Victims Of Jap Invasion

THIS old photograph of the 1938-39 Committee of the New Guinea Club, Rabaul, is of tragic interest these days. Almost all the men shown here were victims of the Jap invasion of New Britain; six are dead, and two others escaped only by a combination of good fortune and endurance.

Back row (from left to right): I.—R. L.

Solomons, a well-known accountant of Rabaul.

He had been in the Territory for over 20 years.

He was captured in Rabaul and lost on the “Montevideo Maru.” 2.—W. L. Phillpott, who had been in Rabaul since 1926. He was mer chandising manager for Bur's Philp & Company.

He was a member of the NGVR and was lost on the “Montevideo Maru.” 3.—W. L. Fleming, a member of the Public Works Department. He was in Lae at the time of the invasion. He came to Australia and joined the RAAF. 4.

R. A. Rawnsley, a member of Burns Philp shipping office staff. He was in Australia at the time of the invasion. 5.—J. D. Marshall, one of the best-known public servants in New Guinea. He had been in the Mandated Territory from its inception and was, for years, travelling Customs officer. He was caught by the invasion and is presumed dead—fate unknown.

Front row: I.—H. L. Clark, who had been in New Guinea for over 20 years. He was secretary of Bay Loo & Co., Ltd., the well-known Island building firm. He was a member of the NGVR at the time of the invasion. He escaped from the town and spent four months in the bush before he finally reached safety. He was in hospital for six months, then returned to the Army. He was discharged and joined the Ex ternal Territories Department, Sydney, about a year ago. 2.—A. J. Strathearn, Clerk of the Court in Rabaul. He had been in the Territory about 12 years. He was lost on the “Monte video Maru.” 3.—R. L. Clark, brother of H. L.

Clark, and architect ard civil engineer for Bay Loo & Co.. Ltd. He went to New Guinea for the Expropriation Board in 1923. He was chief warden of Rabaul at the time of the Japanese invasion. He was lost on the “Montevideo Maru.” 4. —B. P. Jones, who had been in New Guinea for about 20 years. He and his partner, Mr. Eric Hopkins (lost on “Montevideo Maru”), owned the Rabaul Carrying Co. He had been in ill-health for some time and came to Aus tralia shortly before the general evacuation. He subsequently died. s.—Mr. Gordon Thomas, editor of the “Rabaul Times.” He first went to the town in 1911. He was caught by the in vasion and was one of four men retained by the Japs in Rabaul to work the freezer when most of the other civilians were sent away on the “Montevideo Maru.” They were liberated by the Australian Forces in September, 1945, and returned to Australia.