War Cemeteries in N
p. 60 · Read in the full issue
N. Guinea
Letter to the Editor THE article by a “Lae Resident,” in October PIM, entitled “Contrast in Cemeteries,” may give a wrong im pression. I was in the Australian War Graves Service in New Guinea.
It was intended to concentrate on large cemeteries in New Guinea, instead of having small ones at each place of fighting. Consequently, two Japanese cemeteries were constructed at Muschu Island (near Wewak) and another at Rabaul. The former holds over 1000 (buried) and 4000 in a shrine (cremated).
These remains are from the Wewak- Aitape-Lae areas. The reason why the Jap cemetery at Lae (a very small one) has not been lifted is that the Australian War Graves Service have had their hands full in establishing the graves of Australian and Indian dead in Lae War Cemetery. Lae cemetery now contains the remains from former cemeteries at Wewak, Madang, Salamaua, Finschhafen, etc. Port Moresby (Bomana) will be another large Australian War Cemetery, and the third Australian War Cemetery will be at Kokopo.
The AWGS has a very large job to fulfil; and, being short staffed and short of native labour, the work is slow and tedious.
Lae War Cemetery, when completed, will be a beautiful cemetery that will be a credit to the AWGS.
I am, etc.,