Anything For A Free Ride

Free Ride

From a New Guinea Correspondent.

Headlines greeted an amazing story recently of two Sydney youths who stowed away in an aircraft and reached Port Moresby before detection, but the stowaway problem within New Guinea itself is not new.

First Officer of the aircraft came across at that moment and identified him as the cabin boy.

One of the smartest pieces of work recently was that carried out by Burns Philp’s labour supervisor at Rabaul, Mr. Harry Hugo, in dealing with a couple of native plantation recruits who were causing a fuss.

These two had arrived at Rabaul from Wewak with a contingent of others on their way to take up a contract on a Bougainville planta tion. They deserted in Rabaul dur ing the overnight stop, and the aircraft left without them the fol lowing morning.

Subsequently the two deserters re-appeared at Harry’s compound and told him they were sick and tired of the whole business and wanted to be returned to Wewak.

Listened Gravely

Harry listened gravely to their troubles, nodded his head wisely, and said he would not only arrange the tickets for them but would drive them out to the aerodrome to join the next available aircraft.

He even looked after their luggage for them, and later saw them safely on to the aircraft. They left in high spirits—no doubt pleased with the way they had handled the White Masta like putty.

It was not until they landed that they woke up to the fact that the strip didn’t look much like Wewak.

This was not surprising, because they were in Bougainville—as Harry had planned.

But the master-stroke was re vealed a few hours later when District Service officers questioned the two natives and found a letter hidden in their luggage addressed to the Bougainville Native Labour Officer.

The letter had been written by Harry and slipped into the luggage while in his care. It explained how the two had broken contract by deserting at Rabaul, and named the plantation to which they should be sent. And that’s where they are today.

Another native stowaway story occurred a couple of years ago at

the height of a search for a prison* who had escaped from gaol i Rabaul.

Moving Mailbags

Police officers and constabl were patrolling possible hiding arei near Lakunai Airstrip at Raba early one morning as a Qantas at craft prepared to leave for Kavien A Qantas officer was checking small freight compartment aft ■ the main cabin when he saw a pi of mailbags moving.

He called over the police, the ms bags were pulled away—and the: was the escaped prisoner.

On a more serious note was tl occasion in January this year, ai at Rabaul, when airline office found three Japanese seamen the cabin and on the flight deck a DC3 which had been standing i Lakunai strip overnight.

A complete instrument, equi] ment, controls, and engine che* was carried out on the aircraft in mediately. Even then the capta made a test flight before passenge and freight were taken on.

From a Ship The Japanese proved to have con from a ship wrecked off Fee Island several days earlier. Th* had been rescued and brought Rabaul, and were living at Raba waiting for a Japanese ship to pi< them up.

An airline officer said: “The: was nothing in the incident as fi as the men were concerned. Tin apparently got up early, went f* a walk, and quite by accidei slipped past the normal poli* guard at the airstrip.

“They evidently entered the ai craft out of curiosity to have a 100 and that’s where they were whe we came on the scene.

“Unfortunately there was no tel ing what they might have fiddh with, particularly as they did n speak English.

“We had no alternative but to c a thorough check on the aeroplai before we could possibly put it im service again.”