Operation Goodtime and the Battle of the Treasury Islands, 1943

On October 27, 1943, a force of New Zealanders and Americans invaded the Treasury Islands in the South Pacific, 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 theatre, 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.

Due to the needs 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 first complete account of the Allied seizure of the Treasury Islands stands as a tribute to the warriors who fought in this struggle.