January 23
p. 11 · Read in the full issue
Remembrance Services in Sydney and Rabaul
MEMBERS of the New Guinea com munitv met as usual in Martin Place, Sydney, on the morning of January 23, and placed wreaths upon the Cenotaph in memory of those men who fell in the defence of Rabaul.
It was noticeable this year, however, that those who attended the little mem orial ceremony were mostly women, many of them widows of the men who were killed in Rabaul, in January, 1942, or who were subsequently lost.
Although the floral tributes placed upon the Cenotanh made an impressive display, it was noted that, for the most part, they came from individuals rather than from institutions. Wreaths usually sent in by some large institutions were missing, this year.
Ceremonies in Rabaul IF, however, the numbers attending the service in Sydney have diminished during the passing years, January 23 was well marked in Rabaul.
A Dawn Service was held at 5.45 a.m. at the Memorial Stone which has been erected on the shores of Blanche Bay where the NGVR made their heroic stand. The Rev. Mr. Mannering con ducted a simple service after which wreaths were placed on the Stone, by the following: Mr. A. J. Gaskin, on behalf of the local branch of the RSSAILA; Matron Hanlan, for the De partment of Public Health, Rabaul; Mr.
L. Corbett, for Colyer Watson (NG) Ltd.; Mr. G. Smart, for Burns Fhilo & Co. (NG), Ltd.; Captain J. W. Backhouse, for the Ist Ausc. War Criminals Com pound; Mrs. U. Adams, for the New Guinea Women’s Club of Sydney; Miss Dorothy Stewart, for the New Guinea Women’s Association of Melbourne.
There were numerous other tributes on behalf of private individuals.
After this service most of those who had participated returned to Rabaul for breakfast, before attending the second service at 7.30 a.m. at the old Coal Wharf in Rabaul, the place from where the “Montevideo Maru” sailed in June, 1942. There was no service; but wreaths were placed there by a number of local institutions, firms and residents amongst whom were: the RSSAILA; NG Women’s Club of Sydney; New Guinea Women’s Association of Melbourne; Australian War Criminals Compound; Colyer Wat son: Burns Philo, Kuo Ming Tang; New Guinea Chinese Union; Rabaul Citizens Association, etc.
Neglected Stone A RABAUL resident has written us as follows: “The ceremony at the Memorial Stone went off without a hitch, but I still felt a little annoyed with everyone, including myself.
“On the evening before the 23rd., I took the car and drove out to try and find the road to the Stone which stands on the Rabaul side of Vulcan Island. The road was so overgrown as to be impas sible —so I returned home. On the next morning, however, we drove over a road on which the undergrowth had been freshly cut. All the area surrounding the Stone has heavy kunai. and this also had been freshly cut.
“As the service proceeded I couldn’t help but think that it was an unworthj way to remember our dead. Surely these places could be kept free of undergrowth for the entire year. If I were one of those listed for remembrance that day I would wonder at the generosity of spirit which could make a great play and hold special services on one day per* year, yet could not spare the time to keep the
jungle from encroaching on the tiny spot of hallowed ground for the rest of the time.
“I spoke to Mrs. Una Adams about it.
She said that when she first arrived last year the whole thing was so overgrown that she and Mrs. Greenwood cleared the stone with their own hands the day they first went to view it.”
In spite of dollar restrictions 11,000 cases of Canadian canned salmon arrived in Fiji, in January, on the Carpenter ship “Salamaua.” This is the first ship ment since the war.