Phillip Woodhill

"Mystery" Death Now Explained

RABAUL residents will remember Phillip Woodhill, who was Assistant Crown Law Officer to the Administration; but few know how he died in 1941, shortly after the evacuations of Greece and Crete, in which he played a distinguished part, was mentioned in despatches and pro moted to the rank of Temporary Major.

By a remarkable quirk of fate this man, who came through the hell of these Middle-eastern Dunkirks, practically un scathed, died as a result of a domestic accident that had its genesis in the labelling department of an American wholesaler.

Major Woodhill, after Crete, was sent to a “rest” job in Tobruk; and there, one afternoon, the mess cook baked scones and pakes for the officers’ tea. To make them he used what he believed to be bi carbonate of soda.

A few months earlier, a considerable stir had been caused in Melbourne, when it was discovered that bulk stores labelled “Bi-carbonate of Soda,” were, in actual fact, a certain poison wrongly labelled.

Through the press and over the air, pur chasers of bulk bi-carbonate were asked to return it to the place of purchase.

There were no fatalities in Australia.

Unfortunately, some of this poison had already been sent to the Middle East, and it was this that the Tobruk cook used the day. he baked scones for Phillip Woodhill and his fellow officers.

Seventeen officers were affected. They were violently ill; but all, except Major Phillip Woodhill, recovered.

The Rev. E. R. Fenn, of the LMS in Papua, has been spending a furlough in South Australia.