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Tuesday 5 December 2017

South Pacific Ocean atoll island Cantoon suitable as flying boat base according to the Dutch magazine Marineblad dated 1938 no. 6

Boeing 314 Atlantic Clipper

An item referred to the U.S.R. dated 1 September 1938 reporting that England and the USA agreed how to handle with the small islands Canton and Enderby part of the Phoenix Group. The island Canton (1) had a splendid lagoon suitable to be used as base for flying boats.

Note
1. The atoll island Kanton Island also known as Canton Island, Abariringa Island, Mary Island, Mary Balcout’s Island and Swallow Island, Phoenix Islands in the Republic of Kiribati. The United Kingdom claimed her since March 1937 as part of the Gilbert and Elice Islands Colony but in June 1937 the USA claimed the island. On 6 April 1939 was an agreement signed for an joint control as the Canton and Enderbury Islands condominium. Pan American World Airways started in 12 July 1940 with her New Zealand flying boats service using the Boeing 314 Clipper.