Operation Pharos : Cocos Keeling Islands - The fascinating history of a remote Indian Ocean archipelago 1609-1988, with emphasis on the construction & operation of the Allied air base during World War Two

DURING THE FINAL STAGE OF World War II, with the conflict in Europe now over, the Allies concentrated their efforts against the Japanese in the Far East.

In order to increase the activities of their air forces in the region it was necessary to provide landing strips for refuge and refuelling and to this end an air base and staging post was proposed to be located on the remote Cocos Keeling islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

Codenamed Operation Pharos, the construction of the base was carried out in great secrecy by thousands of British & Commonwealth troops drafted in for the purpose, who rose to the challenge of creating an airstrip capable of accommodating aircraft up to and including the long-range B-24 Liberator heavy bomber on a low-lying palm-covered island.

When this task was complete, the RAF took up residence. In all eleven RAF squadrons were based there and details of their operations are included in this book. Allied aircraft from many other squadrons also dropped in to refuel and as a result the base is well remembered by airmen who served in the Far East in the latter years of the war and afterwards, when the base became a staging post for aircraft flying to and from Australia.

Ken Rosam, an RAF electrician, was among those who helped construct and man the base for its duration and this book is his tribute to fellow servicemen and aviators who also served there. 

But this book goes far beyond simply telling the story of the wartime base, Ken also reveals the fascinating history of these islands, which were uninhabited when first discovered in 1609 and in the following years, under the benign stewardship of the Clunies Ross dynasty, later dubbed the “Kings of the Cocos Islands,” became a thriving community that continues to this day.

Publisher - Woodfield Publishing

Language - English

Paperback

Contributors

Author

Ken Rosam

Published Date - July 11 2024

ISBN - 9781873203583

Dimensions - 23.4 x 15.6 x 1.1 cm

Page Count - 196