I'm still a bit vague on dates because I couldn't hear/understand everything our guide said but it seems that in early 1942, the Japanese came to this island, having already established a base at the capital Honiara. Then the Americans landed to take back the island in the middle of 1942. What followed was 6 months of battles over the island. The Japanese dug trenches and fox-holes to fight from which the Americans flushed them out of with explosives and flame throwers. For that reason, many of the Japanese soldiers were burnt in the fox-holes, and the locals have been finding these over the years and returning the bones to the Japanese for a proper burial.
The Japanese mainly came by foot so the only things they left once they retreated were a few guns and they've found some dog-tags, helmets and small bits. On the other side, the Americans brought big tanks, boats, artillary fire, jeeps etc. (they don't do things by halves do they?). So many of these are slowly rusting away in the Solomon jungles for us to look at.
Our guide, Barnie, has made his own little 'museum' based on his salvaged bits and pieces. His first find was a dog tag from an American soldier called Peter Joseph, and so he has named the museum in honour of this man.
All the little nick-nacks (sp) he's found are really fascinating, including Japanese Saki bottles (got to have that taste of home), first aid kits, buckles, and of course, the guns and ammo.
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