Captain Handley
p. 40 · Read in the full issue
"Grand Old Man" of the Gilberts
THIS is a photograph, taken by the editor of the “PIM” recently, of Captain I. R. Handley, of Tarawa, Gilbert Islands. He is standing beside an old ship’s wheel, which he has mounted in the back garden of his house, near the Burns, Philp establishment, in Tarawa.
Captain Handley is one of the best known and most highly esteemed master mariners in the Central Pacific. In his
youth, he roamed far and wide over the seas; but, in later years, he settled down as master in charge of Burns, Philp ships in the Marshalls, Carolines, Gil berts, and other equatorial islands.
Prior to the 1914-18 war, Burns, Philp traded in the Carolines and Marshalls, and when Japan settled down in pos session, in 1919, Captain Handley was still there, in charge of trading vessels.
But, as all the world knows, a Japan ese territory (even mandated) is a close preserve for Japan; and so the little gentlemen of Nippon began to hunt out the Europeans. They made things very tough for Captain Handley. It got so that, whenever he returned from a voy age, Japanese officials had him on the carpet for hours of questioning: they said they were sure that, somewhere out of sight, he was meeting American ships, and giving away their secrets.
Finally the Captain left the Marshalls and made his headquarters at Tarawa, over 20 years ago.
Major G. E. D. Sandars, Secretary to the BSI Government, has taken up duties at Vila as Acting Assistant Resident Commissioner in the New Hebrides. He replaced Mr. R, H. Garvey, MBE, who has gone to Ocean Island as Acting Resident Commissioner of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony, until the new RC, Mr.
V. Fox-Strangways, arrives from Nyasa land (British Central Africa). Major Sandars has been a member of the Solo mon Islands service since 1928, when he arrived at Tulagi to take up the post of Sub-Inspector of Constabulary. Later, he was OIC of Constabulary and Super intendent of Prisons; then District Officer of Gela and, in 1936, DO of Malaita. He became Acting Secretary to the Govern ment in 1938 and Secretary in early 1941, succeeding Mr. Norman B. S. Kidston.
Major Sandars’ post in the Solomons has been filled by Mr. Leonard W. S. Wright, District Officer at Ysabel,
Captain I. R. Handley, of Tarawa.