Do It, Too

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Europeans Used To

HOW things have changed, in just 30 years! In the BSIP, in 1927, they had a “punative expedition’ into Malaita, and what is more, actually called it that.

The expedition was formed to winkle-out the murderers of two Europeans from their hide-outs in the Malaita mountains.

The 29 local volunteers in this minor war were accompanied by 30 native police, and when they set sail from Tulagi (then the seat of government) in the government ship Ranadi it was “amidst cheers and singing.”

If anything like this happened to day no doubt the Afro-Asian block would refuse British ships passage through the Suez Canal, the Voice of Cairo would urge Arabs to cut the oil pipe-lines; Russia would bring the whole thing before the United Nations; and America would pointedly “abstain from voting.”

Oddly enough the 29 volunteers, in 1927, seem to have been regarded as local heroes.

A warship, Adelaide, had also been sent to the scene of operations and sailors from the ship had established a base camp from which the ex pedition was to work. Sailors were also patrolling the streets of Tulagi in place of the usual police.

The whole thing had been brought about by the murder on Malaita of District Officer Bell, Cadet Lillies and 11 of their native police.

Tolala recently came across a clipping from the old Sydney Daily Telegraph, datelined October, 1927. which described the setting out of the expedition, and he added these remarks; , THE Europeans were: L. J.

Hanscomb (in charge) and C.

King, F. King, J. A. Johnstone, S. Fitton, A. Gardiner, J. M.

Clift, G. E. Clift, E. Cunningham, R. Cambridge, R. Stirling, R.

Seddon, R. Bruce, J. West, T. Ferry, J. Troup, R. Harper, S. A. Halliday, J. Bonnard, A. W. Dickes, S. G.

Masterman, R. Gaskell, G. White, C.

Minns, W. F. Wilmott, J. Svensen, A. Olsen and W. Widdy.

Of the “Terriers” of 1927, the fol lowing are still in deck: J. A. John stone (“Johnno”), an old identity in the Solomons and the surviving Island member of the Big Six in their gold claim at Gold Ridge, on Guadalcanal. An Anzac, who was an official representative of the BSI at the Queen’s Coronation, and is now in a commercial enterprise in Honiara.

A. (“Archie”) Gardiner, for many ( T ears past a well known man in the commercial world of Suva and Rewa

(Fiji) and a past champion of the ancient game of bowls.

Rolf Cambridge, who since 1933 has been a plantation executive with Burns, Philp & Co. Ltd., and is now in charge of the Big Firm’s Papuan holdings, with headquarters at the broad acres of Robinson River Estates.

; Extensions are to be made to the post-office at Lautoka, Fiji, at a cost of £2,400. They are necessary to accommodate telephone equipment which will provide 200 additional telephone lines. The equipment is expected about the end of this year.

This sketch accompanied the "Telegraph” article. It shows the village where Bell and Lillies and their native police were killed; and the position of the natives who had deserted their villages in the valley beyond the navy camp.