Those Yanks !

THIS one comes from Ensign J. R.

Sprague, USN, who bailed out of a bomber, or was shipwrecked, or something, in the wild Solomon Islands, and was rescued by the natives.

He says that he and his companion were given water to wash in and some spotless white clothes to wear, as well as a safety razor with a fresh blade and a mirror, and a breakfast consisting of fried eggs and some sort of French fried potatoes.

“Then,” Sprague says, “I drew a sketch of a shoe with a wooden sole: and they immediately set to work and whittled a pair of shoes for me out of a log, with strips of my life jacket for bindings.”

Well, it might be true at that—it just sounds far-fetched. For long enough we have heard of “tropical paradises” where fruit drops ripe into one’s lap. The only difference here is that it is spuds that drop—French-fried! (Note: Let’s all go to the Solomons apres la guerre!) Lieutenant-Colonel C. N. F. Ben gough, one of the outstanding young offi cers of the Western Pacific Service, was acting as Resident Commissioner in the Solomon Islands, when a plane in which he was travelling was shot down in the Vella Lavella area, in August. The inci dent was reported in the September “PIM.” Mr. Bengough (who was only 32), and four other officers are believed to have lost their lives.