Ocean Island Is

Keoccupied

Six Europeans and All Natives Missing

A FORCE of 140 Australians, from the 31/51 Battalion, under Lieut.-Colonel Kelly, sailed from Bougainville on the Australian vessel “Burdekin” on Sep tember 26 for a rendezvous off Ocean Island with the Australian frigate “Dia mantina,” carrying Brigadier J. R.

Stevenson, and the G and E. ketch “Kia Kia,” carrying the Resident Commis sioner, Colonel V. Fox-Strangways. The two latter vessels had just received the surrender of the Jap garrison at Nauru (180 miles west of Ocean Island).

The ships met off Ocean Island, and the formal surrender of the Japanese gar rison was received by Brigadier Steven son and Colonel Fox-Strangways aboard the “Diamantina” on October 1.

When the Australian force landed, it was found that the only people on the island were the 500 members of the Jap garrison. The following are missing, and have not been accounted for:— Mr. C. G. F. Cartwright, secretary of the G. and E. Administration, who vol unteered to remain behind and care for the natives, when evacuation was ordered early in 1942.

Two officers of, the Administration, and two members of the staff of the British Phosphate Commission, who also volunteered to remain.

Father Pujebet, Roman Catholic mis sionary.

Seven hundred natives of Ocean Island (Banabans).

The following is from a correspondent of the “Sydney Morning Herald:— mHE party found the island clean and A Well kept—a striding contrast to Nauru.

It and its garrison were handed over by Lieutenant-Commander Nahoomi Suzuki, of the Imperial Japanese Navy, to Brigadier J. R. Stevenson, of the Aus tralian Military Command, who repre sented General MacArthur at a surrender ceremony on board the Australian frigate “Diamantina.”

Smiling, affable, carefully groomed, and wearing white gloves. Suzuki tried to make the surrender a social occasion. He explained that he had “two beautiful sets of bows and arrows,” and that he would be happy to present them to Briga dier Stevenson or to any other of “the honourable Australian officers.”

Nobody replied to the offer.

The reoccupation of Ocean Island means that the last island of the Gilbert and Ellice Colony (British), partly occu pied by the Japs in 1942, has been re covered.

The Japs have done great damage in this British Colony. They occupied Tarawa Atoll in strength, and a great battle was fought there in November, 1943, when they were defeated and thrown out by the United States Marines. The Japs murdered 22 Europeans in Tarawa in October, 1942.

The Japs, at one time, occupied all the northern and central Gilberts, as well as Ocean Island.

Mr. A. Laing, from New Zealand, has arrived in Apia, Western Samoa, to take the place of Mr. A. Shaw, manager of the grocery department of the Morris Hed strom store. Mr. Shaw has been trans ferred to M.H., Suva Branch. Mr. Glover has returned, after a round trip by air to manager of the M.H. Branch at Labasa, Fiji.