Beaumont Phillips

ome Memories of Beaumont Phillips

]y F. P. Archer, of Rabaul 5 day in Rabaul, m 1957, I oticed a plane of the RAAF Lrcling slowly over the town, itched it for a while, and ered what it was doing, er, I learned that it was on a il mission. The plane carried Phillips; and she was scatter ver the town and harbour the of her late husband, our well ed Sir Beaumont Phillips, Judge deputy Administrator. His most le service was rendered in ul, and he had asked that his il remains be left there, mind went back over a long lation and a valued friendship, orld War I I knew him in the -he was an Observer in the alian Flying Corps, and every alled him “Monty”. It was his Iron which buried Richthofen amous “Red Knight” of Ger- Met in 1925 were together on the same X) Rabaul in November, 1925 as going into New Guinea as igistrate, after five years in olomons on land business, and > returning from leave. 1926, my boy, Siarua, wanted arry Giwa, of Maty Island; here were some local laws in ray. Siarua appealed to me; I appealed to “Monty”, and were married. i Tolais—the tough, sophistic natives of the Rabaul area — and respected “Monty”. When 3d, they subscribed funds, and d a memorial to him, with a e plate atop of it, on the of Namanula Hill, overlooking il Harbour. ve is a photograph of the •rial to Sir Beaumont Phillips, couple standing there are a, and Giwa, still a happy nd and wife, 34 years after ty” had made it possible for to marry. i photo was taken by Jack another old friend of “Monty”.

Read was one of the famous watchers who regularly spotted

Jap planes from the top of Bougainville, and so delivered them by radio into the hands of the Americans awaiting them in the Solomons.

Jack Read and Paul Mason were hunted through the jungles by the Japs; and with Read and Mason, part of the time, as their loyal and trusted helpers, were Siarua and Giwa, While this part of World War II was going on in New Guinea, “Monty” Phillips was serving again with the RAAF, in England.

The distinctive sail of the New Guinea lakatoi is a feature of a shimmering white new Anglican Co-Cathedral of St. John to be built soon in Port Moresby at a cost of about £400,000. A Brisbane firm of architects has designed the new cathedral.

Siarua and Giwa stand beside the "Monty" Phillips' memorial overlook ing Rabaul 34 years after the late Chief Justice had made it possible for them to marry.