New Georgia Campaign
On March 15, 1893 Vangunu was declared part of the British Solomon Islands protectorate. The island was occupied by the Japanese army in October 1942, during the Solomon Islands campaign. From 30 June to 3 July 1943, it was the site of one of the first land battle of the New Georgia Campaign, the battle of Wickham Anchorage, during which a small Japanese force was quickly mopped up by numerically superior allied forces.