Tracing the remains of World War II on Biak Island

Book section : Chapter

Located in the northernmost part of what is today Papua Province and along the Pacific rim, Biak Island was used as a base for the Japanese and American armies during World War II (WWII). Archaeological surveys have now been conducted around several districts of Biak Island, designed to build a narrative about WWII from the ground up, by examining the distributions of the remains found during fieldwork. The wide array of bunkers, aeroplanes, and amphibious vehicles, and the remains of a now-submerged ship, as well as local toponyms in several areas, make it clear that Biak was a crucial location during WWII, and that the events of the war continue to be resonant for Biakers who live in the area today. It is concluded that the Japanese and American armies used almost the entire land surface of Biak’s south-eastern coast as a major base camp. The high value of Biak during WWII was in part related to its location at the crux of Asia and the Pacific, and its geopolitical relevance, especially as a location to establish control in the Pacific theatre.

Terletak di bagian paling utara dari wilayah yang sekarang dikenal sebagai Provinsi Papua, pulau Biak pada masa lalu digunakan sebagai pangkalah tentara Jepang dan Amerika dalam perang dunia II (PD II). Survei arkeologi telah dilakukan di beberapa distrik di pulau ini untuk menarasikan sejarah kependudukan selama perang dunia II ditempat tersebut dengan menganalisis sisa – sisa perlengkapan perang yang masih ditemukan di lapangan. Distirbusi bunker, sisa pesawat terbang, kendaraan amfibi, dan sisa-sisa kapal yang tenggelam, serta toponomi yang ditemukan dibeberapa titik, menjadi bukti kuat akan pentingnya pulau ini pada masa lalu selama perang dunia II, dimana hampir seluruh bagian dari pulau ini digunakan sebagai markas utama kedua negara tersebut di masa lalu. Digunakannya pulau Biak sebagai salah satu markas besar pada perang dunia II diperkirakan didasarkan pada letak geografisnya yang berada di titik pertemuan antara Asia dan Pasifik, serta relevansi geopolitk terutama sebagai lokasi untuk membangun kontrol di kawasan Pasifik.

Authors: Kawer, S; Gaffney, D

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: ANU Press
• Host title: West New Guinea: Social, Biological, and Material Histories
• Pages: 275-296
• Chapter number: 14
• Series: Terra Australis
• Series number: 58
• Place of publication: Canberra, Australia
• Publication date: 2025-02-20
• Edition: 1
• ISSN: 0725-9018
• EISBN: 9781760466725
• ISBN: 9781760466718
• Language: English
• Subtype: Chapter