One Of The Women
p. 28 · Read in the full issue
Who Waited
The death of Mrs. Gordon Thom on December 30 (see elsewhei brings back to me vivid memor of New Guinea’s dark days of nea 20 years ago, and of the women u waited.
From that day in January, 19 when a flood of Japanese enguli Rabaul, and swept on south war until the Rising Sun was hau down before the Americans in To!
Bay in 1945, we did not know wl actually had happened in Rabaul In a world torn horribly by w the courage of individuals a groups went unnoticed. But l work brought me into close conti with the women sent away fn New Guinea between Pearl Harbc and January 22, 1942; and I ne 1 shall forget the staunchness a bravery of the many scores who h left their men and their homes] Rabaul, and who, for four had no clue as to what had hj pened to them.
Hundreds Died
We know now that hundn of non-combatant men—officii traders, planters—gathered Rabaul under the leadership Harold Page; that Mr. Page tri desperately to get permission fn Canberra to put the lot onto the Scandinavian motorship that v there at the time, and so get tin away from the oncoming Japs; tl the woodenheaded bureaucrats] Canberra refused permission; a so some 250 good men fell into t hands of the gentlemen from Tok; and were destroyed.
Among the women who wail was quiet, gentle, Kate Thom They all cherished their hopes] four years; but almost all leanj in 1945 that they were widows.] Only a handful of civilian m came out of the Rabaul horror alii and Gordon Thomas was one] them. By then, Mrs. Thomas n 70 years old; but she, unlike aim all of the other wives from Rabai was able to rejoin her husband a: spend her declining years with hi Mr. and Mrs. Thomas did not r turn to the Territory—from 19they lived quietly at Campbellton
Nsw.-
Rwr.
Recently we have seen nati Papuans accepted as Bishop and] Medical Practitioner. Now we ha a Salvation Army officer. It w announced in December thatll native Papuan, Mr. Harry Tamaru who has been studying in Sydm for a year, will receive his con mission in January as a Lieutenaj in the Salvation Army, and will in mediately return to Papua to 15' come a missionary there.