“Bunny” Hammond

New Appointment For Cart.

IT could scarely be called “back where he started,” but when Henry Talbot Hammond, better known to his New Guinea friends as “Bunny,” recently was appointed general manager of Adastra Airways Pty., Ltd., of Mascot, Sydney, he rejoined a firm he and his partner, Cap tain Follett, founded 20-odd years ago.

To-day Adastra, using Ansons and Hudsons, is the largest aerial survey com pany in Australia. But in the depression it struck a sticky patch. There was not enough in the charter business to keep two, and Hammond left it to Follett and became manager of Holden’s Aerial Transport Service in New Guinea, follow ing the death of Les Holden. HATS was later taken over by Guinea Airways, and Hammond went with it.

A World War I RAF veteran, Ham mond joined RAAF at the beginning of World War II; became a Group Captain; was CO at Richmond (NSW) and Laverton (Vic.); then went to New Guinea and served at nractically every wartime drome there when the RAAF and USAAF were chasing the Japs northwards. He received the OBE for his war services.

In 1946, he was appointed general manager for Guinea Airways in New Guinea and took over the establishment of RAAF 33 Squadron (Transport) at Lae in anticipation of the company's early re turn to the Territory. G’air finally gave New Guinea away, and Hammond re turned to Australia to join Brown & Bureau, Ltd., Sydney agents for the Con vair airliner. He recently visited the UK and the Continent; in 1949 he and his

wife went to New Guinea to see old friends. “Bunny” Hammond is a popular man in New Guinea; his charming wife no less so. Territorians will wish him well.

Mr. Fred Kleckham, of the Department of Agriculture in Papua, who escaped from the Lamington disaster, and was one of the first to go back with the rescue parties, was hurt, later, in a jeep accident.

His native driver lost control on a hill, and Mr. Kleckham tried to jump clear.

He fell heavily and suffered injuries so severe that the had to be taken to hospital in Port Moresby.