"Blue" Allen Leaves

the PIR Australia Wanted His Job For a Staff Man

HIS many friends learned with aston ishment in lyiarch that Colonel H. T.

Allen, OBE, had been relieved of the command of the Pacific Islands Regi ment, in New Guinea, and was returning to Australia. He is being replaced by someone from the Australian General Staff.

“Blue” Allen,- a World War I veteran, deserted his nrofitable goldmine in Wau, TNG, as soon as he heard the drums of World War II awaken, and lie enlisted in the AIF. He saw much service in the Middle East, was decorated for his good work at Tobruk, and he returned with his division with the rank of Lieut.- Colonel.

In the last two years of the war he was back on his own stamping-ground, in New Guinea; and again he rendered dis tinguished service, and was promoted full Colonel. When Japan surrendered, he re turned to Australia, and sought discharge.

He and Mrs. Allen already had planned a long holiday—when he was invited to go tfack to New Guinea and take charge of the PIR.

“Blue” was not happy about this pro posal. He had had all the military ser vice he wanted. But it was pointed out to him that few men could fill the posi tion for which he was slated. After doing a fine wartime job, the 5,000 natives of the PI Regiment had been badly handled and officered, and they were very gravely out of hand. Colonel Allen, with his good record, and his long experience and understanding of natives, was re garded as the ideal man for the com mand. Australia wanted discipline re stored, so that the regiment could be used to guard Jap prisoners, thus releas ing a corresponding number of Australian soldiers. So Colonel Allen, as a matter of duty, returned to New Guinea in Octo ber, and applied himself immediately to a difficult and uninspiring task. He per suaded a number of his experienced brother-officers (including his old friend, Lieut.-Colonel Norman Neal) to return to New Guinea with him.

The only reason (according to report) given Colonel Allen for the change is that “Australia has a lot of high-ranking permanent officers on her hands at the present Jdme, and is trying to find jobs for them.” It is greatly to be regretted that Australia did not find this out in October, instead of February, and thus

have saved Colonel Allen a lot of arduous and comfortless work. In most matters affecting New Guinea, however, Australia displays a degree of intelligence worthy of the primary school-room.

It is reported that a number of other officers will depart with Colonel Allen.

The Pacific Islands Regiment, not being commanded by men with practical exnerience of New Guinea and NG natives, became restive and undisciplined, in 1945. Unless the new commander has been selected with great care, some development of the same kind may be ex-

pected again.

Lieutenant F. A. Rhoades received his discharge from the AIF recently in Syd ney, anc j w ni return to Bougainville again, as pi anta tion manager for Messrs. Burns Philp & Co., Ltd. He was one of the original coast-watchers in the Solomons black days of 1942 He was by nSpnna until the Ameri hmiEsclf on Quad; ?Q49-in Naval cans landed in August 1942 in Naval Intelligence in 1943; and then he became a" member of the famous Allied Intelli gence Bureau. He was awarded the Dis tinguished Service Cross and the United States Silver Star.