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Australia On The

Vast Screen of Air-Bases Keeps Guard Over the Seas

LATE on July 30, the Australian Minister for Air (Mr. McEwen) and the Australian Chief of the Air Staff (Sir Charles Burnett) returned to Melbourne, after a lengthy absence in which they covered thousands of miles in civil aircraft, bombers and flying boats.

The newspapers gave no indication of where they had been; but the Minister said that his tour had confirmed that Australia had established a strong screen of defensive and reconnaissance air bases, which now exists as a buffer against invasion.

He said that the new stations include both land and seaplane bases, and that they represent the first line of Austra lia’s defences, and make possible the maintenance of an intense and compre hensive reconnaissance of waters in which Australia has a vital interest. He said further that aircraft operating from these bases make the future operation of enemy raiders seeking to interfere with Australian shipping exceedingly hazard ous.

The Minister also said that with the new Catalina aircraft, which could remain ,in the air for more than 24 hours, if necessary, Australia had an ideal type of aircraft for ocean recon naissance. Australian land-planes now were of a type which could not only conduct long patrols, out to sea, but also could strike powerful blows at ship tar gets. The large-range torpedo-carrying Beauforts, now being made in Australia, also represented “a tremendously import ant acquisition to the striking power of the RAAF”.

Mrs. E. Turner, of Samarai, Papua, has received a letter from her son, Private H. G. Turner, a member of the AIF who was wounded at Bardia, in Libya, early in this year. Private Turner is now in a convalescent depot in the Middle East, where he is making reasonably satisfac tory progress. It was erroneously stated, in a recent issue, that Private Turner had recovered and rejoined his unit.

Mr. and Mrs. F. de Russett, who were married in June at St. Augustine’s Church, Wau, TNG, the bride formerly being Miss Edna Tennant, have taken up residence at Edie Creek.

Tutu Tekanene, Senior NMP in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony, was recently awarded the Medal of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.