Tahiti In Wartime

Papeete, June 17.

LIFE here in Tahiti is so quiet that little if anything of news value is occurring. Military and naval acti vities, of course, may not be discussed; and there is calm in the world of politics.

At present, the minds of our people are overshadowed by anxiety for those dear to them who are on the battle-field of Libya (where the contingents from the South Pacific colonies of Fighting France are engaged), in the prison camps of Germany, and in the impenetrable silence of France. Every family in Tahiti has a relation or relations in one of those places.

Death Of Jean Gilbert

There is sorrow here concerning the death in action of the well-beloved Capitaine Jean Gilbert (whose death is referred to elsewhere in this issue). He was a distinguished officer in the Naval service of Free France, and he married the daughter of Monsieur Emil Martin, the head of one of our oldest families in Tahiti. Even as I write, there is a memorial service proceeding at the Cathedral in memory of Capitaine Gil bert.

Only a few days ago, on June 9, a ser

vice was held in the Bethel Chapel, in Papeete, in memory of Monsieur Ernest Gournac —a Tahitian member of the Air Force of Fighting France, who was killed in a plane accident in England.

Our roll of honour is lengthening. M.

Gournac was another member of a very old Tahitian family.

From A Noumea Correspondent

The death was announced in June of Jean Gilbert, corvette captain and air pilot in the service of Fighting France.

A graduate of the Naval College at Brest.

Jean Gilbert became a sea-plane pilot, and his death closes a long record of service to his country upon the sea and in the air. He was instrumental, after France fell, in rallying Tahiti to the banner of Fighting France. Joining General de Gaulle’s forces in London, he was appointed to New Caledonia, in order to take over the direction of marine and air services. When he arrived in Noumea on September 28, 1941, Jean Gilbert had one ambition—to become once more “pilot-aviateur”, and with the arrival in New Caledonia of Allied forces he realised his dream. He was conspicuous for his love of risk, and a spirit of good-humoured, frank camaraderie, which made him popular with everyone.