“Cactus,” Carney Field, Guadalcanal

Clouded over most of the day so I didn’t go down to the beach. Read the Fortune survey on “Relations with Europe.” Let’s hope that our statesmen have enough brains to ensure a future permanent peace to the world. It lies solely within our power, but any muddleheadedness will only result in World War III.

One of VD-1’s PB4Ys while chasing a Betty over Empress Augusta Bay, shot down, by mistake, a Bristol Beaufort from MacArthur’s New Guinea command. Only two men got out of the crashed  and sinking Beaufort, and the PB4Y dropped them a raft and food, although they’re in a pretty hopeless position being so far up on unfriendly Bougainville.

The Bougainville coastwatcher reports that the Japs are raising holy hell with any natives they suspect of cooperating with the CW and that his position is becoming increasingly difficult. This is due mostly to MacArthur’s early neglect of this vital CW (now under Navy protection).