Wilkes Island

[1] The Tanager Expedition set up a tent camp on Wilkes in the 1923, when they surveyed Wake Island.

Due to the reef making a closer approach hazardous, the ship stayed in deep water just off from the island, and the expedition was brought ashore by a smaller boat.

Naval officer Charles Wilkes, who led a U.S. expedition to Wake Atoll in 1841.

[6][7] In the 1930s, it was the site where supplies were off-loaded for the Pan-Am airways seaplane facilities, which was built on Peale Island on the other side of the Wake Lagoon.

Supplies were offloaded at Wilkes, moved across a short rail to the other side, then taken by barge across the lagoon to Peale.

Looking North-west over Wilkes Island, which has almost been split by the old, partially completed submarine channel.
The Tanager Expedition's tent camp on Wilkes Island in 1923
The SS North Haven unloads supplies for the Pan-American seaplane airport in the 1930s
Japanese landing on Wilkes in the battle for Wake Island
The Marine counter-attack to the landing