Magazine Section
p. 39 · Read in the full issue
Territories' Talk-Talk
By "Tolala"
AUSTRALIAN Defence Minister Forde made reference in the House last month to the epic action in Rabaul, in January, ’42, of the handful of Wirra ways which got stuck into the Jap in vasion planes. This was the first authori tative reference made by the Minister to this forgotten episode, which should stand out as one of the RAAF’s most gallant actions in the Pacific.
“Confirmation of the reports had not been obtained,” said the Minister, “and, in the circumstances, it was not possible to submit citations for individual awards.”
What a pity! Mr. Forde should read an article, featured by one of the Syd ney papers in December, ’45, and written by one of the twelve airmen who took part in the action. And what of the ground-staff who escaped? And the offi cers of the NGVR and the 2/22nd who witnessed the action, and returned event ually from the Jap POW camp in Tokyo?
Wot! No conformation? * ♦ * A BOOK which will be read with more than usual interest by Territorians is Eric Feldt’s “Coastwatchers,” pub lished by the Oxford Press. It tells the inside story of the AIB, and is written
ou ° t ne who knows what he ' s wriUns * ♦ * . POINT missed in the recent general discussion on Antarctic whaling is . the effect it will have on the copra industry It reminds one again of the all-importance of thorough of planters if they wish to compete with other highly-organised producers of oil for world markets. Is the PCB going to realise these important matters befoie it is too late? * * * j T ig a pity f or the New Guinea Terri- J. tory that an Australian election pamnaien is now on Otherwise more c T 0 P tkl would perhaps’ be takeT^S As 14 is the ordinary Australian is too apt to dismiss these criticisms as mere cal propaganda, launched by in dividuals with Opposition axes to grind, . Not only is the Provisional Admimstra tion coming in for a heap of adverse criticism, but other government-con trolled bodies, such as the PCB, WDC and CDC, are all being made the target for many shafts of discontentment. It may be remembered by old timers that the Territories hit the head-lines too ’way back in 1923 when the old Expro Board was put on the spot by an energetic Aus tralian journalist.
AUSTRALIAN seamen have no mono poly of holding up shipping. Re cently I picked up an announcement from 9 PA (Port Moresby) that the sail ing of the Government-controlled vessel “Nusa” from PM would be indefinitely postponed owing to a strike amongst the members of the native crew. Even Gov ernment-controlled natives are not satis fied and, like their Southern prototypes, are never likely to be, under present conditions. * ♦ ♦ Regimentation by the pcb ap pears to be the order of the day for planters returning to the Territories, according to a circular issued in the middle of August, Returnees will be un der supervision and direction of the Board, and any estate not being worked to the satisfaction of the Board may be taken over and worked by that organisa tion. All produce will be delivered to and sold by the Board. The way things are going it’s a safe bet that the PCB is due for a few headaches in an endeavour to keep things moving. ♦ * * SKIPPER Bertie Hall is back again in Sydney after cruising in Chinese waters. He’s looking around and hopes to buy a couple of steamers for the China trade. Something is always hap pening to Bertie: On his last cruise he broke a couple of ribs while battling against a typ'hoon; but he still wears a smile . . . Tossing in his job as Pro duction Member of the PCB. “Blue” Allan was in Sydney at the end of August, and now has ideas of returning to his own property somewhere near Rabaul . . .
Rumour hath it that several other changes in PCB high executives are in the wind . . . Arthur Browning, one-time BP plantation inspector, has returned to the Gazelle Peninsula as PCB inspector ... To Mrs. Maltman (better-known as Faye McGregor, of Madang) a daughter on August 14 . . . Despite, or because of, the tough times in the Territories, social conviviality has reached an all-time high in the more populated ports, and many a sorrow has been temporarilv drowned to the clink of the cocktail glasses and the whirr of the swizzle stick . . . The WRC company has plans for a Vancouver-Suva-Sydney shipping service with the “Rabaul” and the “Lautoka” on the run, and two more ves sels in the offiing, each costing three quarters of a million . . . Patients of the Heidelberg Military Hospital, Mel bourne, include Territorians McGregor Dowsett, only recently taken off the dan gerously ill list, and L. Shoppee, who was associated with early flying on the gold fields, and later took an interest in gold mining at Edie Creek. Shoppee was a POW in Malaya until the cessation of hostilities . . . Jack Devany, old identity of Morobe district, left Melbourne re cently to return to Lae . . . Lieut. Roy Smith, well-known around New Britain, has been discharged from the Navy, and Mrs. Smith tells us that they are going to “retire to the hills” near Melbourne, where they have a small farm—whether this is a permanent or temporary move is not yet known.