New Guinea

Journey

BY REV. M. A. WARREN, IN THE

“Abm Review”

A QUESTION frequently put to me is: Was Dogura or the Cathedral dam aged by Japanese bombs? The answer to this question would doubtless interest many, so I am glad to( state that neither Dogura nor the Cathedral suf fered any damage whatever. The near est bombs to the head station of the mis sion fell several miles away, and were jettisoned by Japanese planes which had run short of fuel, or were anxious to lighten their loads for other reasons.

Dogura is about 50 miles from Milne Bay across the mountains, and was well out of the range of the fighting in that area. It is many more miles south-east ward from Buna and Gona. Enemy planes often flew over, had a good look round and then went away. Many others flew high overhead and took no interest whatever. There was urgent work else where. The Cathedral is thus intact.

The explanation given is that the Cathedral was too valuable a landmark to be destroyed. On a clear day it would be visible for over 100 miles to planes approaching from the north-west and adjacent islands, and so conspicuous a guide to aviators was worth preserving.

This is probably the true explanation. So long as no military operations were being carried on they were content to leave the place alone, and some think they con templated a landing there had the march of events continued to be favourable.

Samarai To-Day

IWAS not long at Dogura 1 before I received an invitation from a small US vessel to travel with them to Milne Bay, thus giving me a chance to re-visit Samarai, which had suffered severely by the evacuation of the resi dents in 1941-42, and by the scorched earth policy later applied. It was feared that after the Japanese had taken Rabaul in January, 1942, they would occupy Samarai as a seaplane base.

Beautiful Samarai, where I had lived for seven years, was beautiful no longer.

The buildings on both sides of the main street had been completely destroyed.

These included, besides the commercial houses and hotels, etc., the rectory, school and mission cottage, but the church, being made of fibrolite, refused to burn, and still stands much as it was before.

US Navy units had moved in. A clean sweep was made of the ruined buildings; galvanised iron and other debris; and the little island, set in the quiet waters of the China Strait, served as a valuable repair base for seaplanes. The church, being the only suitable building, was divided into small offices and used as Base HQ. It seemed strange to return to find one’s church thus labelled —“No Admittance”!

But the island of Samarai, a tiny speck of about 50 acres, on which it was once against the law to drive a vehicle, was almost unrecognisable, with the whole of its commercial section obliterated, and with jeeps and trucks and petrol lorries visible at every turn.

On this occasion I was also able to visit Kwato, where the Rev. Chas. W. Abel laboured until his untimely death in Eng land some years ago. His sons, Cecil and Russell, who are still there, gave me very welcome hospitality for two nights, and made my visit to nearby Samarai much more easy and pleasant. American hos pitality, too, was never-failing. The CO at Samarai provided a launch whenever required; he and his colleagues gave

every assistance on Samarai itself, and placed a jeep at my disposal to make it possible to take some pictures in the pour ing rain. At the end of my visit I was given passage on the crash boat at 26 knots on the 30-mile run to Milne Bay, where I took launch for Dogura.

At Dogura one is impressed with the large number of vessels of various descriptions which call at the anchorage —Wedau—from time to time. Freight vessels, mail boats and barges, fast launches and faster ones call for a variety of reasons. Some wish to leave fuel to pick up in case of emergency at a later date. Some have sighted the strange settlement from afar, have noticed thr massive Cathdral and think it must be some mirage! Curiosity must be satis fied and they come to investigate. Others know that Wedau has a good anchorage for the greater part of the year, and they are glad to use it. and enjoy the fellow ship of the mission for a brief period before they resume what tp them have become more prosaic duties. Others come to land some packages, and others to renew acquaintance with members of the mission staff, and attend a quiet service in the Cathedral. All are impressed with Dogura and its beauty, its hills, its cricket ground and Cathedral, and the Christian spirit which is manifest. I am sure that in the future there are few who will not wish and resolve to return to Dogura when that long-looked-for holiday makes it possible. »