Saw The Japs Go

To Munda

Solomon Islands Missionary's Experiences

THE Japs were wandering about the New Georgia Group (Solomons) for some time, before they finally settled on Munda as a base,” said Rev.

J. R. Metcalfe, Methodist missionary, who recently arrived in Sydney.

He refused to leave his native people in Choiseul, when the Jap invasion first commenced, and then he was cut off by the Jap occupation of islands further south. He finally made his way to the Methodist Mission headquarters at Munda, on Roviana Lagoon, island of New Georgia, and he was rescued by the Americans and taken south, late in 1942.

“The Japs were bombed out of Gizo by the Americans,” said Mr. Metcalfe. “They went to Rendova on September 29, 1942.

But they did not remain there long—it was not suitable as a base.

“So they left Rendova about five weeks later, and proceeded to establish a base at Munda, where they arrived on Novem ber 13, 1942, at dusk. I was in that vicinity, and it was a startling sight to see all those little ships working their way in through the reefs. They used four or five landing barges and sampans. A few days later, 18 barges and 2 launches came to Munda from Vila (on the south coast of Kulumbangara), through the deep, narrow passage, between Kulum bangara and New Georgia.

“Between that time, and the time I left, I saw the Japs busily preparing a big airfield at Munda. They had occupied practically the whole of the Methodist Mission station for this purpose, and the clearings were being rapidly extended towards the adjoining plantation, Mr.

Geoffrey Cliff’s well known * ’

“Since then, the whole area has been thoroughly and frequently bombed by the Americans.”

Mr. Metcalfe is now spending a well earned furlough in Melbourne.