Rabaul Roundabout

From Our Own Correspondent

RABAUL, August 7.

THE secretary of the Rabaul sub-branch of the RSL reports that after a month of hard and exacting work by the RAAF Searcher Unit, in conjunc tion with the Imperial War Graves Com mission, a funeral was held on July 18 when 15 airmen executed by the Japanese between the latter part of 1942 and the end of the war, were buried with Air Force Honours, The ceremony began at 7 a.m. with an undenominational service at the Recre ation Grounds, conducted by the RAAF chaplain.

At the same time solemn High Requiem Mass was celebrated at the Catholic Church by the Rev. Father Copas. The Panegyric was preached by Bishop Wade, of Torokina.

Two hearses, preceded by a truck loaded with wreaths, then left Rabaul for the long journey to Kokopo and the Imperial War Graves Cemetery at Bita paka.

THE airmen buried were portion of a group comprising Americans and Australians, whose graves were located near Matupit Volcano as a result of information collected from Japanese sources. The area of approximately ten acres was covered with kunai. All trace of graves had been obliterated by bull dozing but by the time the search party had finished, most of the area had been uncovered and sifted by hand to a depth of seven to eight feet.

The airmen were crews of four aircraft shot down at intervals between May, 1942, and December, 1943, at locations separated as far as the Coral Sea and New Ireland.

The discovery of the bodies was due to the tenacity of Squadron-Leader Rundle and Sergeant Henderson of the RAAF Searcher Unit and Colonel Houghton of the Imperial War Graves Commission.

AMERICAN War Graves Officials, led by Major Abel (US Army) recently arrived in Rabaul per service air craft in connection with the 15 American airmen’s bodies discovered by the Austra lian Searcher Unit.

These bodies were flown to America via Australia.

ON July 31, the following Parliamen tarians and officials visited Rabaul for the purpose of gaining first hand information of the territories and their problems: Mr. J. B. Howse, MHR. Under Secretary for Ex ternal Territories; Mr. Osborne. MHR: Mr. McColm, MHR; Mr. Timson, MHR: Mr. Willoughby, Assistant Secretary for Planning and Research, Department of External Territories: and Mr. J. H. Jones, Secretary, Planning and Development, P-NG Administration.

Later, Senator J. O’Byrne and Mr. F.

Daly, MHR, arrived.

The Party intended staying in the Rabaul area for 12 days, during which they will visit Kavieng, Manus and other outstations.

During the first week of their visit, Mr.

Howse granted interviews to any in terested organisations or persons.

DURING late July, Drs. Brennan, Kirk land and Gunther visited Rabaul at the request of Mr. Spender, in con nection with the improvement of hospi tals and medical facilities in the Territory, the party had a full programme and nymg visits were made to various centres.

Dr. Gunther is, of course, Director of P-NG Health Department: Dr. Brennan is well-known to all old Rabaulites as prewar CMO of the district. He lost no time in renewing old acquaintances.

Dr. Kirkland is well-known in the Northern Territory, and is now with the Department of Tropical Medicine at Syd ney University.

THE annual general meeting of the New Guinea Club was held on July 28.

Although much foundation work had been carried out in re-building and ap pointments, the meeting expressed con

f cern at the small turnover, and instructed the incoming committee to do all possible to improve the financial status of the club.

The following office bearers were ; elected for the year: L. Corbett, president; W. Bailey, vice-president; K. Cummings, secretary; L. Michel, treasurer; and com mittee members, A. J, Corlass, G. Kent, A. Thomas, D. Williams and H. Lyons.

AS the result of a motor accident on August 2 the death occurred of Major W. Morrison of the P and T Depart [ ment.

Major Morrison was driving an Ad ministration utility which collided with a low-loader at the corner of Malaguna Road and Tunnel Hill. The tragedy shocked Rabaul, as Major Morrison, an ex-Bth Division member, had survived three years at Changi Camp as a POW of the Japs in Malaya, and was respected and liked by all.

Along-awaited amenity, a golf course, is under way. A meeting of golfers was called and a committee has been formed—Mr. G. Renton, presi dent; Messrs. L. Corbett and E. Britten, vice-presidents; C. Burcher, secretary, and G. Black, treasurer. A nine-hole course is being laid out on the prewar site. A motor-mower arrived per the Bulolo and the committee is confident that the area will be in a playable con dition by the end of the year.

THE New Britain Ladies’ Club conducted a successful ball at the New Britain Club during July. Decorations, music and supper were a credit to the committee, headed by the president, Mrs.

Mildred Costello. Work on the building for the Ladies’ Club is at an advanced stage.

DURING July the vessels, Citos and Merkur, arrived from the East and the increase in Japanese imports is most marked. Jap toys, from those of a really ingenious design, to trash cunningly marked “Made in Empire” are on sale.

Scarcity of Australian building materials leaves no option but to import from the East. A recently constructed building in Rabaul contained Jap roofing iron, Jap shutters and Jap nails.

THE recently revised customs tariffs are already being felt. New shipments of beer show an increase of three pence per bottle, and, in some cases, this is already being passed on to the con sumer. Spirits have also risen, and the price of cigarettes in the near future will be considerable. In regard to foodstuffs— no decrease in price has been apparent to date. Meat is still an expensive item and butter remains at 5/- per pound.