"Blue" Allen Gets the

Qbe

THE unquenchable “Blue” Allen, well known throughout New Guinea and Papua, is again in the news—this time with an OBE.

When war came in 1939, Mr. H. T.

Allen, a 45-years-old veteran of the last war, was digging satisfactory quantities of gold out of his own mine at Wau. TNG.

He did not even wait for the whiff of gunpowder—he was down in Sydney per next boat. A big, strong, iit man, with a commission from 1918, and accustomed to handling men, he thought he would be welcome. He' did not know the military wallahs.

With growing desperation, he offered his services all about the place, and was knocked back with great regularity. It is

said that at one stage he humbly be sought permission to peel potatoes at a Sydney camp.

Finally, after much argument, he got himself taken on, with commissioned rank, to do some unimportant routine work. With choler in his eye, this natural fighter watched the AIF men marching away—and presently he could stand it no longer. Next thing we heard was that he had tried to stow himself away with the staff on a troopship, and had been sorted out and ignominiously marched ashore.

He got away eventually, with a unit bound for the Middle East; and after that there were no complaints. He was too late for the first Libya show, and Greece; but, as was to be expected, he was out in the Western Desert when the Huns came sweeping back —and so he just naturally became one of the ever-famous “Rats of Tobruk”. With him, also in an important job, was Major Norman Neale, of Wau, TNG (who, incidentally, now has returned to Australia with certain transferred units, and who also has given notable service abroad), We have only sketchy details of what happened then; but it is known that Major H. T. Allen rendered distinguished service with the Australians in Tobruk; and that this has been officially recog nised is shown by the announcement that he has been made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.

Yet this is the man whom the military wallahs of Sydney—may they not be forgotten when the post-war reckonings come! tried to chase home, on the ground that he was old and useless.

Chief Judge W. C. Harley has left Western Samoa and the position of judge is at present vacant.

Major H. T. Allen, Obe.