War And A Fiji Family

WORLD War II has certainly left its mark upon the lives of the Carew family, of Fiji, according to “Fiji Times/’

News of Miss Maureen Carew was re ceived in Suva at the end of October.

Formerly on the nursing staff of the Memorial Hospital there, she later trans ferred to Hongkong, where she was at the time of the fall of the island to the Japanese. She wrote that she had been interned since January but, although thinner, she was well.

Mr. Desmond Carew, also of Fiji, was in Singapore at the time of its fall, and no news of him has yet been heard.

Dr. Carew, of the Fiji Medical Service, was in Jersey (Channel Islands), when the Nazis attacked the islands. However, he succeeded in getting away, and now resides in the Isle of Man.

One of the senior officials who is anxious that the Japanese be sent away or exter minated —especially from Papua—so that he may have some chance of return, is Mr. Stanley Greenland, who directed the office of Native Affairs at Port Moresby.

His residence was one of a few that was directly hit by a Japanese bomb. During his sojourn in Sydney, since the evacua tion, he has been heard broadcasting from a Sydney station.

Miss Stella Riley, a young lady well known in Port Moresby, is now a mem ber of the AWAS, and is stationed in Queensland. She was for some time employed as stenographer by the British New Guinea Trading Co., and, later, by Australian Petroleum Co.

Mr. Stan, Anderson, an employee of the Port Moresby Government Printing Office, who before the evacuation retired on pension, is now engaged on essential work at the Sydney Government Print ing Office. He, for years, was secretary of the Port Moresby Golf Club, and owned a large array of cups and other trophies won in competitions.

Mr. C. F. Sollitt, of Nausori, Fiji, has received a letter from his son. LAC C. H.

Sollitt, who is, presumably, a prisoner of war in Japan. He says that the flying boat, of which he was a member of the crew, was shot down in flames and all but three, who were not killed, were picked up by the Japanese after being three hours in the water. They arrived at a prison camp in Japan on February 17, to find there American soldiers and marines, and a few New Zealanders.

Their diet is mainly soup, rice and bread.

He is in good health, although he feels the Japanese winter keenly.

Captain T. H. Cude, formerly officer in charge of police at Nauru, is now on the headquarters staff of the Australian Army Service Corps. He is directing training operations; but is looking for ward to overseas service. In World War I he saw service in Britain, France, Russia, Persia and Mesopotamia.

Mr. P, D. Macdonald, who has been Assistant-Secretary to the High Commis sion of the Western Pacific since 1940 (and acting as Secretary for part of that time), has been seconded for service in Trinidad —the secondment to take effect as from June 22, 1942. He entered the service of the High Commission in 1932 as a cadet and has served in practically all of the territories in the Western Pacific. His unvarying courtesy and kindness made friends for him all over the Pacific.