Be Told

Americans in P-NG

Now It Can

Another American invasion of Papua-New Guinea is under way—a fact that could scarcely have escaped the notice of any Territorian with eyes in his head in the last six months, although officialdom has been quiet about it.

THE presence of American service men and their orange-tipped, converted Superfortresses has excited a lot of interest (and rumours), since the first of them appeared in P-NG last July but first official announce ment about the scope of their activities was made only on January 7, by the Administrator, Sir Donald Cleland.

He said that the Americans are setting up ground-control and weather stations as part of a world wide geodetic survey by the US Air Force. [Geodesy is the mathmatical surveying and measure ment of the earth’s surface, involv ing allowance for curvature].

The Administrator said that about 100 US personnel would be stationed in Port Moresby and others engaged elsewhere in the Territory. Ground stations have already been established in New Britain, New Ireland, Bougainville and Manus. Others will be set up in Madang, Milne Bay, Sepik, Gulf and Western Districts.

An Administration surveyor is on full-time liaison duty with the survey teams and Native Affairs Dept, officers are accompanying US officers wherever stations are estab lished to explain the presence of the Americans to the natives and arrange for sites for the stations and for local labour.

Airborne and ground radar equip ment will be used to measure accurately the distance between widely separated points. The survey aircraft are Bso’s—modified versions of the well-known war-time Flying Fortresses —but DC4 aircraft will also be used and, according to the announcement, might turn up any where in the Territory, day or night.

Three cadet Patrol Officers, Ken Gregg, Tony Wright and Peter Calton have climbed and placed a flag on 13,660 ft. Mt. Gilwe, Southern Highlands, Papua.