Operation Goodtime and the Battle of the Treasury Islands, 1943: The World War II Invasion by United States and New Zealand Forces

A force of New Zealanders and Americans invaded the Treasury Islands in the South Pacific on October 27, 1943, retaking them from their Japanese occupiers. Codenamed Operation Goodtime, the action marked the first time New Zealand forces took part in an opposed landing since Gallipoli in 1915. In an unusual allocation of troops in the American-dominated theater, New Zealand provided the fighting men and America the air, naval, and logistical support. Confronting extreme risks against a determined Japanese foe, the Allies nevertheless succeeded with relatively few casualties. Because of the need for operational security, Operation Goodtime received little publicity and has been relegated to a footnote in the history of the war in the Pacific. This is the first complete account of the Allied seizure of the Treasury Islands.

Table of Contents:
Table of Contents Acknowledgments      Preface      1. Meeting on Mono      2. The Opposing Forces      3. The Gamble      4. The Downed Aviators, the Treasury Islanders and the Japanese      5. The Cowan Patrols      6. Invasion: 27 October 1943      7. Goodtime—The Air Aspects      8. Loganforce at Soanatalu—Desperate Defense: 29 October to 3 November 1943      9. Consolidation and Elimination of Japanese Defenders      10. Aftermath and Legacies      APPENDICES A: Composition of 8 Brigade, 3 NZ Division      B: United States Forces: The Land Component      C: The Allied Naval Component      D: The Japanese Order of Battle and Weaponry      E: Distances to the Treasury Islands in Nautical Miles      F: Beaching Times      G: Weapons of 8 Brigade, 3 NZ Division      H: Uniforms and Personal Equipment of 3 NZ Division      I: Amphibious Operations Vessels      J: Order of Battle: Goodtime Assault Landings      Chronology      Glossary      Chapter Notes      Bibliography      Index     

About the Author :
Reg Newell has a doctoral degree from Massey University, Palmerston North (with a dissertation on New Zealand’s Third Division in the Pacific) and continues researching the Pacific War. He lives in Upper Hutt, New Zealand.

Review :
“Newell provides an intricate and detailed narrative of the Allied diversion in the Treasury Islands, filling a gap in the historiography that had been left unfilled by other scholars”—H-Net Reviews; “written in an extremely readable style that will appeal to anyone interested in gaining a fuller appreciation of the contribution of the New Zealand armed services to World War II”—Massey.