New Guinea

SDA Missionaries in New Guinea How They Were Taken by the Japs

A PLANTER from the island of Emira, in the Saint Matthias Group, Territory of New Guinea escaped from New Guinea after the enemy occu pation, and reached Sydney, after two months’ voyaging. He brought the fol lowing information about the fate of SDA missionaries—especially Pastor A. S.

Atkins and Mr. Trevor Collett, who was a self-supporting Seventh-day Adventist missionary on the island of Emira.

For a few days prior to the date (January, 1942) on which Pastor Atkins left Massau, the sky over the St. Matthias Group was clouded by Japanese aircraft.

One morning an enemy aircraft-carrier, accompanied by a huge transport and a destroyer, arrived in the Group, and Japanese troops landed on a nearby island.

All that day the war vessel cruised around Boliu anchorage. Pastor Atkins could almost have thrown a stone on board from the mission house. He was the only white man on Massau. The faithful mission natives efficiently hid the mission’s little vessel, “Malalangi,” in a small river mouth, and effectively camouflaged her with palm fronds and branches. The emergency signal fire was lit on neighbouring Emira by Mr.

Collett and his neighbour.

Next morning Pastor Atkins left Mussau (his wife and children had already gone to Australia) and in spite of the danger of being discovered, he managed to get his little boat safely across to Emira where he picked up Mr.

Collett and the planter (who eventually escaped to Australia).

After leaving Emira about midnight, the party set a course for New Ireland via New Hanover Passage, 85 miles over open sea. The reflection of tremendous fires and explosions were seen 80 miles away. It was Kavieng being ravaged by the enemy. What appeared to be a Jap anese destroyer was fast overhauling the “Malalangi,” just as she made the safety of New Hanover Passage and the cover of many small islands, by dawn.

Travelling by night and hiding by day, with enemy planes about all the time, the little mission vessel crossed over from the New Ireland coast to New Britain, and passed Rabaul (which was now in the hands of the enemy) in order to join the SDA mission flagship, “Veilomani,” at the anchorage near the Put Put Train ing School, 30 miles down the coast from Rabaul.

Rabaul was then being blasted in the first air raids by the RAAF. It was a fearful, awe-inspiring sight by night.

Tremendous flashes lit up everything.

Twice a tremendous explosion was heard, and a terrific sheet of flame flashed up angrily, lighting the heavens for miles around. These were direct hits on two enemy ships.

The rendezvous at the Put Put School had been arranged previously between the Mission Superintendent, Pastor Abbott, and Mr. Atkins. The idea was that the two boats would leave Put Put, if the necessity arose, and bring the mis sionaries and any others whom they could save, from New Guinea to Austra lia.

VERY early one morning, four days after leaving Mussau, the “Mala langi” approached Put Put. Through the morning mists, those on board saw the “Veilomani” making its way toward the sea. Hailing the boat, they were informed that from 20 to 30 men were on board, attempting to make their escape. Pastor Abbott was not with the party, but he had given permission for the boat to be used for the saving of life.

She had made two or three trips already between Put Put and Sum Sum, con veying evacuees out to where seaplanes met them and carried them to safety.

The “Malalangi” was quickly turned into Put Put, to see what had happened to Pastor Abbott. They were handed a ncte from him, to the effect that several SDA missionaries were still in the Ter ritory, and he. as leader of the Mission, desired to be the last to leave. Also, he felt he could still be very useful in the Rabaul Hospital, where he was serving.

The “Malalangi” hurried off to catch up with the “Veilomani,” which was waiting at Sum Sum. At the suggestion of a member of the “Veilomani” party, W ho told of a good hiding place for the boats, they proceeded down the coast to a place called Adler Bay.

Suddenly, an enemy destroyer appeared from around a point, and dropped a pin nace, with a crew of wreckers. The occupants of the mission boats made for the shore, some in the dinghies and some sv/imming.

From a hill, they observed the destruc tion of the mission ships. The hull of the “Malalangi” was stove in, the engine wrecked, the anchor chain lengthened and the boat allowed to drift on to the reef. The “Veilomani” was set on fire and was well alight when the enemy departed.

The enemy pinnace had not reached the destroyer before Pam. the native captain of the “Veilomani,” made his way through the jungle back to the beach, and swam out to the burning schooner, in waters noted for sharks and crocodiles. He boarded the boat, and, by hard work, eventually managed to extin guish the flames. The boat was still afloat, but unfortunately the engine was out of order. An attempt had been made to damage the hull of the “Veilomani,” but the timbers were too stout for Jap anese axes.

The next morning, the enemy destroyer re-appeared and. noticing the ketch still afloat, they shelled and sank her. (Continued overleaf)

AT Adler Bay, near the scene of this tragedy, a council was held by Pastor Atkins and his party. It was decided that some would walk down the coast to a point where it was thought they might find other means of escape.

Pastor Atkins and Mr. Collett, with one or two others, were to attempt the journey by dinghy early next morning.

It was impossible for Pastor Atkins to walk, as he had been in ill-health for some time, and was in a very weakened condition. He felt that he was a drag on his companions, perhaps endangering their lives, and that they would have a better chance of escape without him. So he announced his decision to remain behind. Mr. Collett refused to leave Pastor Atkins alone in this situation.

The rest of the party, after doing what they could for the two missionaries, and making arrangements for natives to take

them back by canoe to Put Put set off on their hazardous journey towards Australia, These men, in their bid for freedom encountered many difficulties They obtained motor boats, which were wrecked; they trekked to other places where they found more motor boats and then these were wrecked. Eventually after a series of adventures which included many bombings and machine gun attacks, they landed safely in Australia.

Pastor Atkins was taken prisoner and put in an enemy-controlled hospital near Rabaul, and he died on March 13, 1942 News of his death eventually reached Australia through Mr. Collett who also had been taken prisoner Pastor E. M. Abbott appears to have asssited with the evacuation of the patients from the Rabaul Hospital to the

Catholic Mission Hospital at Kokopo. He was no doubt engaged in caring for the patients at Kokopo when he was cap tured by the Japanese. One letter which his wife has received from him as a pri soner of war was written in March, 1942.