In Butaritari

Reymond Family Has a Re-union

EVERYONE who knows the Gilbert Islands knows the Reymond family, of Butaritari. Some of the younger Reymonds have wandered far afield.

The Reymond girls are very pretty. Two of them, for years, have been members of the Sydney Polynesian Club.

As soon as the Pacific war came, the Japanese invaded Makin lagoon. Captain Reymond, master mariner, and head of the family, was cut off in Butaritari, and nothing was heard of him and the mem bers of his household for nearly two years.

Among the first men ashore, when the Americans recaptured Butaritari from the Japs on November 21, was Lieutenant Bruno Reymond. He rushed to his father’s house. It was nine years since he had seen his father —he had been a sailor until the war came, when he joined the Americans.

The old sea-captain, on his verandah, stared at the young officer. He could not see him clearly—he is 80, and his sight has failed, in recent years.

“Don’t you know me, dad —this is Bruno,” cried the young man—and when Captain Reymond had recovered from his amazement, he yelled for his wife. It was a family re-union worth seeing.

As far as is known, the few Europeans taken by the Japs in Butaritari in De cember, 1941, were sent away to the north, except old residents like Captain and Mrs. Reymond. They were allowed to occupy a small house there, under strict surveillance.

The relatives of Theo Hansen, who was a member of the first group of recruits who left Fiji to join the Royal Air Force, have received word by cable that he was injured in flying operations recently.

Many Island children have attended Trinity Grammar School in Kew, Vic toria. Parents will therefore be interested to know that Mr. Alfred Bright, MSc, BA, who has had many years of service with the school, has succeeded the late Mr.

Frank Shann as headmaster.