His Plantation Was

A Battleground

Leslie F. Gill Arrives After Four Years' War Service

BEARING the unusual distinction of having witnessed, from American headquarters, a major battle being fought out between Americans and Japanese on his own plantation, Lieut.

Leslie F. Gill arrived in Sydney in May from the Solomon Islands to obtain for mal discharge from the Solomon Islands Labour Corps.

He carried the above distinction —and little else. He owns Lambeti plantation, on Morovo Lagoon, which was right in the middle of the Munda battlefield in 1943; two plantations on Vella Lavella, which still have some coconuts, but no build ings; and two trading stations, one at Gizo and one at Lambolambo. Lambo lambo became a PT base, and 9,000 tons of aviation spirit were stored there. It was set on fire one night, and Lambo lambo simply disappeared. At Gizo, there is a crater made by a 1,000 lb. bomb at each end of the former trade store.

Mr. Gill produced an aerial photograph of the once-famous Lambeti plantation.

It is no longer a plantation—but it car ries a magnificent white coral airfield.

Airfields are two-a-penny in the Pacific Islands now, however.

So Mr. Gill, who was deservedly an independent man in 1941, as the result of 30 years of hard work in the Solo mons, to-day has only an excellent air field, two smaller and neglected coconut plantations, a hole in the earth where a trading station once stood, and another trading station that was very thoroughly blasted. He looks enviously at the people across the strait, in Bouganville (Aus tralian territory). They get very liberal war damage compensation: the Solomon Islands, being British territory, get no compensation at all.

WHEN war came, Mr. Gill, with his in timate knowledge of the waters of the central and northern Solomons, was of great value to the Americans.

For a time, he was a coast-watcher, and then a member of the Allied Intel

ligence Bureau—a “hush-hush” or ganisation which carried out most dangerous duties. Then he was transfer red to American Intelligence, to assist in preparations for the great assault on the Jap stronghold at Munda (which included Mr. Gill’s “Lambeti” plantation). From Rendova Island he watched the battle begin, and he was in and around New Georgia during the long operation.

Next, he went into Vella Lavella with the American Forces; and, when the Americans pushed on into Bougainville, he remained on Vella Lavella to help the native communities, who knew him, and who were bewildered and distressed by this big-scale war that was raging around them. He was transferred to the BSI Labour Corps in 1944, spent eight months on Vella Lavella, and the re mainder of the war period, until now, at the new BSI headquarters, at Honiara. rE present outlook for the Solomons is not encouraging, says Mr. Gill.

The natives are being assisted, where possible, but practically nothing is being done for the rehabilitation of the European planting industry, and for transport. Levers Pacific Plantations, Ltd., are showing no disposition to open up again.

It is supposed, in some quarters, that BSI authorities are awaiting British Colonial Office and UNO decisions re garding the future of the Solomons. If the Group is to be attached to Australia, or is to come under the Trusteeship of UNO, or the new South Seas Regional Commission, then the latter can have the heavy task of rehabilitation.

Meanwhile, Mr. Gill will enjoy a long holiday in Victoria.