What is the significance of the “man with the megaphone”?

The man with the megaphone was the authority figure the boys looked to, as they were being transported. A war was going on, and the boys were being moved. When the boys begin to gather on the island, their eyes search for the man with the megaphone..... someone to look up to and give them direction. His absence..... means that they are alone and must fend for themselves.