Radio-Operator Heroine Of The S-W

Pacific

Article reprinted from Sydney “Sun”

fITHE visitor’s cap was. heavy with gold X braid. “Hello, ma’am,” he said. “My name’s Halsey. I want to meet that wonderful woman radio operator they’re all talking about.”

Thus Mrs. Ruby Boye, of Vanikoro, known to-day as the “bravest woman in the islands,” was congratulated bv US Admiral Halsey, One of the few women to hold the MBE, she stayed at her lonely post, serv ing the Allied war effort despite Jap threats.

Vanikoro is a small island in the Great Solomon Archipelago several hundred miles south-east of Guadalcanal. In 1942 and 1943 it was hemmed in by the Japanese.

Its only white garrison was Mrs. Boye, operating an important radio link in the Allied Pacific communications system.

Four times a day she checked the station’s weather-recording instruments, added her own observations, transmitted.

The Japs knew aboilt it. But only once were bombs dropped. Intended for the lumber mill and the nearby radio station, they missed both.

One day Mrs. Boye heard on her radio an English-speaking Jap.

“Calling Mrs. Boye, on Vanikoro—This message come from Japanete comman der, Guadalcanal. He say you get off air pretty damn’ quick.”

WARNINGS were repeated daily—with increasing emphasis. Mrs. Boye couldn’t discover his wave-length, to reply.

One day, when, at his usual hour, the Jap warned her: “Get off Vanikoro plenty

quick,” Mrs. Boye heard a drawling Yank voice chime in.

It said: “That’s no way to talk to a lady. If anyone’s getting off Vanikoro and out of the Solomons generally, it better be you, Nippy—we’re getting ready to bomb hell out of you.”

After that, Mrs. Boye says, nothing more was heard from the Jap, All the while, Mrs. Boye attended the food and medical needs of the Vanikoro natives when she wasn’t checking

weather or broadcasting about it.

Natives brought her information about movements of naval, merchant vessels, direction of Jap plane flights.

All this, too, she sent out.

Her reports became increasingly valu able as the US Army Air Forces and RAAF speeded up their campaign.

White folks are back on Vanikoro, and the mill runs again.

Mrs. Boye, used to the job and liking it, goes on sending out valuable weather data to all south-west Pacific air stations.

Mrs. Boye and her husband, Mr. S. S. Boye, at home in Vanikoro, BSI, in 1944.