Letters From Rabaul

Men

News of 18 Prisoners of War

WIVES or next-of-kin of about 18 New Guinea residents who have been missing since the Japanese occupied Rabaul in January, received letters from them in September.

These —dated February 11—appear to have been part of the prisoners’ mail dropped over Port Moresby by the Japanese some months ago, and which, by some mischance, were not immediately delivered.

Through their medium comes news of the following men—all of them well known in Rabaul and New Guinea:— O. Townsend, Harold Page, R. L. Clark, Hugh Goodwin, Ken Alsop, Wayne, Solo mons, Sgt. lan Maclean, Colin Mater, Bell (the one who married Joan Ifould) Dickson. J. Trevitt, Pearce, S. Beasley!

Stuart Nottage, McEwan (from BP’s>!

Jack Evans (Colyer Watson), A. Ross’

Phillpot (BP's), Bob Reynolds.

All were brief notes of about one page, and, naturally enough, they gave little information beyond the fact that the writers were well, and were being “reason ably treated.” • Those who received them however, were unanimous in the opinion that they were perfectly natural in style, and there were no indications that they were written under duress or that the men were suffering from nervous tension of any sort.

According to Mr. Clark—Mr. Clark was a member of the New Guinea Legislative Assembly—they were permitted to write because on that day the Japs were cele brating some national festival. He said that, because he was a “warden,” he was allowed a few special privileges.

Mr. Harold Page said that he was a prisoner of war in Rabaul, that he was in very good health, and that they were getting plenty of food—mostly meat, rice and tea. He asked that the letter be shown to the appropriate Federal authori ties in order that wives and children of the prisoners could be provided with a sustenance allowance.

No news has been received of many other prominent New Guinea men, in cluding BP’s manager (Mr. Philip Coote), Mr. Gordon Thomas, and Mr. George Murray, of the Department of Agricul ture; but, in view of the delay in the delivery of these last letters, it is prob able that they, too, are safe and well.

Mrs. Copp, Mrs. Edwards, and Mrs.

Knight, wives of LMS missionaries serv ing in Samoa, recently arrived in New Zealand. Mrs. H. White, of Malua, went on to Queensland, at about the same time.

The death of Miss Daisy Jane Hansen occurred in Suva, Fiji, on August 21.

Miss Hansen spent most of her life in the Colony, where she was born —her father was for many years foreman in the Pub lic Works Department. Mr. W. Hansen and Mr. A. Hansen, both of Suva, are her brothers.

Mr. S. C. Beazley, who was a technical instructor with the Methodist Mission in Rabaul, was taken prisoner when the Japs overwhelmed the township—news was re ceived of him in the last batch of letters from New Guinea POW, in September, Mrs. Beazley previously was evacuated to Australia, and a daughter was recently born to the couple—but it may be some time before the baby’s father is aware of her existence.