Native Officers
p. 12 · Read in the full issue
P-NG Gets First Native Officers
Papua-New Guinea in Decem ber got its first native Army officers.
Ramu Ted Diro, 18, of Rigo, and Balire Patterson Lowa, 19, of Talasea, graduated as 2nd Lieutenants from the Australian Army Officer Cadet School at Portsea, Victoria. Both men are officers with the Pacific Islands Regiment, which up till now has had all European officers.
The men were at Portsea 12 months, but it will be another 12 months before they return to the Territory, for they will be given junior leadership train ing in Queensland with the 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment. They will rejoin the PIR at the end of 1964.