Rabaul's Missing

Red Cross Information

CIVILIAN prisoners of war from New Guinea, in Japanese hands, were among matters considered in May at an Australian Red Cross Society confer ence. Mrs. G. Bliss and Mrs. R. W.

Cooper represented the New Guinea Women’s Association, and Mr. C. A. M.

Adelskold the Pacific Territories Associa tion.

At the close of the conference, Mr.

Adelskold asked if there were any infor mation about New Guinea prisoners. So far, only 60 letters had been received from the hundreds of people who had disappeared, he said.

Commander Nimmo said that the Red Cross Field Searcher Service had con tinued to seek for information about civilians who were taken in New Britain.

While he was in New Guinea, Searchers interrogated ail available natives, and one NGVR member, who was re captured from the Japs by the AIF. The civilians apparently were kept in and around Rabaul until July, 1942, when they were removed by ship to an unknown destination. A few civilians were kept by the Japs at Rabaul, and may still be there: they were a handful of technicians, retained to run power station, ice works, and other essential services for the Japanese.

Assurances were given that the Red Cross was as persistent in seeking news of missing civilians as of servicemen.