| Place | Oceania: Pacific Islands, Fanning Island |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | P02564.007 |
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Black & white |
| Physical description | Black & white |
| Maker |
Luscombe, Eric Popham |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Fanning Island. September 1914. Staff of the Pacific Cable Board watching as the cable ship Iris ...
Description
Fanning Island. September 1914. Staff of the Pacific Cable Board watching as the cable ship Iris carries out repairs to the damaged communications cable. Fanning Island was a small island south of the Hawaiian Islands and was the only relay station between Vancouver Island, BC and Suva, Fiji. On 7 September 1914 the German ship, Nurnberg, attended by a collier landed at Fanning Island, both were flying the French flag. Nurnberg had been sent to Fanning Island by Vice Admiral Count von Spee to destroy the Cable Relay Station, cutting out the British communications network in the Pacific. Repairs to the cable were carried out quickly and communications were restored within a fortnight. (Donor J. Luscombe)