On February 8, 1943, Japanese troops evacuated Guadalcanal, leaving the
island in Allied possession after a prolonged campaign. The American
victory paved the way for other Allied wins in the Solomon Islands.

Guadalcanal is the largest of the Solomons, a group of 992 islands and atolls,
347 of which are inhabited, in the South Pacific Ocean. The Solomons, which
are located northeast of Australia and have 87 indigenous languages, were discovered in 1568 by the Spanish navigator Alvaro de Mendana de Neyra
(1541-95). In 1893, the British annexed Guadalcanal, along with the other
central and southern Solomons. The Germans took control of the northern Solomons in 1885, but transferred these islands, except for Bougainville
and Buka (which eventually went to the Australians) to the British in 1900.

    
Japanese POWs.