U.S. Navy Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands ca. 1944-1951
U.S. Navy Governance Trust Territory Pacific Islands
The Trusty Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI) under the supervision of the United States Navy was divided into six districts. The districts included the following:
Chuuk (Truk) District
Mariana Islands District
Marshall Islands District
Palau District
Pohnpei (Ponape) District
Yap District
These districts were collectively overseen by the High Commissioner and Deputy High Commissioner, assigned by the U.S. Navy. The U.S. Navy began providing administrative functions for the Trust Territory Islands as early as 1944. This administrative role was formalized under United Nations Security Council Resolution 21 and the U.S. Navy began formal governance of the islands placed under trusteeship on July 18, 1947. The U.S Navy turned over governing duties to the Depart of the Interior in early 1951. However, the U.S. Navy remained active in the territory throughout the trusteeship. The Record Entries below are those record collections primarily relating to the U.S. Navy’s administration and governance of the Trust Territory Pacific Islands. These records typically relate to civil affairs between military governors and local populations. Please note that while these are the primary collections, any U.S. Navy Command, Bureau, or Office that had duties or responsibilities within the TTPI may also hold records relating to their activities within the TTPI.
Additional Collections
In addition to the U.S. Navy record collections listed above, the National Archives holds additional record collections that are relevant to the U.S. Navy’s administration of the TTPI. Some of these collections included below:
Record Group TTPI: Records of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
Entry ZZ 27850, Series: {Microfilmed Records of the} Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI)
Note: This microfilm has not yet been digitized. This collection can be reviewed on the microfilm readers in the Microfilm Reading Room at the National Archives in College Park, MD. The box sequence is: MIC-C boxes 1-181 (includes 87A-F), and FLT-A boxes 1-26. Contains 2345 rolls of microfilm cartridges (16mm & 35mm). Some rolls missing at time of receipt.
Index to Donated Copy of the Records of the Trust
Commander Naval Forces Marianas (and Related Collections)
Also worth noting are the records of the Commander Naval Forces Marianas as this Command was the most active within the TTPI. These records typically relate to military activities in the region, but may discuss issues of civil affairs. The primary collections relating to the U.S. Navy’s activities within the Commander Naval Forces Marianas include the following:
Continuing Research
In addition to U.S. Navy activities in the TTPI other elements of the U.S. Military also performed various activities within the region during the time of the U.S. Navy’s administration. The following collections may provide greater context and information relating to the U.S. Military’s activities within the TTPI during the 1940s and 1950s. For records of the TTPI post Naval Governance the Archival Database (AAD) may service as a useful resource by searching keywords "Trust Territory" and "TTPI".