An Australian Thanked

Escape From Rabaul

The Wrong Priest

In July, 1951, a Mr. Ben Dawson wrote a letter of thanks to a iest in New Britain and addressed it by mistake to the Rev John eyahofer, instead of to the Rev. Fr. Franke. This human, if un rtnnate, slip of memory has given an odd twist to the New’ Guinea ntroversy over a certain chapter in Mr. David Selby’s book Hell d High Fever.

L SELBY’S book (which was reviewed in July PIM), dealt With the escape of the 2/22 Dion AIF from Rabaul after Japanese invasion of 1942. In curse of the story he said that ther John Meyahofer had re- I to co-operate when wounded [were in need of his help, it September, Father J. Dwyer, Dlic Mission representative in Legislative Council of P-NG, the Council that the book had fried Father Meyahofer. He to the Council extracts from Dntroversial chapter and copies me correspondence. [told the Council that Father hofer had said that he had collection of the incident Mr. [referred to, and that it was [verse of what he normally did bops when they passed through

—and that a letter written to him by Mr. Ben Dawson, who was in the same party as Mr. Selby, was completely contrary to what Mr.

Selby had written in his book.

Fr. Dwyer’s statement to the Council was fully reported in the South Pacific Post of October 10, 1956. The letter written by Mr Dawson was also published.

In November, in Sydney, Mr.

Selby told PIM that Mr. Dawson, who is now Australian Trade Com missioner in Auckland, had indeed written a letter of praise to Father Meyahofer, but had intended the letter for another priest altogether.

Mr. Bernard Parer, a resident of New Guinea, after reading the book, had written a letter to Mr.

Dawson saying that Fr. Meyahofer had been done an injury, and

evidently this letter recalled the whole incident to Dawson’s mind.

Under a covering letter dated Oct ober 5 (five days before his letter ot 1951 was quoted in the South Pacific Post), Mr. Dawson sent to Mr Selby a copy of a reply he had sent to Mr. Parer, in which he said that he had intended to write to Father Franke, of Talasea, who had given them a great deal of help, but in 1951 his diary was in the hands of the Official War Historian and some trick of memory had caused him to write to Father Meyahofer by mistake.

Mr. Dawson’s letter to Mr. Parer said that he had now re-read the chapter in Mr. Selby’s book and he

Mr. David Selby.

confirmed what Mr. Selby had said —namely, that they had had diffi culty in obtaining assistance for wounded men.

Mr. Selby—a Sydney barrister said that he became disturbed when various friends, and some people he did not know, sent him clippings of Fr. Dwyer’s statement to the Legislative Council.

One of the letters was from a planter of the Sepik District, who had been with him during the escape down the New Britain coast and he had, in confirmation of Selby’s remarks, said: “For my part I could have expected a better and more hospitable reception from a bunch of cannibals.”

Mr. Selby said that on October 18 he wrote to Father Dwyer ex plaining the mistake over Mr.

Dawson’s letter. He had asked Father Dwyer, in view of the publicity his remarks had received, if he would make an explanation to the next meeting of the Council.

Mr. Selby said he appreciated the temperate manner in which Father Dwyer had spoken before the Council.

He added that he had no doubt that Father Meyahofer had given valuable help to other troops who went through. “I just gave a plain, unvarnished account of what hap pened when we went through.”

t During the month of October, 11 Japanese ships visited New Cale donia to lift nickel ore in out ports. The number in September was 8 and in August, 11. During first 9 months of this year 463,000 tons of nickel ore have been shipped, most of it to Japan.

t A new Teachers’ Training < was officially opened at Rarotonga, by Mr. G. A.

MP, on October 30. The new ing consists of two classro Head Teacher’s office and a room. The College will fi separately from Tereora Coll( will be staffed by New Zeal