Embarrassment as memorial wreath laid

REMEMBERING: Foreign Minister Murray McCully lays a wreath at Tarawa, Kiribati, to rember 17 New Zealand Post Office and Army personal beheaded by the Japanese 70 years ago.

Relevant offers

South Pacific

Bainimarama takes swipe at NZ Cyclone Jasmine flooding Tonga Tonga declares cyclone warning Two cyclones growing in Pacific PNG ferry survivors 'call from island' PNG ferry survivors battled to stay alive 126 missing, 246 saved after PNG ferry sinks Turmoil in Tonga over 'two-faced' McCully comment 7.1 earthquake shakes Vanuatu New Fiji storms kill man

New Zealand's war dead suffered striking humiliation yesterday on hallowed ground of one of the 20th century's greatest battles.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully, on a three nation week long Pacific trip, briefly called at Betio Islet on Tarawa, Kiribati, to lay a wreath at a memorial to 17 New Zealand Post Office and Army personal beheaded by the Japanese 70 years ago next month here.

But instead of a solemn moment, Mr McCully arrived at a monument stained with fish guts and human excrement.

Clearly embarrassed New Zealand diplomatic staff said they had tried to maintain the monument - paid for by the Australian Government - but had been unable to fend of continued vandalism.

The New Zealanders, who were despatched to the then Gilbert Islands to act as coastwatchers to prevent German raiders operating in the Pacific, were largely abandoned after Japan entered the war.

The Japanese executed them by beheading and later burnt their bodies.

No attempt has been made to find the bodies and the men have no memorial in New Zealand.

They also left behind i-Kiribati children.

Mr McCully said he would seek to repair the fact that the men were never acknowledged at home.

"There is nothing at home for them, nothing for their families there," he said after laying a wreath.

"We will certainly do something about it, I cannot say what, but they do need to be acknowledged."

The seemingly casual attitude by New Zealand to finding its war dead on Tarawa is in stark contrast to continuing United States efforts to find their dead of the 1942 Battle of Tarawa.

While Mr McCully was laying a wreath, a US Army unit was nearby carefully exploring for US war dead of up to 400 bodies of the 1200 Americans who died here over three days.

"We know our boys are here and we will continue searching until we take them home, that was the deal when we all joined," US Marine Captain Ernest Todd Nordman told Stuff.

They have found a number of remains, as well as a mass Japanese war grave.

Around 6000 Japanese soldiers and Korean construction slaves died in the battle.

The US team have marked the grave and advised the Japanese Government.

Mr McCully returns to the Solomon Islands on Wednesday and will then fly to Christmas Atoll at the eastern end of Kiribati.

After visiting Samoa he returns to Auckland on the weekend.

- © Fairfax NZ News