but we don't seem to have much information on that ship's visits to these islands, or how vigorously her crew made His Majesty's presence known.
Actually we have a hell of a lot, and in considerable detail..
From the 1936 visits by HMAS "Leith" we have a 5 page typed report by the captain, Oliver Bevir. It is notes on the islands, vegetation, wild life, fresh water etc.
This voyage was in amongst some documents marked 'SECRET" and "Cypher Telegram", which seem to be mostly discussions about establishing sovereignty before the yanks pulled another Howland/baker/Jervis stunt.
There is also a secret telegram from July 23 1936 with reference to "Question of actual occupation of Phoenix Islands or of some of them has now been raised and may become urgently necessary for strategic reasons."
From the February 1937 landings:We have a 16 page official report on the Leith's voyage with dates and times and detailed descriptions of the islands visited and of what they did there. Including leaving a sign and flag at each island.
We have 6 pages of NOTES as an ORIGINAL document (that is, the OP document in a typewriter - Not a carbon copy) possibly typed aboard Leith. It is called 'Notes on various islands of the phoenix group visited in H.M.A.S. "LEITH", February 1837. This document is a list of islands in order they were visited describing details of each island. Item 1. is Canton island and starts off.
1. Canton or mary Island.
Largest island of the Group, being approcimately 8 1/2 miles long by 3 1/2 miles wide.
Then it goes on about anchorage and landing etc. Vegetation previous occupation, animal and bird life, remains of wreck and settlement. and includes things like "Flag planted close to the clump of coconut trees on the south side of the boat-passage abd notice board nailed to one of the trees."
My mention of the stuff on Gardner does not say that there was a pile of stones on Gardner, just that there was on at least one other island, so that was one method they used.
The notes don't have dates and times etc. Just notes about each island one after the other.
We also have a 16 page official report on the Leith's voyage with dates and times and detailed descriptions of the islands visited and of what they did there. Including leaving a sign and flag at each island. It is dated 28th May 1937 written by the person in charge of the expedition, and very detailed. It starts off with his transfer from HMCS "Nimanoa" to HMAS "Leith" at Christmas Island for the voyage and details some communication problems that almost forced a return.
On reaching Canton it begins.
Canton or Mary Island was sighted in the morning of the 12th February and after coasting along the entire length of the eastern and northern littoral we dropped anchor on the western side of the island soon after noon. A landing arty left the ship almost immediately afterwards in the ship's skiff (equipped with outboard motor) but, owing to the outward race of the tide in the boat passage..
It goes on from there and like all the other island information it is fascinating. For example I wasn't aware the British Navy was using outboards (probably a Seagull, because it took over an hour to motor through the boat passage) in 1937.
They had interesting adventures on some islands including shark fishing, capsizing in the heavy surf etc. Some of the descriptions read like a TIGHAR expedition to Niku! It is really quite entertaining.
This is a carbon copy of a typed document.
OK !!! Ths is an update. I was reading some correspondence from between 1936 and 1937 and discovered that the person in charge on the HMAS Leith visit, and who wrote the 'NOTES and "Report" was The RESIDENT COMMISSIONER, J. C. Barley, although the correspondence refers to "
His Excellency the High Commissioner, His Honour J.C. Barley, Secretary, Western Pacific High Commission.". I'm still trying to reconcile this apparent difference in titles.
From the October landingsWe have a 30 page report by H. E. Maude who was in charge of that visit, printed by the Government Printer in Suva.This goes into great detail on the islands and the planning for the PISS.
Th' WOMBAT