Seventeen New Zealand coastwatchers and five civilians captured in the Gilbert Islands (now Kiribati) were beheaded at Betio, Tarawa.
Coastwatchers
Events In History
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War in the Pacific
Thousands of New Zealanders fought in the Pacific War, which was sparked by the Japanese bombing of the American naval base at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. It was a conflict fought on a vast scale over huge distances. For the New Zealanders, this was a war fought close to home. Read the full article
Page 6 - Pacific War Timeline
Key dates for New Zealand military involvement in the Pacific during the Second World
Main image: Tarawa coastwatchers memorial
Memorial to New Zealand coastwatchers who were among British troops beheaded on Tarawa in the Second World War
