There’S Not Much

The Naval Base Without a Navy

Defend At

From Judy Tudor • They have a fine swims baths at Lomhrum, Australia’. called defence base on Los N\ Island but the women on. station are not permitted to m Not till they have built a around it. This is so that) natives will not see what Euro ladies look like under their dr - HOWEVER, if any of the natives have any cur: about this they have onr go a few miles away, get a loading copra at Lorengau, s a bouncing surf boat at the bo of the gangway in this lx north-west weather and soona later all will be revealed to theE Lombrum is probably the; friendliest place in the South fic. The place bristles with “Itaj notices and the restrictions <• equally to Europeans.

A large notice on the wharf v against taking photographs sketching—penalty seven z And at that, photographs com revealing—of what the base haE got. Unless those acres of qui huts left by the Americans; now seemingly empty coc secret weapons, Australia’s bs in the north can be taken inj glance.

A couple of water or oil ten a small floating dock, a wharfl a new deck but shaky unde nings. All the facilities for hoc and feeding probably about 50 ( Some bulk oil tanks.

Paper Work Navy

The Navy at Manus doesn’t sea. It occupies itself with ; work and refuelling and enter ing visiting American navy ve In this it probably fulfils a v function—if people would talking about a “Naval Base” v conjures up ideas of massive fications and dozens of battle riding at anchor.

The story here in the Territd that it is gradually being o down and that in its place Americans are going to open war-time airstrip on Los N! and use it as a jet base.

It could be just wishful thin As well as the Navy, Ausa has the Army and the Air For< residence at Manus. The Air has its being at Momote, wh;i maintains. The Army is repress by one company of the E 5 Islands Regiment which lives i place opposite Lombrum with

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perhaps appropriate name of Nutt Point.

Apart from the übiquitous quon set hut—which people still live in, go to church in, keep stores in, there is little left of the American in stallations. At Lorengau rows of piles jutting out into the sea are all that remain of the many wharves that were erected.

These wharves were in use until three years ago but now the Malaita, the only overseas vessel currently calling here regularly, must load and unload into surf boats that are towed a half mile to the beach by the district work boat and the ship’s launch.

The call at Lorengau can last two days or six, according to the weather. Although theoretically protected by the islands that form the outer wall of Seeadler Harbour, the anchorage off Lorengau is in fact open to the full force of the weather during the North West season.

Australian Minister for Air, Mr.

F. M. Osborne, who was also acting Minister for Navy, in February made this statement on the situa tion at Manus: The RAAF is discussing with other Government Departments the possibility of withdrawing RAAF personnel from Momote airfield on Manus Island, and arranging that the task of maintaining the air field be carried out on a civilian basis.

For some years the RAAF has maintained only a small works party on Manus Island, largely engaged in assisting the Navy in maintain ing roads and other permanent fixtures. The principal air activity of the RAAF unit in recent years has been to maintain the airfield establishment. RAAF aircraft use the airfield infrequently but it is in regular use by civil airliners.

The main concern of the Air Force is to ensure that the landing strip is maintained so that it will be available for military use in case of need and this will be continued either by the Air Force or other Government Departments.

Manus Island is primarily a Naval base known as HMAS Taran gau. Following the Government’s decision to review the administra tion of all Naval shore establish ments in order to build up sea going strength, the Naval comple ment of HMAS Tarangau is being reduced.

Greater use will be made of the native labour force and we propose to transfer some tasks which are not strictly Naval ones to other Departments.

In this way the functions of the establishment will be carried on substantially as at present.