Post-War Impressions of

At Rabaul And

Kavieng

Post-War Impressions of NG Centres

( By Top-Sergeant Robert T. Smith , of US Armed Forces Cemeteries Detachment)

RABAUL harbor was filled with ships, most of them Australian Corvettes that are patrolling the waters around the islands as mine-sweepers.

Our ship slid into the middle of a salute to the King’s birthday anniversary.

The ship was directed to the old Niowa dock which seemed to be the only one that the larger ships can use, so our time was limited. During our ten days’ stay several large ships tied up there, Toboi is also used but by smaller inter island boats, while the old Government Wharf was terribly burned out: only trawlers were at it. I could not help but think what a magnificent receptacle the harbour was for the hundreds of tons of Allied bombs dropped there.

Rabaul was very dusty and very busy with many jeeps and lorries rushing about. An M.P. directed traffic at the bottom of Tunnel Hill road. Tunnell Hill is still an appropriate .name, in that the cliff-like walls of the road are a mass of Jap burrows; some of them large enough for vehicles.

The one-time beautiful (Eastwest) boulevard has had the east portion of the large shade trees cut down by the Japanese. Mango road (north-south, Rabaul proper was still shaded, but a bit rough for fast driving. The remains of the Burns Philp building is standing like the ancient Greek acropolis, the white columns at ease in rooflessness.

Chinatown, in its present temporary state, looked a slum area, crowded with Chinese, natives and Malays.

Our main objective was the Austra lian Temporary War Cemetery in the vicinity of Korere Mission, to disinter some 53 graves of American airmen there.

We made a short stop at the Mandres Mission jetty in Ataliklikun Bay—or what was left of the jetty. If it hadn’t been for two natives and 11 dogs appear ing on the beach, we would never have found our way into the new but make shift Kulit village.

Our next stop was in Henry Reid Bay, at the old Tol plantation, which now can boast a dock fit for the best of seagoing ships, also a fine airstrip that was never used.

AFTER a short visit to Cape Narum, on the East coast of New Ireland, we proceeded to Kavieng, in New Ireland, half as large as Rabaul, but twice as beautiful! Mr. Roberts, the District Officer, was most helpful to our party.

The wonderful highway was greatly appreciated and we used it for some 50 miles. Bomb craters, numerous in the immediate vicinity of Kavieng, had been filled in and, except for the apparent number of bombings of each of the bridge areas, the trip down the island was a beautiful sight.

There are only about three jeeps in Kavieng, so there should be no traffic problems; yet I could not help worry ing, as our native driver sped along at 30 and 40 miles, that perhaps one of the other two jeeps might be coming just as fast around the next bend.

Our chauffeur was a back-seat driver’s

nightmare. His laplap was continually blowing out of place, and seemed more important than the steering-wheel. He also had the habit of relieving a con gested left nasal passage with his right thumb. I constantly kept on the alert for any sign of the left thumb going into action.

The Chinese and Malays of Chinatown were most hospitable. I enjoyed several evenings with old Moni, a Malay.