Deaths Of Islands People
pp. 153-154 · Read in the full issue
Mr. J. S. Neill, Cmg
The death occurred in England on October 3 of Mr. J. S. Neill, CMG, who was British Consul and Agent in Tonga from 1927 to 1937.
He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin; entered the British Colonial Service in Fiji as a cadet in 1914; spent 13 years there in the Law section and acted as Attorney General. After leaving Tonga, he filled important administrative posts in the West Indies and in New foundland. He wrote a useful and interesting book, Ten Years in Tonga.
Mr. Henry W. Kinney
Mr. Henry W. Kinney, a former noted American newspaper corres pondent in the Far East, and more recently a long-time resident of Mataiea, Tahiti, died at Honolulu recently, at the age of 79 years.
Kinney married a Japanese woman while stationed in the Far East. The couple settled in Tahiti in the 1930’s and built a beautiful home there. Several years ago they disposed of the property and shifted to Honolulu.
At the time of his death Kinney was suffering from a serious illness and had been discharged from hospital uncured. A gun was found beside his body.
William Alfred Smith
Mr. William Alfred Smith, a former resident of Tonga—perhaps best remembered by many as proprietor of a Nukualofa boarding house—died at Auckland on Novem ber 17, aged 83 years. He is survived by three sons, living in Auckland.
James Yarnton
Mr. James Yarnton, for many years a trader in Tonga, and an Australian by birth, died at Auck
land on November 1, aged 84. He retired to New Zealand just before the last war - He is survived by hiS Wlfe and five children '
Mr. Vernon Rule
A large crowd attended the funeral of Mr. Vernon Rule, Papua-New Guinea Regional Director of Civil Aviation, who died in Port Moresby on November 12 after a brief illness, Mr. Rule, aged 44, left a wife and three children, He had been Civil Aviation Director in New Guinea for about three years, after joining the Com- Department of Civil
Aviation in 1947. Mr. Rule had a fine war record with the RAAF, dur ing which he flew Liberators in the Pacific.
Mr. William Johnson
Mr. William Johnson, 34, of Rabaul, an inspector with the Com monwealth Department of Works, died in November when his truck overturned on a New Ireland road, 40 miles from Kavieng. He was buried at Kavieng.
Mr. Johnson was a well-known and extremely popular New Guinea sportsman, and held in high regard for his many civic and charitable activities.