First Enemy Bomb on Australian Soil

Australian Soil

THE first bomb to land on Australian soil fell on Kitava Island, Trobriand Group, Eastern Papua—of course, the Mandated Territory was bombed before —on Thursday, January 22, 1942.

The Jap plane flew over the island between 11.30 a.m. and 12.30 p.m., and dropped three bombs. Two fell in the sea and one on land. Then, again, at 3 a.m. on the following Monday (Jan. 26) they dropped three bombs. The eva cuation of the eastern end of Papua started from then.

The only white man settled in Kitava is Mr. C. B. Cameron, who has a coco nut plantation and has been there 30 years. Mr. Cameron is a Tasmanian by birth, and is one of the family that owns Mona Vale, or Calendar House, as it is generally known. The Camerons enter tained George V, when he visited Aus tralia as Duke of York; and Edward VIII. when Prince of Wales, and the present King, when he visited Australia.