Deaths of Islands people

Mrs. Jeanne Bryant Mrs. Jeanne Bryant, a heroine of the German bombardment of Papeete in World War I, died in Tahiti in early February at the age of 76.

Mrs. Bryant, nee Drollet, was a 20-year-old telephonist when the German cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, under Admiral Von Spec, appeared off Papeete on September 22, 1914, intent on capturing the town’s stocks of coal to fill their bunkers.

However, when Von Spee found that the pass into Papeete harbour had been blocked by the French gun boat Zelee and that the local troops had set fire to the stocks of coal, he ordered 49 shells to be fired on the town, apparently to express his annOy anCe. ,Ml • Most Tahitians fled to the hills in panic as houses and other buildings collapsed in ruins or caught fire. But Mrs. Bryant (or Miss Drollet, as she then was) stayed at her switchboard to serve as a link between Papeete’s military headquarters and the local troops.

Mrs. Bryant’s reminiscences of Tahiti’s brief experience as a World War I battleground were published several months ago in the Papeete newspaper, Le Journal de Tahiti.

Father Lucien Grandgeorge Father Lucien Grandgeorge, mis sionary in the Gilbert Islands for 35 years, died at Bikenibeu Hospital on January 22 after a stroke. He was 62.

A Frenchman, he was ordained in 1935 and chose the Gilberts as his field. He arrived at Betio in 1936 with Fathers Ramuz and Durand.

The next year he was made parish priest of North Tarawa, stationed at Taborio, where he spent the next 20 years of his life.

In 1942, when the Japanese cap tured Tarawa, Father Grandgeorge stayed where he was and managed to save the lives of many of his own flock and the South Tarawans who had been deported to his parish. For some time he enjoyed the protection of General Kum Saki.

Father Grandgeorge went home on leave once —in 1957—and then became parish priest of Nonouti where, after eight years, hemiplegia sickness brought him back to Tar awa. From 1966 until his he stayed at Teaoraereke, and occasion ally at Bikenibeu, in hospital. He was admired by all for his serenity and patience in the sickness, which also left him unable to read or write for the five years prior to his death.

Mr. Hugh Augustus Ragg

Mr. Hugh Augustus Ragg, ISO, a former Deputy Postmaster-General in Fiji and one of the country’s well known identities, has died in Adelaide at the age of 60.

A grandson of Hugh Hall Ragg and Jacob Paul Storck, both pioneer ing names in Fiji, Mr. H. A. Ragg spent 40 years in Fiji Government service. He had a deep knowledge of the language and customs of the local people.

From 1942 to 1946 he served with the Fiji Military Forces and in 1946 was transferred to the British Solo mon Islands as Postmaster. He re turned to Fiji four years later and was appointed Deputy Postmaster- General in 1962. After his retirement from Fiji Government service several years later, he settled in Australia.

Mr. Ragg leaves his wife Dorothy, and children Lynette, John, Glenys and Peter and a son and daughter from a previous marriage, Hugh, of Labasa, and Mrs. Judy Clark.

Mr. R. A. Colyer Mr. Rupert Alexander Colyer, a founder of the well-known Islands trading firm of Colyer Watson, died in Sydney on January 5, aged 81.

He started his career in the Pacific with the Pacific Cable Board in Suva more than 60 years ago. In Suva he married Miss Neville Walker, and they returned to Australia just before World War I.

After service with the Ist AIF he set up in Auckland as a hide ex porter, and soon after he formed Colyer Watson and Co. Ltd., with the “Watson” part of the firm as a junior partner.

Later Colyer Watson set up m Australia, and eventually diversified from a hides, skins and tallow com pany, into a shipping agent, copra buyer and importer. Colyer Watson (NG) Ltd. was also formed.

The Pacific War ended much of the company’s activities for a few years, but after the war the company went back to New Guinea and ex panded steadily, with Mr. R. A.

Colyer again playing a leading role.

He was a shrewd and greatly re spected businessman. With his sons he helped to develop the PNG cocoa, coffee and peanut industries.

Early in the 1960’s Colyer Watson was taken over by Steamships Trading Co. Ltd.

Mr. Colyer is survived by his wire, two sons, Eric (still a Colyer Watson director) and Keith, and two daughters, Mesdames Joyce Scott and Helen Suttonfield.