Australian Salvage Party
p. 35 · Read in the full issue
Reported At Truk
A PARTY of Australian civilian engineers is reported to be on the atoll of Truk, in the Eastern Caro line Islands, and engaged on a salvage job for a Sydney firm, Frank J. Hodgson and Co.
It is stated that Mr. Hodgson “has bought all the war disposals stuff on the island”, and that the SS “Nanking”, on her next trip from Hongkong to Sydney, will call at Truk for a load of former war vehicles and parts of vehicles. Truk is now in the American Trustee Territory of Micronesia.
Truk, one of the best known places in Micronesia while it was in the hands of the Japanese, was heavily fortified and garrisoned during the war. The Ameri cans did not make any serious attempt to force a landing there, however—Truk, like many other islands, was by-passed and left “out on the end of a limb”, and it was occupied by the Americans after Japan surrendered. The Australians, therefore, are probably salvaging ex enemy stuff.
A decree signed by the State Secretary for Overseas France fixes contributions of the different French territories to the Colonial Scientific Research Bureau at 51,830,000 francs. The Pacific Colonies
will contribute the following sums: New Caledonia, 1,420,000 francs; Tahiti, 669,000 francs; the New Hebrides, 78,000 francs; and the Wallis Group 10,000 francs.