Territories TALK-TALK

With Tolala

Aussies, as a rule, are not given to observing anniversaries or raising memorials to historical events; in fact it is difficult —at times —to even find a reliable written record.

HOWEVER, this year someone has got cracking and an niversaries commemorating both World War I and II have been observed by visits to Rabaul by original members of the A.N. & M.E.F. of War I and of the 2/22nd Battalion of War 11.

The Rabaul district was an out standing spot in both wars; Aus tralia’s first engagement with the enemy in War I and in War II it was the locale of Australia’s most tragic tactical gaffe.

Strange to relate that despite the tact German New Guinea was Aus tralia’s first land conquest in War I. t was not until 20 years later, n 1934, that any kind of memorial vas raised in the Territory to com nemorate the event, and then it was nore or less only by a fluke.

First Naval Loss So far as I know there is still lothing to mark Australia’s first laval loss in 1914, when somewhere n the Rabaul seas Submarine AE 1 ailed to return from an operation.

The Bitapaka Memorial. Tom Ellis, Sen., Chief Clerk in the Rabaul Office (father of Tom, the )resent Highlands DC), ever a mblic-spirited man, despite the fact le was a public servant, got the idea )f forming an automobile society for 4ew Guinea.

The organisers decided to hold the naugural run “to the spot where he first Australian was killed along he Bitapaka Road in September, 914.”

One Sunday in 1934 cars as embled in Casuarina Avenue, a yhite ribbon was stretched across the oad near Tex Roberts’ garage and drs. Coote (Yes, the same lady who tow lives out Pila Pila way) cut he ribbon and off we tootled; pulling ip at the approximate spot where the irst War I casualty occurred and here we had a roadside picnic, but lecided it was an unsuitable site or the erection of a memorial.

A site nearer Bitapaka was selected nd later the Automobile Club of Jew Guinea sent a delegation to the

Administrator, Brig.-General Tom Griffiths, asking that a memorial be erected on the selected site, etc.

Tom Griffiths gave his full support and instructed the Public Works Department to co-operate with us; this meant that Bill McGowan designed a memorial stone, suitably inscribed: “In this vicinity . . It was Tom Griffiths’ last public function to unveil the memorial on September 12, 1934. It was the day

before Brig-General McNicoll took over the reins of office.

Footnote : It is good to see where the Sydney City Council has now erected a plaque at the northern end of Macquarie Street to mark this 50th anniversary of the AN & MEF’S departure. Its a pity, though, it has taken a city 50 years to realise that those troops made history and that Australia attained nationhood status far more in New Guinea than she did at Anzac.

The Second War

Numerology may have something to do with the visit of members of the 2/22nd Battalion in August— -22 years after they retreated from Rabaul.

There was little fuss and certainly no ceremony when in 1941 the troops arrived in Rabaul. It was all very hush-hush. In fact it was a moot point as to whether they should have been stationed in a mandated territory at all.

No mention of troops in Rabaul was allowed in the Press; the closest newspaper reference was to “Little Hell’ (and one would need to be a poker-player to realise the associa tion with Three Twos—2/22).

For the most part they were a happy crowd and relations with civilians were good. Women auxiliaries and what-have-you catered for their entertainment; sporting fixtures became the normal week-end routine and there were several good athletic carnivals held with all sections of the community taking part.

I recall one such gathering when George Milne (later to become popular manager at the Wentworth Hotel—he is now general manager of the Jerusalem International) col lected all the honours in weight lifting.

The town turned out each day at sunset, down along the Malaguna Road, to watch the Retreat and to hear the band. Strangely enough in all reminiscences of the 2/22nd I have seen no mention made of this extremely fine branch of the unit.

It was comprised of the entire Salvation Army band from one of Melbourne’s suburbs, together with their silver-plated instruments. That’s what I call “get-togetherness.”

Anzac House. In the vicinity of where the Retreat was sounded there was erected a recreation hall called Anzac House; well do I remember a revue staged there by the com bined talent of military and civilian artists about the first week in December ’4l.

Outstanding entertainers were Dave Hutchinson-Smith and Gordon

Braden in their sketch of the Radio Announcers. Then there was the yodeller, Harry Milson; the “The Poor Little Mill Girl” sketch with Clive Abott, Ron Wear, Andy Foster, Peters and Seamark; the Egyptian dancers George and Merv. Paton and, of course, the camp orchestra under the baton of Corporal Trigg, the only one to get his rank shown on the programme!

They Return. And now, after 22 years, some of the old members of “Little Hell” have visited those scenes where—to use their own words years ago—“they chased over the hills like bloody hairy goats.”

The naked slopes of Vulcan, as they knew them when the Japs came in, are now jungle covered.

Did You Know?

That Harold Coldham, who died last April, left a gross estate valued at £652,000? He bought Bali plan tation in the Witu Group from the Exproboard. He went to the Ter ritory in 1921. * * * That old-time dentist-cum-pro spector Syd. Barker, is still chasing the elusive ’weight, including copper in the Ramu area? * * * That Gilbert (’Ow are yer, mate?) Renton spent some days in Liverpool (NSW) Hospital last month, follow ing a “heart condition.” He is on the improve now.