Papua-N. Guinea

War Cemeteries

Plans for Permanent Memorials

PLANS for permanent memorials in the war service cemeteries at Port Moresby, Lae and Rabaul, for men who died in the New Guinea campaign, have been completed by the Imperial War Graves Commission.

The plans were explained in Melbourne on July 10 by the secretary-general of the commission (Brigadier A. E. Brown).

Brigadier Brown said that at each cemetery there would be an entrance building, record room and a memorial to those who are believed to have died in the area, but who have no official grave.

There would be a cross of sacrifice in each cemetery.

At Port Moresby tne memorial to the missing would take the form of a circular open building, the roof supported by a double row of columns. Inside, on bronze panels, would be the names of the missing.

In the centre of the memorial a bronze direction tablet would have arrows noint ing to the Kokoda Trail and historical points, including Esogi—the farthest point of the Japanese advance.

Brigadier Brown said the head stones for the cemeteries were now being made in Brisbane to replace the crosses which at present surmount the graves. In Lae and ,Rabaul bronze tablets would replace the crosses because of the fear that earth tremors, which were experienced there, would destroy head stones.

There were 8,500 buried in the three cemeteries. Four out of five are Aus tralians.

New Guinea natives, who were buried side by side with Dominion servicemen, would have the same head stones as other nationalities. Brigadier Brown added. —Melbourne Age.

The New Caledonian administration has been authorised to mint metal coins of the value of 5 francs, 2 francs, 1 franc and 50 centimes. Other coins of these values, now in circulation, are likely to be withdrawn.