Tarawa

men still on

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THE fate of the European men who were on Tarawa Island, Central Gilberts, when the Japanese at tacked, is still unknown. The following note from a man with some special knowledge is helpful, however:— “As to what has happened to the folk on Tarawa your guess is as good as mine, ihe last I heard was in December. Then all were fit and well and enjoying liberty on the island—the Japs had come and gone away. I assume, from the recent American raid on the Marshalls and Puritan, that the Japs have not es tablished much in the way of forward bases in the Gilberts. So I imagine all the Europeans are still at large, but con fined to a diet of fish, fowl, coconut, eggs, pawpaw, taro, etc. s I understand that ‘Helena’ (Burns Fhilp schooner) was last seen being towed out of Tarawa by the Japs, loaded as never before with goods from the Burns, ‘Nimanoa’ (Government yacht) is on the reef, and blown up, I believe.”

So far as is known, the Europeans re maining on Tarawa include Dr. Steenson Dr. Isaac, Captain Holland and Mr’

English (Administration) Captain Har ness, Mr. Stead, Mr. Sinclair, and Mr Hunt (officers from “Nimanoa”) Mr Jenner, Mr. Clarke and Captain Handley (Burns, Philp and Co.). In addition, there are several well-known Euronesian people tnere who have European status They are mostly people of German-Marshall Islands descent, who were driven out of the Marshalls by the Japanese after the last war.