Nouméa

MapLat 22.3°S Long 166.4° E  Nouméa is the capital city of New Caledonia.

Nouméa Harbor
Harbor located at Nouméa.

Nickel Docks
Click For EnlargementThe Nickel Docks are at the wharf of the Nickel Smelter Operations, which were apart from the Noumea city docks. On November 1, 1943, four cargo ships were loading: SS Juan Cabrillo, USS Cassiopeia, SS James Buchanan and SS Cape Breton. and unloading at two finger piers that had been built by the Seabees, when some handling of the munitions caused the explosion. About 100 men were lost, (killed or missing) and another 100 wounded, The ships were removed from their moorings, but did not sustain serious damage. The explosion was, for some years, classified, and now declassified, but there has been little collection of data from each individual file.

Ben Glusing adds:
"I was an officer of the 208th Military Police Company, which furnished guard duty of the docks. I arrived at the scene 8-10 minutes after the first blast. Explosion was followed by fires, all lasting about four and a half hours. We suffered seven men injured; no fatalities. The explosion was, for some years, classified, and now declassified, but there has been little collection of data from each individual file.Until my narrative is completed, I feel I cannot distribute in bits and pieces."

Nouméa Harbor Seaplane Base
Harbor used as a seaplane landing area early in the war

Naval Guns
Located at Anse-Vata on Ouen-Toro Mount are the old naval guns, which protected the maritime access to Nouméa's harbor.

 U.S. Memorial of Noumea
The inscription reads: "In Honor of the US Forces who by their presence during the Pacific war from March 1942 to February 1946 insured the freedom of New Caledonia her people are deeply grateful. 13 Aout 1992"

Nouméa Town Hall
Former town hall has wartime relics on display.

Magenta Airfield
Built during the war, two miles north-east of town. Still in use today

Tontouta Airfield (La Tontouta)
Prewar airfield used during the war by Americans.

Discharged Munitions
Nicolas Duprey reports:
"There are a lot of US dumps around Noumea, often in the water. In a ground disharge I have found a metal quarter with the inscriptions J W Bacon, SAVANNAH, a USN food board, a USN spoon, an other passionate said to us that he discovered 5 dog tags in it! In the water dumps there are trucks, jeeps and other. Sometimes I do scuba diving, and during my last dive I saw ten 155mm shells! But in all of these dumps all the interesting equipment was stolen and the rest isn't in good state or interresting."

Ousassio Hill (Mount Kimball)
Mountain next to the Tontouta Airport, renamed in honor of the pilot of R4D that crashed into the hillside.

  R4D-1 Bureau Number 01981

Mount Mou
Mount Mou affords magnificent views over the Mount Mou valley, Tontouta lagoon and a moss forest.

  SBD Dauntless Serial Number 40-6603


Amieu Pass

GMC Truck


C Thomas 2001

A buried 10 wheels GMC found by a forester in the back country mountains. They dug up this truck when they made a platform for water tanks below this road. Event the six cylinder is well intact. This photo was taken the last week of June, during heavy rain; at the saw mill of Amieu Pass, one of the four mountian roads crossing New Caledonia from West to East. The forester said that it may have been buried when they had built upwards in the hill road to reach trees (maybe in the 1960's). Thanks to Christophe Thomas for this report.


 Sea Bee Built Chapple


C Thomas 2001

Built probably by the US Navy Sea Bee, during This chapel 's situated on the US Army camp built in a place called Plum by the first soldiers arriving on the site. The tale said that they found some plum tree on the beach, and this place had noname so they call it "Plum". And today, it is still know as Plum in the Mont Dore county, in the far south of Nouméa. Thanks to Christophe Thomas for this report.

 

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