Letters

Fiji's Weather

Sir, —I dislike anyone to sav nasty things about California or the US (unless it’s me) and now I find I would like to defend Fiji and its weather against people like C. H. K.

Bushwell, of California. ( PIM, Nov., P- H 5.) I don’t know where in California he is from, but if its from the north —around San Francisco—it’s terrible there —cold and wet most of the time. If he is from the southern part it’s dry. In the south we very seldom get more than 10 in. of rain a year which is way below normal and since New Year it has been very hot —up in the 80’s. And, of course, there is the ever-present smog in some areas.

But if its hot, cold, wet, dry, smoggy or foggy someone always complains. It’s really stupid because vhat can anyone do about the weather? We aren’t bothered vith the smog here in Palos Verdes Estates but it can be clear elsewhere md the fog here can be like pea :oup. Anyone who complains is isually from another State and if we icar them we suggest they return.

So keep Bushwell out of Fiji. I lave been there many times, mostly n October, and I found it to be de ightful. The only place where I ound it rained a lot was in the lolomons, but if you aren’t made of ugar, and I’m sure Mr. Bushwell sn’t, it wouldn’t hurt to go out in t.

The Solomons brings up another übject. Early last year there was n article in PIM about the proposed rip of Sgt.-Major Vouza, sponsored y the Ist Marine Division Associa ion, to attend their convention in tnahiem, California, and in the east f the US.

I was in the crowd to met him at le Anahiem Heliport, and I met im again at two different functions, had met him at his village when was in the Solomons in 1963.

I heard that he had a big “welcome ome” after being in the States but haven’t read anything about it in IM. I think your readers would be iterested in his visit here and what appened on his return.

During the war, Sgt.-Major Vouza let Mr. Lowell Bulger, now of iglewood (California), and they let again at the Anahiem conven or Mr. Bulger put in a plea over >me TV stations for clothing and

school books for the Solomon Islanders—with tremendous results.

The books are being packed and sorted and now Mr. Bulger is wait ing for a ship to haul the books and clothing.

Mrs. Gertrude Baker,

Palos Verdes Estates, California, US.

Harry Murray

Sir, —By this time I am sure you are aware that Harry Murray, of Innisfail, and formerly of Kavieng, New Ireland, has passed away. While I did not know Harry Murray per sonally, 1 did get to know him through written correspondence with his wife, Mary, also through reading of Harry’s exploits in her excellent books, Escape and Hunted.

If ever a man exemplified the in domitable spirit and determination of the Australian in the face of adversity and danger, Harry Murray was that man. His struggle to safety from the Japanese at Kavieng in the early days of the war is a saga of true grit, a memorable slice of life. He and a few others had the determination to keep moving ahead against almost insurmountable odds. At that, there were others who chose to remain be hind and later paid the supreme penalty.

Many years after the war, while re searching a story of a particularly heavy bombing raid on Kavieng, by the sth Air Force, I discovered Harry Murray’s story. I wrote to Mary Murray telling her how much I had enjoyed the story of his escape, and both kindly replied to my letter.

That Harry Murray got out of Kavieng as the Japanese landed and made it to safety could only have occurred because of his bulldog spirit.

My regret is that I will never know him. I think I would have liked him very much.

Carroll R. Anderson,

Ex-fighter pilot, 475th Fighter Group, sth Air Force, Tracy, California.

Sir, —When the December issue of PIM reached me, the first thing I looked for was something about Harry Murray. However, nothing about him appeared in that issue, so I got in touch with other old hands and found that they were equally concerned that his death notice had not appeared. We all feel that you were probably not informed of his death.

Carden W. Seton,

Rochedale, Qld. • Harry Murray’s obituary was in the January issue. We did fail to hear of his death at the time.