"Commissaire Ramel" Lost

THE French liner, “Commissaire Ramel” (10,161 tons), which before the out break of war ran between France and the South Seas (Papeete, Suva, Vila, and Noumea) was lost by enemy action last September, according to an official announcement made in March.

The “Ramer was taken over from Messageries Maritime Co. by the British authorities and manned with an Aus tralian crew. Shortly after leaving Aus tralian waters for the United Kingdom, she was intercepted by a Nazi raider in the Indian Ocean and sunk by gunfire.

The officers and crew were taken prisoners.

Early this month, when British forces made their great drive into Italian Somaliland, the town of Merka (south of Mogadishu, the capital) fell into our hands. There, the British unexpectedly found and released 200 Allied seamen who had been landed at various times from German raiders and among these men were 42 of the “Commissaire Ramel’s” officers and crew.

Mrs. Leonard Murray, wife of the new Administrator of Papua, and their son Dennis, who have been on a lengthy visit to NSW and South Australia, re turned to Port Moresby early in March.

For the first time in many years, the “first lady of the land” of Papua will be in residence at Government House.