Robaul's Native Schoolboys Helped

Australian Troops

1 THINK you will be glad to know that our Nodup Native School (near Rabaul, where selected native boys are given a special training), carried on, right up until the last” writes Mr. J. H. L.

Waterhouse, who was in charge of native schools in that district.

“The Administrator (Sir Walter Mc- Nicoll) who was on a hurried visit to Rabaul from Lae, very kindly drove him self over to present the annual prizes on December 18, so that the youngsters would not be disappointed. He paid a tribute to the Nodup lads, who have gone out to various radio stations throughout the Territory and were making good at that important work.

“At the school, the lads were very keen at helping the AIF in every way possible, making camouflage nets and even digging trenches and helping with gun positions when allowed.

Japs came in, I formed a «hK 01 ° f *° p ? ck( ; d boys, uniformed simpie khaki laplap and fed them, and they did excellent work in co-operation with AIP in coast-watching, w’ov fr( i?s. a specially constructed bamboo tower. The major in charge of our area frequently expressed his appreciation and thanks.

Major A. s. Cross, formerly general manager of Guinea Airways Ltd., and who subsequently spent some years in Fiji and h’Oddon, is now a Squadron-Leader in tilo RAAF.

Q Mr. Claren ce A. Leembruggen, who for 30 years has been a member of the Lands, Mines and Survey Department in Fiji, retired last month. He joined the Fiji Service in 1910. as surveyor, after serving previously in Ceylon, and rose to be As fistant Director of Surveys. During the J914-IS. war, he went overseas with the Fiji Reinforcements and won the MM