Gilbert and Ellice Islands Gilbert and Ellice Islands The Gilbert and Ellice Islands were a British protectorate from 1892 and colony from 1916 until 1 January 1976, when the islands were divided into two colonies which became independent nations shortly after. A referendum was held in December 1974 to determine whether the Gilbert Islands and Ellice Islands should each have their own administration. As a consequence of the referendum, the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony ceased to exist on 1 January 1976 and the separate countries of Kiribati and Tuvalu came into existence. The Gilbert Islands (formerly "Kingsmill Islands") are a chain of sixteen
United States Army Air Forces in the Central Pacific Area HAWAII ISLAND KAUAI ISLAND MOLOKAI ISLAND OAHU ISLAND JOHNSTON ATOLL LINE ISLANDS MARIANA ISLANDS GUAM ISLAND SAIPAN ISLAND TINIAN ISLAND MARSHALL ISLANDS MIDWAY ISLANDS .* Detachments deployed for use in Battle of Midway PHOENIX ISLANDS RYUKYU ISLANDS VOLCANO ISLANDS 1, United States Army Air Forces in the Central Pacific Area During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces engaged in combat against the Empire of Japan in the Central Pacific Area. As defined by the War Department, this consisted of most of the Pacific Ocean and its islands, excluding the Philippines, Australia, the Netherlands East Indies, the Territory