The Late Fred Kruger
p. 38 · Read in the full issue
Beneath the spreading, shady trees, On coral shores, at Milne Bay, You can enjoy the soothing breeze, And watch the palm fronds sway.
If the roving days you’ve “given best”, And here at last have ceased to roam, You’ll have a quiet, peaceful rest Down at old Fred Kruger’s home.
That’s where we’ve often longed to go— Where the brown-skinned babies play, And where the swaying palm trees grow, On coral shores, at Milne Bay.
There we’ll have a quiet spell; For once we will forget to roam; In peace and comfort we will dwell Down at old Fred Kruger’s home.
Down where the tidal currents flow And where the flying-fishes play, Where beds of brilliant coral grow Around the shores of Milne Bay.
Our host will make us welcome there: No more we’ll wish to roam— We’ll dream day-long in easy chair, At old Fred Kruger’s home.
We’ll watch the dusky sailors go ’Way out beyond the coral reef, Their ships carved out of Ilimo, Their sails of plaited sago leaf.
We’ll watch them coming home once more, ’Midst spray and wind and foam, To where the soft waves lap the shore Near old Fred Kruger’s home.
(One of the best-loved “old hands’’ of East ern Papua, Mr. Fred Kruger, died in Samarai hospital in December. He was a friend of the late Mr. Frank Pryke; and the latter, some years ago, wrote and published the following verses about him.)
In this group, second from the left, is Mr. Fred. W.
Kruger, well-known miner, of Milne Bay, Eastern Papua, who (as reported last month) died in Samarai Hospital on December 24. In the group, from left to right, are: Mr.
Bert Oberdorf (Milne), Mr.
F. W. Kruger, Mr. Frank Orr (Milne Bay), and Mr. Arthur Dawkins (Woodlark Island). (Photo by E. J. O’Donnell).