About Islands

People

Members of the Pacific Territories Association, at their last meeting, ex pressed warm thanks to Mr, E. A. James (editor-proprietor of the “Papuan Cou rier”) for the patient and tireless service he had given them, as president, during 1942, in pressing their claims for fairer treatment upon the Commonwealth authorities, and generally in protecting the interests of the evacuees. Mr. James protested that their thanks really were due to the executive committee, who had worked early and late upon the affairs of the Association, and who had refused to become discouraged by official indiffer ence.

Pilot “Tommy” O’Dea, who was gen eral manager for Guinea Airways in New Guinea up until the time of the evacua tion, has been recently in hospital in Australia, recovering from severe burns received while on service with the troops in North-east Papua. He was flying transport planes, which he set down daily in queer, uncouth places in the jungle.

One day, he “struck a soft patch, and over she went.” He now is recovered, and hopes soon to be back on his jungle job.

Major (Dr.) Lamy has recently arrived in New Caledonia from the Cameroons and has been attached to the Noumea Public Health Department. He was in the New Hebrides when that territory rallied to Free France, and, under orders from General de Gaulle, he and Dr.

Monfort, in July, 1940, went to Sydney on the “Commissaire Ramel” and from there were sent on service to French Equatorial Africa.

Mr. D. C. I. Wernham has again been appointed an Administrative Officer in the Ellice Islands, as from December 18.

He was AO at Funafuti until the Ellice Islands were evacuated soon after the Japanese occupation of the Northern Gilberts.

Messrs. Jenner and Clark, of Burns Philp (SS) Co. staff, who escaped from Tarawa (Gilbert Islands) some time after the Japanese occupation, and spent some months in Sydney, are again together in the Big Firm’s store in Pagopago Ameri can Samoa.

Mr. Edward Duncan, who went to Fiji in 1886, died in Suva on February 9. aged 79 years. On his arrival in the Colony he joined the staff of the Colonial Sugar Refining Company, in 1910 he bought the Mua coconut estate, at Taveuni, but m the following year returned to the sugar industry as manager of the Van couver-Piji Sugar Co.’s Navua mill. He retired m 1917 to devote himself wholly to his own coconut interests. He was managing director of the Coconut Plant ers’ Union and was always prominent in any movement connected with the copra industry. He is survived by his wife, one son, Mr. A. Duncan, of Sydney, and three daughters, Mrs. R. N. Caldwell, of Ba.

Mrs. M. Craig and Miss L. Duncan, of Suva.