W9SMA/KP6 1946 Christmas Island

Operator: Bill Pendergast

I was going thru pix on my laptop and came across these old photos.

My camera date was March 3rd, 2009. I vaguely remember, it was perhaps a half mile south of our Main Camp. Perhaps in that area that has a couple of concrete slabs left behind; one of which looks like it was a llittle power house. I think there was wooden pole stumps nearby, a fair distance apart, so perhaps a local broadcast station as well. The ground was rather damp in that area.

I never found more than that one small plate... so had wondered if perhaps that was scrap that came from some other location, like at the airport? Or the broadcast station that needed to be 3 miles from the airfield? Or the salvagers didn't want that corner cluttered with that big plate.... No idea.

I've never known of anything happening in the Main Camp area before the British nuke tests. There is a detailed book about the French era [between the WW's] and about the British tests, and about the Uncle Sam test "on" Christmas a few years later....

For decades the airport on Christmas Is. has been called Cassidy International. There is no info about Cassady, who never returned from his patrol. For decades he was referred to as Cassady.

I also re-discovered the WWII big guns emplacements, and have been clearing ever so slowly: old salt bush is tough! No question those are "Panama Mounts" but nowhere can I find the exact gun model, instaled in very early 1942 I guess. That site needs Uncle Sam to install a National Park-style historical sign, on the nearby trail.

QSL from the estate of W5LAJ
Photos, Info courtesy of WO1V