"Bill" Korn

Disappeared in Rabaul in 1944

“■piLL” KORN, member of a party of t> ten civilians, believed to have been murdered by the Japs in Rabaul about the end of 1944, was one of the best-known men in New Guinea. Miner, explorer, native labour overseer,, he had been all over Papua and the Mandated Territory, and he was one of the exe cutives in charge of the Carpenter instal lations at Pondo when the invasion occurred. . . .

Mr. Korn was born in Queensland about 50 years ago; he fought in World War I; and he went to New Britain in 1923 as a plantation manager for the Expropriation Board. He joined the gold rush about 1927, and successfully pegged ground at Golden Ridges. He returned

to plantation work about 1930, and managed Matty Island, where he was married. Later, he managed the Pondo Plantations. In the late ’thirties he was actively associated with Mr. Ward Williams in his search through the Fly-Sepik country for gold, and he explored and mapped much of Papua that was hitherto unknown —his data was found very valuable during the campaign against the Japs. In 1939-40, he had gold leases at Wewak; and, just before the invasion he returned to the management of the Pondo plantations.

Messrs. Evenson (mill manager) and Korn (plantation manager) were taken prisoners by the invaders; but the latter 'were naval men, and the Europeans at first were -well treated. Evenson and Korn were kept at Pondo until well on in 1942, for some reason, they were trans ferred to Rabaul, and became members of a small party who were used by the Japs on special jobs. The whole party disappeared suddenly at the end of 1944, and nothing has been heard of them since.

Mrs. Kom—formerly Miss Nessie Wall —was a hard worker for the Red Cross in Leura until March, 1945, when her health gave way, and she has been more or less an invalid ever since. She now resides in Springwood.

The late “Bill” Korn.