The British Solomon Islands Protectorate Defence Force (BSIPDF) was a locally recruited military unit in the British Solomon Islands Protectorate during World War II. It was created following the outbreak of war with Japan in 1942 and disbanded in 1946. The Solomon Islands has not maintained a military force since independence from Britain in 1976, relying upon the

Royal Solomon Islands Police Force The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) is the national police force of Solomon Islands and in January 2015 had an establishment of approximately 1,153 officers and 43 police stations across the country. Solomon Islands has no military o ...

for internal security.

Role in World War II

Although the BSIPDF was very small, it played a significant role in the

Solomon Islands campaign The Solomon Islands campaign was a major campaign of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign began with Japanese landings and occupation of several areas in the British Solomon Islands and Bougainville, in the Territory of New Guinea, ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. The BSIPDF was commanded by the Solomon Islands'

Resident Commissioner Resident commissioner was or is an official title of several different types of commissioners, who were or are representatives of any level of government. Historically, they were appointed by the British Crown in overseas protectorates (such ...

. During the Pacific War of 1942–1945 6,232 indigenous Solomon Islanders enlisted in the BSIPDF and served in battles such as the

Battle of Guadalcanal The Guadalcanal campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by American forces, was a military campaign fought between 7 August 1942 and 9 February 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the ...

, alongside Allied forces, fighting the

Empire of Japan The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of Japan, 1947 constitu ...

. Another 2,000 enrolled in the separate Solomon Islands Labour Corps. Allied

Coastwatchers The Coastwatchers, also known as the Coast Watch Organisation, Combined Field Intelligence Service or Section C, Allied Intelligence Bureau, were Allied military intelligence operatives stationed on remote Pacific islands during World War II ...

in the Solomon Islands often cooperated with or served alongside BSIPDF personnel during operations throughout the

Leadership

Prominent members of the BSIPDF included: *Sir David Clive Crosbie Trench, MC, US Legion of Merit * Martin Clemens,

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

, MC, AM *Sir

Jacob Vouza Sir Jacob Charles Vouza, , KPM (c. 1892 – 15 March 1984) was a native police officer of the British Solomon Islands Protectorate, who served with the United States Marine Corps in the Guadalcanal campaign during World War II. Early life V ...

, MBE, GM, US Silver Star, US Legion of Merit *Captain Donald Gilbert Kennedy, DSO, US

Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps' second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is eq ...

Medical facilities

US Marine medical staff attached to the Guadalcanal landing were less familiar with local medical conditions in the southwest Pacific than they were with tropical Mesoamerica and Caribbean conditions, which they knew very well. The pre-war experience and malaria records of Dr. Edward Sayers In the

Western Province Western Province or West Province may refer to: * Western Province, Cameroon *Western Province, Rwanda *Western Province (Kenya) *Western Province (Papua New Guinea) *Western Province (Solomon Islands) *Western Province, Sri Lanka *Western Provin ...

of the Solomon Islands was helpful to the United States forces in reducing malaria rates during the

. Large numbers of sick combatants in their care were initially treated for dengue fever. They were persuaded by two factors to revise this initial diagnosis to favour malaria due to: * Based on his pre-war medical work in the southern Solomons with the former British Colonial Administration, Lieutenant Frank Stackpool (Lieutenant, AIF Intelligence; later Lieutenant then Captain, British Solomon Island Protectorate Defence Force), an Australian guide to the US Marine landing at Tulagi, was present at Guadalcanal campaign headquarters to explain the British administration’s effective anti-malaria treatment policy and practices in the southern Solomons in the many years preceding the war. *The Australian was also able to demonstrate that sick indigenous employees, for whom he was responsible, responded very well to malaria treatment in that tropical environment. On seeing these successful results first-hand, US Marine medical staff very quickly adopted similar malaria treatment practices for their sick combatants in care. The initial approach to treat for dengue fever instead of malaria is understandable given that deadly Plasmodium falciparum is the predominant malaria in the Solomon Islands but it was not so in places familiar to US Marine medical staff such as Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico, where less deadly Plasmodium vivax malaria predominated. Both Mr Martin Clemens’ (CBE, MC, AM) book “Alone on Guadalcanal: A Coastwatcher's Story”, Annapolis Maryland, Naval Institute Press, 1998 and also Mr D.C. Horton’s book, “Fire Over the Islands”, Sydney, Reed, 1979, mentions Mr F. Stackpool as the Government Dispenser (i.e. Pharmacist/Chemist). In fact, Mr Stackpool, held this position in the former British Colonial Administration (Medical Service) from the year 1929 until 1942 at Tulagi and then 1943 to 1948 at Aola, later at Honiara in the Solomon Islands.

Notes

References

* * * * *{{cite book , last = Lord , first = Walter , orig-year = 1977, year = 2006 , title = Lonely Vigil; Coastwatchers of the Solomons , publisher = Naval Institute Press , isbn = 1-59114-466-3 Solomon Islands in World War II

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capit ...

History of the Solomon Islands Military units and formations of the British Empire Defence Force Military units and formations of the British Empire in World War II