Deaths Of Islands People

Mr. Charles Beckett

Residents of New Guinea, and particularly of the Morobe District, were shocked to hear of the death, ■on August 12, while returning from a holiday in Canada, of Mr. Charles IBeckett. He was 68.

Mr. Beckett had been connected with the Territory, first through the Navy, then through AWA and latterly through Telecommunica tions, since World War I days. He had been in Morobe longer than anyone else, knew it intimately and was one of the District’s most re spected citizens.

He was a veteran of three wars — the Boer War, World War I, when he served in NG with the Navy, and World War II when he was a Coast watcher.

After Navy service in the First World War he stayed on as a radio operator with AWA. During the Morobe gold-rush period it was he who established the first radio .station at Edie Creek in 1927. After World War II service he was back in the district, and set up his radio gear in a temporary building at Lae, and when AWA was taken over by the British Commonwealth radio communications service, Tele communications, he transferred to the new outfit.

At the time of his trip to Canada with Mr. Roy McConnon, also well known in Morobe, he was still stationed at Lae. Mrs. Beckett —she

was his second wife—died a year or so ago.

He was in Honolulu returning from Canada by ship when he had a slight stroke; he appeared to be re covering but between Honolulu and Suva his condition deteriorated.

His son, Dr. Hal Beckett, of Sydney,

flew to Suva and was with when he died.

He is survived by his son three daughters, Mrs. Inez Lesl Bulolo, Mrs. Enid Cooper, als Bulolo, and Miss Vera Becket Sydney.

Bishop Vesters

Bishop Gerald Vesters, MSC, ( for 16 years Vicar Apostolic

jbaul, and later Assistant Bishop the Papal Throne, died at Mary’s Hint, Melbourne, on August 30, ;d 78 years. ie was born in Holland, was icated in local schools and later Universities in France, Salzburg, me and Louvain. He worked as a ssionary in the Philippine Islands

1-1915, and later in Brazil 3-1920. He was then appointed feet Apostolic of the Celebes ision. [e relinquished this post to be le Bishop of Rabaul (Catholic sion, Vunapope) in 1923. He i forced to resign in 1938 owing ill-health. ope Pius XII then conferred on i the honour of Assistant Bishop :he Papal Throne. A gifted or iser and administrator, he played important part in extending the k of the Mission. In 1937 Bishop ters was awarded the OBE for work during the Rabaul eruption, any old residents of New Guinea feel a deep personal loss. Last ober he revisited Rabaul to id the Golden Jubilee of his ination with his former co kers.

Capt. E. E. Kettle

aptain Ernest E. Kettle, well wn Master of the London sionary Society mission ships, 1 at his home in Hurstville, Syd , on August 10, 1954, aged 78. orn in England, he first joined LMS in 1911, as second officer of mission ship John Williams IV, sequently becoming first officer, became Captain in 1915 and re ned in command for 14 years il the vessel was sold in 1929. i 1935 he rejoined the Society as >ter of the John Williams V, and, 3d at Suva, sailed his little ship over the Pacific Ocean, adding bis already extensive knowledge :he Islands and the people who d on them. Of his almost un ny skill in navigation by “dead coning” many stories are told.

The editor of PIM was one of those who sailed m John Williams with Captain Kettle. Towards the end of 1941 he wrote, thus, about it: “Although I spent some of the most miserable days of my life aboard the John Williams, I learned to love the ship. . . She wallows and she rolls and she produces, very often, a most unholy combination

of stinks; yet she is a very gentle old lady. . . Captain Kettle has spent so many years in this most danger ous navigation—probably amongst the world’s worst—that he guides his ship almost as much by instinct as by instruments. Squalls, unex pected and uncharted currents clouds which hide the sun for days on end are his common lot. (Over)

Bishop Vesters.

One night in thick wea heading for an Ellice island were due to pass another islan miles off, by dead reckoning. I the Captain fidgeting. Prese without a word, he went out turned the ship right around steamed back. Next morning clear and anyone could see if the ship had continued on course the previous night, she rr have climbed on top of the is she was trying to avoid.”

Captain Kettle retired in 1945, although he followed with greai terest the Society’s activities, never visited the Islands again is survived by a son and a dang!

Madame Leonie Bouzei

Madame Bouzer, a well-kr Tahiti resident, died there rece She is survived by her daug’

Madame Leverd, and two broth Madame Bouzer was born Tahiti in 1888.

M. Felix Grand

Monsieur Felix Grand, a known Papeete business man, there suddenly in June, aged 47. of a very well-known Tahiti far M. Grand was a member of Federation General Societe Spoi of French Oceania and had just turned from attending a fool match at the time of his death leaves a wife (nee Mile. T; Vincent) and four children, youngest only 18 months old.

Capt. D. C. Macdonale

Captain Duncan Cameron IV donald died in Auckland in e August, aged 66, after several y in retirement. He was the sor a Scottish Master Mariner, was H in New Zealand and trained in In command of the 3-masted t sail schooner Northern Chief captured the ’Frisco-Auckland cord under sail in 1920 but be; that, when Count von Luck escaped from Motuihe Island, At land, during the first World War was pursued in the Rira by Capi Macdonald, the cable-ship Iris L coming on the scene and recaptui the Count. Captain Macdonald later in On Chong vessels.

Mrs. J. Tariau And Tear;

Tiki.

Two well known Rarotonga sidents died there on the same early in August. They were M John Tariau, of Pue, and Teariki Tiki, of Arorangi.

Brother Thomas De!

Villeneuve And Brother

Enogat

Advice was recently received!

Papeete from Brother Rom Talvat, one-time rector of the Taj schools of the Brothers of Ploern that two other former teachers th recently died in France.

They were Brother Thomas Villeneuve, who served in Taj from 1908 to 1948, who died Joselin last November; and Brotd Enogat, who arrived in Tahiti!

0 and was there for many years. died in June this year.

Brother Thomas was 79 and other Enogat 82 at the time of ;ir deaths. Commemorative ser es were held at Papeete Cathedral.

Mr. J. G. (“Joe”) Davis

At. Joe Davis, a resident of Fiji ce 1922, died in Suva August 6. was on the staff of the Colonial rar Refining Company and was charge of the Drasa training m for some years. He retired 1950 but later rejoined the com ly’s clerical staff at Lautoka mill ere he was employed at the time his death. le was an Australian, an ex riceman of the First World War, 1 an Army boxer of some note that time. He is survived by his e, formerly Miss Dorothy Easton, »r daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. J. iton, of Sigawe, Ba.

He Rev. Austin Rowley

he Rev. Austin Rowley died at •eas, in the New Hebrides, on just 14. Mr. Rowley had been charge of the Church of Eng d Boys’ School at Vureas for le years. [e recently returned there after oliday in Australia.

Mr. Frederick Wallin

well-known former Islands nager of Burns Philp and Co., Frederick Wallin, died in Bris e on August 19. He was 84. [r. Wallin joined the Company in ) and for some years was in lensland branches. Later he was isferred to Sydney under the i Mr. Walter Lucas. When Mr. as became Islands inspector, Mr, llin became Islands Manager, a Ition he held until his retire it at the end of 1937. e became well known to many nds residents, and he travelled *nsively to the Gilbert and ce, Solomons, New Guinea and ►rides. uring the Second World War in the company was experieno staff difficulties, he voluntarily irned as a shipping clerk in the >bane office. [rs. Wallin died some years be i his retirement. There were no dren of the marriage.

To Far East

Messrs. Angus Smart, oF Maprik, NG, and F. I. Patten, of Tomabatt Pltn., Tabar, New Ireland, who left on the Eastern Glory in mid-August for a trip to Hongkong and Japan. Shown with them (centre) is Mr.

G. Pearce, a resident of Sydney, but well known to many NG residents.