Miller, Of Kavieng

News Sought Of Mr. E. R.

rIENDS in Victoria have been trying to trace the last recorded move ments of Mr. E. R. Miller, who was a resident of Kavieng and who, with 31 other civilians, was seized by the Japs early in 1942.

A Japanese report stated that 32 civi lians were sent from a prison camp by barge on February 16, 1944, to an Island about 60 miles from Kavieng where they were embarked on two transports. The Japs said the latter were proceeding to Rabaul, but were bombed and sunk by the Allies before the prisoners had dis embarked. Another report says that these European prisoners were marched onto a fishing boat in February, 1944; and the Chinese and Malays of the Kavieng district say that they were transported to Nago Island, and there met their death.

Mr. Miller was assumed to be among these civilians.

However, we have this interesting note from Mr, W. R. B. Thomas, who is in charge of the Radio Station at Rabaul.

“I think the party that I escaped with were about the last to see ‘Dusty’ Miller.

He had escaped from Kavieng, and was anchored at the mouth of the Sup Creek, near Kavieng, when we were making up that Creek. A few days later we visited the mouth of Sup Creek, and Miller’s schooner was sunk there, and the natives said that he gone away in a canoe. I heard that afterwards he was taken prisoner, along with other Kavieng people, and disappeared. I recollect that he told me that he had a wife in England (I am pretty certain he said England) but I know of no will that he made.”

Mrs. Max Bay, with her two children, Diana and Carl, arrived in Brisbane re cently by flying-boat from Fiji, to spend several months with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. F. C. Beeson, of Auchenflower.