. Boy has food been lousy the past week. (Note: We received almost
mutiny like complaints from the crew. A special meeting with crew reps calmed the
situation when we were on Chi Chi.) Oh, for a home
cooked meal. I’d even settle for some of the
stuff Thayer Hall (Dartmouth) used to hand out.As soon
as we get refueled and back to the docks, I’m
going to high tail it for the barbershop. What a head of hair-believe it or not!Listening to the radio this
morning, I heard that Dartmouth plays Columbia tomorrow at Hanover. Suppose it
will be a big weekend. I’ll bet the games are
good this year with lots of guys coming back. If you happen to have any time,
you might look over a book called, “Bonin” by Robert Standish. It’s about
the early settlers on Chi Chi and the other islands
in the group. Nathaniel savory, Sam’s
great granddad is mentioned in it.
THE BONIN ISLANDS THEN AND
NOW.
Three days it took to make the tripTo an island 900
miles away
It was fifty-seven years ago’Yet
it seems like yesterday.
The sky was clear. The sea did roll.The pigs and hogs
did squeak.
We knew not what the future heldor whom we were to
meet.
The sun had set. The night came on as our destination neared;
And the Savory brothers took us into a war-torn seaplane pier.
We did not wait too long to see the ship we came to meet.
The returnees knew ‘twas meant to be,a home, a place of peace.
The job was ours to help them through a very trying time
As they returned again to hear a crashing ocean’s rhyme.
Many year have passed since then,but,
the beauty of the isles remain.
Now, joyous shouts of great-grand kids echo over Chi Chi’s
rocky frame.
Today vacationers come to stay,but,
only for a while,
to swim and sail and see a whale,and then just say
goodbye.
Authors Note: I must say I feel at peace knowing that I,
and others helped them find their special place again in the Bonin Islands.
This poem is dedicated to allof the descendents of
Nathaniel Savory, the Gilleys, the Washingtons and others who came from their homes in the
Western World to seek a new life. May God Bless them and their Island Home forever.©Copyright: October
2003Newtown, PA, USA