Vanuatu Labor Corps
| Vanuatu Labor Corps | |
|---|---|
 Entrance to the U.S. Navy Base Camp Annex, Espiritu Santo | |
| Active | 1942–1945 |
| Country |  New Hebrides |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch | Army, Navy |
| Role | Labor |
| Size | 1,000–10,000 |
| Engagements | World War II |
The Vanuatu Labor Corps was a
Guadalcanal Campaign
. It was jointly led by Major George Riser and Thomas Beatty, while its size fluctuated between 1,000 and 10,000 men.
Background
Following the
Guadalcanal Campaign. At the peak of the campaign Espiritu Santo became the second-largest American base in the Pacific, housing 40,000 people. By 1943, the New Hebrides had lost much of their strategic importance and the bases shifted their focus to rear line support.[1]
Service
The arising situation necessitated the recruitment of indigenous
US Navy, and supervised by Major George Riser and Thomas Beatty respectively.[2]
While the recruits had to build their own huts for accommodation, other necessities such as food, clothing, dogtags, medical care and cigarettes were provided for them by the American military. Workers were paid 7.50
stevedoring, mosquito eradication, hospital work and supply delivery. Although no member of the corps died in combat, deaths from disease, work-related accidents and overwork were not uncommon. The formation was dissolved following the departure of the Americans from the island in 1945. The mass participation of Ni-Vanuatu men in the Labor Corps had a significant effect on the John Frum movement, giving it the characteristics of a cargo cult.[4]
Footnotes
- ^ Lindstrom 1991, pp. 47–49.
- ^ a b Lindstrom 1991, pp. 49–51.
- ^ Jolly 2016, pp. 313–316.
- ^ Lindstrom 1991, pp. 49–53.
References
- Jolly, Margaret (2016). "Men of War, Men of Peace: Changing Masculinities in Vanuatu". The Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology. 17 (3): 305–323. S2CID 157760230.
- Lindstrom, Lamont (1991). The Vanuatu Labor Corps Experience (PDF). Center for Pacific Studies. pp. 47–58. )