American War Scrap Being “Mined” For Japan

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29299, 2 September 1960, Page 7

American War Scrap Being “Mined” For Japan

“The Preu" Special Service

WELLINGTON, August 31. Millions of dollars of war equipment which was buried at Santos, New Hebrides, by American forces after the end of the war, is now being bulldozed out of the ground to be sent to Japan as scrap. So much material has been recovered at what was once the biggest allied base in the Pacific that the area is now known as Million Dollar Point. The task of recovering the vast treasures of war material lying all over the Pacific has been undertaken by three of the largest industrial organisations in Japan, and the responsibility of seeing they are delivered safely is held by Pacific Stevedore, Ltd. A half owner of this company, with wide experience in his trade, is Captain L. Ellis, at present with the South Korean vessel Inchon, at Wellington. The vessel is loading acrap for Japan. "The amount of material that was buried by the Americans before they left is tremendous,” Captain Ellis said. “We have recovered over 6000 tons from Santos so far, and there is still more to dig out. “It is buried in deep pits, about a quarter of a mile long and two chains wide. Some is still in the original wrappings.

“The variety of equipment is indescribable,” said Captain Ellis. “It ranges from tanks, bulldozers, heavy road equipment, and ammunition to radio parts and typewriters. Most of the area has now gone back to jungle with ammunition depots hidden everywhere. Depots Blowing Up

“The depots are blowing up continually because of the heat. When I was last in Santos there was a big explosion. We thought it was a mountain erupting but it was ammunition going off somewhere inland. “It is terrible to see the waste around the island,” he said. There is a floating crane of 75 tons just lying on the beach, abandoned, and a huge water pumping system, much larger than that of Wellington, which supplied the forces stationed there has been let go derelict by the French authorities. They could have easily maintained it but did not take the trouble, with the result that they are now buying rationed water.”

The United States, having written off all this equipment, has no ownership, and the land on which the dumps are situated was bought from local owners by Japanese interests. Plans of the areas had to be drawn first. Details of the location of the materials and much of the information came from the residents there.

“There are tanks up the hills full of high octane gas, which fed the airstrips, which were covered with derelict planes. These tanks are extremely dangerous, and their location was also discovered with the aid of local knowledge,” Captain Ellis said. “When we are bulldozing in the dumps there is also the danger Of coming across a live shell. And

when such a thing happens we stop, and attack from a new angle.” The Pacific Stevedore Company started operations several years ago at Rabual where about 200 ships lay sunk. Sea of Masts “The area was a sea of masts and funnels,” he said. “After cleaning up at Rabaul we moved on to Bougainville, New Guinea, and now we are working in the New Hebrides.” The work is not without its dangers. Two Wallace Islanders, who were working in the salvage of material at Shark Bay, New Hebrides, were reported missing and were found to have been captured and eaten by pygmy natives in the area. “These are the only true pygmies outside Africa,” said Captain Ellis The unused ammunition, stacked everywhere, was also dangerous, one dump being as long as the Wellington waterfront, he said. Most of the inhabitants were frightened to touch them, as the steel crystallised and when the shells rubbed against each other they exploded. Natives had tried to salvage a few, with the loss of limbs and lives. “The locals still know where a lot is hidden, and even though the war has been over for 15 years they turn up with new G.I. uniforms from time to time.” Bom at Sea

Captain Ellis has been associated with New Zealand for several years. He was bom in his father’s schooner off Tonga and is descended from the mutineers of the Bounty. After going to sea as a cadet in British and American square riggers, he has traded all over the Pacific. During the Second World War he was an interpreter for the Allied forces. In 1945 he joined Burns Philp, Ltd., and then went to Kenricks, Ltd., in charge of the stevedoring of Japanese cement to New Zealand. After this he joined the motor vessel Sea Pearl, which took the first shipment of meat to America, and brought back the first shipment of American potatoes. This vessel was destroyed by fire on her third trip to New Zealand.

Since then Captain Ellis has been connected with the transport of scrap iron to Japan ,and accompanies the various ships on their voyages around the New Zealand coast.